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This book explores the unprecedented challenge of involuntary singleness for women, and the implications of disregarding this challenge for the Christian (and particularly, baptistic) communities of faith. It argues that these communities not only fail involuntarily single women, but also in so doing, suffer a serious detriment to their own communal health and Christian witness. Taking the challenge of involuntary singleness as a test case, this book explores the method of convictional theology and argues for a holistic framework that can draw together the personal, communal, and visionary spheres of human existence. Although primarily a work of theological ethics, it also draws from a number of different disciplines, including cultural studies and sociology as well as intersections of science and theology.
Post-Christendom Studies publishes research on the nature of Christian identity and mission in the contexts of post-Christendom. Post-Christendom refers to places, both now and in the past, where Christianity was once a significant cultural presence, though not necessarily the dominant religion. Sometimes "Christendom" refers to the official link between church and state. The term "post-Christendom" is often associated with the rise of secularization, religious pluralism, and multiculturalism in western countries over the past sixty years. Our use of the term is broader than that however. Egypt for example can be considered a post-Christendom context. It was once a leading center of Christia...
Western societies are experiencing a series of disorientating culture shifts. Uncertain where we are heading, observers use “post” words to signal that familiar landmarks are disappearing, but we cannot yet discern the shape of what is emerging. One of the most significant shifts, “post-Christendom,” raises many questions about the mission and role of the church in this strange new world. What does it mean to be one of many minorities in a culture that the church no longer dominates? How do followers of Jesus engage in mission from the margins? What do we bring with us as precious resources from the fading Christendom era, and what do we lay down as baggage that will weigh us down on our journey into post-Christendom? Post-Christendom identifies the challenges and opportunities of this unsettling but exciting time. Stuart Murray presents an overview of the formation and development of the Christendom system, examines the legacies this has left, and highlights the questions that the Christian community needs to consider in this period of cultural transition.
It is not a changing culture, reduced resources, or a rescinding Christian memory that creates the greatest challenges for the church in the West. It is the lack of a clear commitment to the intentional, authentic, and contextual expressions of missional disciple-making, which will shape current and future generations of followers of Jesus to express the values of the Kingdom today. This book offers stimulating historical, biblical, and theological reflections on discipleship and considers some of the possibilities and opportunities afforded to us by our post-Christian context. Missional discipleship allows the missio Dei to shape us in our engagement our practices and sustain us in the lifelong journey of becoming and developing disciples that follow Jesus today.
Today, as Christendom weakens, worship and mission are poised to reunite after centuries of separation. But this requires the church to rethink both “mission” and “worship.” In post-Christendom mission, God is the main actor and God calls all Christians to participate. In post-Christendom worship, the church tells and celebrates the story of God, enabling members to live in hope and attract outsiders to its many tables of hospitality. In this passionate and thoughtful study, Alan Kreider and Eleanor Kreider draw upon missiology, liturgiology, biblical studies, church history, and the vast experience of today’s global Christian church-to say nothing of their long tenure as teachers and writers in contemporary England and the United States. Academically responsible but also practical and accessible, Worship and Mission After Christendom is a much-needed guide for people who take seriously God’s call to be the church in a world where institutional religion is no longer taken for granted.
Pietersen argues that for too long the Old Testament has been the primary source for Christian ethics and the letters of Paul for Christian discipleship. Without disparaging these sources the author suggests that the church in a postmodern, post-Christian society needs to look at Scripture with a different focus. This book seeks to examine what reading the Bible might look like in the current period when the church is no longer central and the Christian story is not well known. 'This is a provocative and refreshing exploration of the possibilities inherent i[1;5Cn reading Scripture from the margins, rather than from within the compromised and rapidly receding structures of Christendom. A worthy addition to the challenging After Christendom series, Lloyd Pietersen's thoughtful work moves the discussion forward in ways that are at times controversial, at other times stretching, but at all times constructive. Highly recommended!' - Brian Harris, Principal, Vose Seminary, Perth Australia
How did Christendom affect understandings and misunderstandings of God's ways? How do we understand God's work in and through the Church, the relation of Church and Government, and what it means, regardless of the social context of Christendom or not, for the Church to remain faithful to God? This book is a serious attempt to reflect on the doctrine of God and the calling of the Church at this time of social change.
This book aims to show how nurturing hospitality in the "discipleship community" leads to growth. It seeks to re-examine the challenge, biblically and in radical Christian movements, presented by the pre-Christendom church in its patterns of hospitality and community to so 're-work' these to be more effective in mission, personally and corporately, after Christendom. The book re-examines Jesus' intentions, the wider biblical material, and congregational practices of sharing Communion as well as drawing on radical church history to demonstrate that despite increasing marginalization, hospitality and community are essential to the church's nature, well-being and mission. It goes on to use many practical examples, as well as leadership strategies to enable congregations to restore hospitality and community to its necessary place. It also provides an accessible theology as well as some original liturgies to underpin Christian life as we move forward after Christendom.
This book explores the way that gender relationships changed under Christendom and then after Christendom, challenging us to rethink gender relations in both church and society. Fran Porter goes beyond the personal aspects of gender identity to structural, philosophical and theological considerations; and offers a paradigm for gender relationships different to the oppositional models that currently prevail. "This is an accessible read about the complex topic of gender, Christendom and post Christendom. For those seeking to explore the history of gender relationships in the church from the first century this is an excellent introduction." Dianne Tidball, East Midland Baptist Association, UK "Through careful handling of the argument, Fran Porter helps us to glimpse that vision of what the new community of Christ, the new kin-work he inaugurated, could look like - and how the church, in the way she is in the world, can be radical good news for men and women everywhere." Sian Murray Williams, Tutor in Worship Studies at Bristol Baptist College
A controversial proposal for rethinking how Christians engage politically after the death of Christendom. By definition, one of the most integral issues raised by the idea of post-Christendom is the relationship between church and state. For the best part of 1700 years, the institutional church has enjoyed a hand-in-hand relationship with government. Indeed, the church has often been seen as the glue that has stopped political systems from disintegrating into anarchy. But in this post-Christendom era the relation of Church and State has weakened to the point where the church can no longer claim to play any significant part in Government. As part of the post-Christendom series this book will ...