The Church In Emerging Culture Five Perspectives

What should the church look like today?What should be the focus of its message?How should I present that message?We live in as pivotal and defining an age as the Great Depression or the Sixties–a period whose definition, say some cultural observers, includes a warning of the church’s influence. The result? A society measurably less religious but decidedly more spiritual. Less influenced by authority than by experience. More attuned to images than to words.How does the church adapt to such a culture? Or should it, in fact, eschew adapting for maintaining a course it has followed these last two millennia? Or something in between?These are exactly the questions asked in The Church In Emerging Culture by five Christian thinker-speaker-writers, each who advocate unique stances regarding what the church’s message should be (and what methods should be used to present it) as it journeys through this evolving, postmodern era. The authors are:Andy Crouch–Re:Generation Quarterly editor-in-chiefMichael Horton–professor and reformed theologianFrederica Mathewes-Green–author, commentator, and Orthodox ChristianBrian D. McLaren–postmodernist, author, pastor, and Emergent senior fellowErwin Raphael McManus–author and pastor of the innovative and interethnic L.A.-based church, MosaicMost unique about their individual positions is that they’re presented not as singular essays but as lively discussions in which the other four authors freely (and frequently) comment, critique, and concur. That element, coupled with a unique photographic design that reinforces the depth of their at-once congenial and feisty conversation, gives you all-access entrée into this groundbreaking discourse.What’s more, general editor Leonard Sweet (author of SoulTsunami and AquaChurch, among several other acclaimed texts) frames the thought-provoking dialogue with a profoundly insightful, erudite introductory essay–practically a book within a book. The Church In Emerging Culture is foundational reading for leaders and serious students of all denominations and church styles.

What are the beliefs of the new movement known as the emerging church? In thought-provoking debate, prominent emerging leaders John Burke, Mark Driscoll, Dan Kimball, Doug Pagitt, and Karen Ward discuss their sometimes controversial views under the editorship of author and educator Robert Webber. Hear what they say about their views of Scripture, Christ, the atonement, other world religions, and other important doctrines, so you can come to your own conclusions about the emerging church.

Why should the church be concerned about cultures? Louis J. Luzbetak began to answer this question twenty-five years ago with the publication of The Church and Cultures: An Applied Anthropology for the Religious Worker. Reprinted six times and translated into five languages, it became an undisputed classic in the field. Now, by popular demand, Luzbetak has thoroughly rewritten his work, completely updating it in light of contemporary anthropological and missiological thought and in face of current world conditions. Serving as a handbook for a culturally sensitive ministry and witness, The Church and Cultures introduces the non-anthropologist to a wealth of scientific knowledge directly relevant to pastoral work, religious education social action and liturgy - in fact, to all forms of missionary activity in the church. It focuses on a burning theological issue: that of contextualization, the process by which a local church integrates its understanding of the Gospel (text) with the local culture (context).

If you are a sincere church leader or a committed church member, you’re probably tired of easy steps, easy answers, and facile formulas for church health, growth, and renewal. You know it’s not that easy. In The Church on the Other Side, you’ll find something different: honest, clear, and creative thinking about our churches, along with a passionate challenge to thoughtful action and profound, liberating change. In understandable language, with an energetic and engaging writing style, and drawing from daily, down-to-earth pastoral experience, Brian McLaren offers thirteen strategies for navigating the modern/postmodern transition. You’ll learn the critical distinctions between renewed, restored, and reinvented churches. You’ll discover the importance of redefining your mission, of finding fresh ways to conceive of and communicate the Gospel, and of entering the postmodern world by understanding it, engaging it, and debugging your faith from modern 'viruses.' McLaren believes we are in an epochal sea-change, perhaps even more significant than the last great cultural transition about 500 years ago, when the world crossed over from the medieval to the modern era. He believes that today’s breakthroughs in communications, education, travel, cultural diversity, science, economics, politics, and philosophy are combining to create a new matrix in which Christians will live, worship, work, and pursue our mission. 'We are exploring off the map,' writes Brian McLaren, 'looking into mysterious territory beyond our familiar world on this side of the boundary between modern and postmodern worlds.' Even if you’ve read this book’s first edition, Reinventing Your Church, you’ll find enough new and revised material here to warrant a second purchase. And if you’re encountering these concepts for the first time, you’ll find wise guidance to help you and your church begin the journey toward the other side of the postmodern divide. You’ll learn to think differently, see church, life, and these revolutionary times in a new way, and act with courage, hope, and an adventurous spirit.

The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture In our fast-growing post-Christian, postmodern culture, the church often finds itself marginalized and ineffective in mission. The new emerging church is both hopeful and frightening compared to more traditional forms of Christianity. However, these "two churches" need each other. The Church in Transition presents honest stories of the failures and successes of a variety of transitioning fellowships.

This volume of essays centers on the theme of doing Christian theology in the present postmodern context, a consistent theme of the teaching of John D. Castelein. The work will celebrate and honor John's years of service by representing reflections of his teaching in the thought of his students and colleagues. The essays range over such topics as theological reflections on the postmodern philosophical themes, the relations between Christian theology and culture, the contributions of philosophical hermeneutics for Christian theology, and the challenges of engaging in ministry in a postmodern context. The seventeen contributors to the volume are former students and both present and former colleagues involved in various ministries, be they in a college setting or in a local church.

Leading Voices from across Christian Traditions Discuss the Mission of the Church What is the mission of the church? Every seminarian and church leader must wrestle with that question. No matter what designation a church uses to describe itself, it must also think critically about why it exists and what it should be doing. In this book, five leading voices representing a range of Christian traditions engage in an enlightening conversation as they present and compare their perspectives on the mission of the church. Each contributor offers his or her view and responds to the other four views. Contributors include Stephen B. Bevans, Darrell L. Guder, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Edward Rommen, and Ed Stetzer. The book's format is ideal for classroom use and will also benefit pastors and church leaders.

This excellent collection of essays, written by a diverse group of Christian leaders working on the frontier of mission within the present North American context, lays the groundwork for the newly emerging missionary encounter of the gospel with North American culture. Demonstrating that the missionary identity of the church is to be found at the intersection of culture-gospel-church, these essays outline the missionary agenda now before the church as it confronts North American assumptions, perspectives, preferences, and practices.