The Church Of Us Vs Them

We are living in angry times. No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with conflict. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. We are perceived as angry, judgmental, and defensive, fighting among ourselves in various media while the world looks on. How have we failed to be a people of reconciliation and renewal in the face of such tumult? Claiming that the church has lost itself in the grip of an antagonistic culture, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the vitriol in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to be true to itself, unwinding the antagonisms of our day and making space for Christ's reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.

Culture. Politics. Thick, impenetrable tension. Post-1945 America. Professor Robert Bresler broaches these interwoven themes in Us vs. Them: American Political and Cultural Conflict from WWII to Watergate, a reader in the American Visions series. Offering a broad overview of the interrelationship of culture and politics in the second half of the twentieth century, Us vs. Them is an exploration of the historical roots of America's current cultural wars. In the extended essay that constitutes the first half of the book, Professor Bresler offers a seamless introduction to the intermingling of American politics and culture, from the rise of an American consensus in the immediate postwar period to its inevitable decline in the 1960s and early 1970s. Part II consists of documents and readings that illustrate and buttress Bresler's argument including political manifestos and excerpts from the works of major essayists such as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Mary McCarthy, and Norman Podhoretz. Lending a flavor of contemporary debate, this documentary material allows an integrative approach to politics and culture. Valuable for instructors who want to blend political ideas and cultural controversy into their American studies, American history, or political science courses, Us vs. Them gives students a key to understanding contemporary cultural politics. This important compilation is a guide to post-1945 America that places the evolution of political institutions-the presidency, Congress, the courts-within a broad cultural context.

Despite Jesus' prayer that all Christians "be one," divisions have been epidemic in the body of Christ. Though we may think we know why this happens, Christena Cleveland says we probably don't. Learn the hidden reasons behind conflict and divisions, the unseen dynamics at work that tend to separate us from others. Here are the tools we need to build bridges.

What is the church? And why does it exist? These are essential questions for those who seek to follow Jesus in community. David Fitch delves into the origins of the church, exploring the identity and calling of the body of Christ in scripture and church history. Learn about the Christian practices that shape the church and how our understandings of church might change in light of the life of the church through the centuries. At a time when the church in the US is losing credibility and cultural privilege, Fitch calls us to embrace historic Anabaptism as a model for thriving as God’s people in our own time and place. The Jesus Way: Small Books of Radical Faith delve into big questions about God’s work in the world. These concise, practical books are deeply rooted in Anabaptist theology. Crafted by a diverse community of internationally renowned scholars, pastors, and practitioners, The Jesus Way series helps readers deepen their faith in Christ and enliven their witness.

A challenging, clear-eyed, and authoritative history of American conservatism and its grave effect on our country's foreign policy In this compelling and sometimes alarming analysis, J. Peter Scoblic, executive editor of The New Republic, traces the history of American foreign policy and how it has evolved from the Cold War conservatism of the 1950s to today. The belligerence, intransigence, and disinclination for diplomacy that mars the right wing once brought us to the brink of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. More recently it has failed to meet the post-9/11 challenges posed by Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Scoblic argues forcefully that the only way to face these new threats practically and seriously is by adopting an approach exactly opposite to that suggested by conservatism. By diagnosing the origins of Bush's foreign policy, U.S. vs. Them illuminates the path to renewed American leadership in the twenty-first century as the most serious danger ever faced looms before us: nuclear terrorism.

The modern city is a place of social circles; clusters of contacts who know each other and strangers who don’t. It is a place where diverse relationships are in decline. In the city, strangers seldom meet beyond daily functions. Instead they brush by with a haste and preoccupation that so defines a century of ‘too little time’. Where once we valued common courtesy, now we encourage the message of “stranger danger”. Often we do not test this message as we grow older. Instead we live side by side with strangers, and remain firmly as ever, psychologically miles apart. In this book I attempt to address this problem. I ask the following questions: 1) How can we bring back mutual understanding, empathy and common concern between ourselves, strangers and other groups? 2) How can we reduce our instinctual urge to categorise other people? 3) How can we restore a sense of “community” into modern cities? My own research reveals a large body of evidence leading to a single conclusion: if we want to connect with strangers in our society, and form diverse, cohesive communities, we must minimise the categorical distinctions in our everyday life. We must once again bring people together, in close physical proximity, even if they are from different segments of society. We can use physical proximity to overcome our natural urges to seek out ‘one of our own’ and foster communities that are more diverse and inclusive by nature. By bringing disparate groups into the same space, we can foster mutual understanding, empathy and in some cases friendship. This could mend some of the categorical division that exists in society today, including issues of racism, sexism and religious intolerance.

We live in angry times. No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with division and polarization. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. While our faith calls us to Christian unity, the hard fact remains: our churches are tragically divided across class, ethnic, gender, and political lines. As these social chasms grow--both inside and outside the church--the role of the preacher becomes paramount. This book issues a prophetic call to pastors to use the influence of their pulpits to promote reconciliation and unity in their churches and communities. Two scholar-practitioners who are experts in homiletics and reconciliation present a practical, 7-step model that empowers faithful leaders to bring healing and peace to their fractured churches and world. The book includes questions for reflection, salient illustrations, and an accountability covenant. It also includes useful appendixes on preaching themes, preaching texts, and sample sermons from three leading preachers: Ralph Douglas West, Rich Villodas, and Sandra Maria Van Opstal.

Originally published: Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, c1986.