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How does the gospel relate to a pluralist society? What is the
Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism,
ethnic diversity and cultural relativism? Should Christians
concentrate on evangelism or dialogue? The Gospel in a Pluralist
Society addresses these kinds of questions - providing an excellent
analysis of contemporary culture and suggests how Christians can
more confidently affirm their faith in such a context. While
drawing on scholars such as Michael Polanyi, Alasdair MacIntyre,
Hendrikus Berkof, Walter Wink and Robert Wuthnow, this heartfelt
work by a missionary pastor and preacher is not only suited to an
academic readership; it also offers to Christian leaders and lay
people many thoughtful, helpful and provocative reflections. When
Lesslie Newbigin died in 1998, The Times' obituary writer described
him as 'one of the foremost missionary statesmen of his
generation', and amongst 'the outstanding figures on the world
Christian stage of the second half of the century'. The Gospel in a
Pluralist Society has been widely influential and deserves to be
reissued as an SPCK Classic.
One of the most renowned theologians of our time tells the story of
the Bible in a way that everyone can understand. Shortly before he
died in 1998, Lesslie Newbigin recorded a series of eight radio
addresses on basic themes and central figures in the Bible. These
addresses, which form the basis of this book, affirm the Bible as
the story of the history of humankind. Newbigin invites readers to
join him on a journey from Genesis through Revelation, introducing
the great biblical figures along the way - Abraham, Moses, Noah,
the prophets, Paul, and of course, Jesus. His characteristically
lucid prose, reflecting a lifetime of faithful teaching and
preaching, both challenges and inspires the reader to a deeper
level of Christian discipleship. This authoritative, powerful
summary of the Bible story is indispensable reading for
individuals, teachers, clergy, and adult study groups. Lesslie
Newbigin was a founding bishop of the Church of South India and
associate general secretary of the World Council of Churches. He
authored numerous books, including Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt,
and Certainty in Christian Discipleship; The Gospel in a Pluralist
Society; and Foolishness to the Greeks: The Gospel and Western
Culture.
'In this short by acute book, Bishop Newbigin unmasks the unspoken
and concealed conditions that have intimidated and effectively held
Christians in check, making their taming by modern cultural forces
easy and comprehensive. It follows from this that any home for
renewal of mainline Christianity cannot take place without the kind
of critical probing of those unspoken conditions that Bishop
Newbigin presents here. This book begins the process by turning the
searchlight on Christians themselves, charting a course between the
fundamentalist reaction and postmodernist radical nihilism. Whether
or not the book results in the long-overdue shake-up Newbigin calls
for, it is bound to be included in the arsenal of any meaningful
response to the contemporary challenge.
"The issue . . . in the multicultural millennium is not so much the
'Islamization' of a once-Christian culture as the emergence, with
state collusion, of discrete territories where vastly different
norms prevail, shut off and resentful, a breeding ground for
ferment and a target for hostility." In the aftermath of the London
suicide bombings, this unusual book seems more prophetic than ever.
Begun six years before 9/11, it examined the roots of political
Islam and its offshoots in Britain. In describing the indifference
of policy makers and government officials to religion, it warned of
extremism taking root among disaffected young Muslims--and offered
a vision of hope tempered with realism that might have helped avert
tragedy had it been more widely heeded. The book's timely
republication offers another chance to understand the roots of our
present crisis--and a way out of it. Lamin Sanneh, himself a former
Muslim, explores the history of Islam's always controversial
accommodations with the West. Jenny Taylor's debut contribution
engages critically at the grassroots level, looking in detail at
Islam in Britain, its mission and tactics, and the State's
inadequate response to them. "Neglect would appear to have been
government policy." Lesslie Newbigin describes the loss of a sense
of direction in the West as bankrupt secular ideologies confront
fundamentalism with politically correct platitudes or coercive
legislation that is destroying the West's historic freedoms. All
three authors call for a radical Christian critique to replace the
false and evidently failed policies of neutrality of the State.
How does the gospel relate to a pluralist society? What is the
Christian message in a society marked by religious pluralism,
ethnic diversity, and cultural relativism? Should Christians
encountering today's pluralist society concentrate on evangelism or
on dialogue? How does the prevailing climate of opinion affect,
perhaps infect, Christians' faith?These kinds of questions are
addressed in this noteworthy book by Lesslie Newbigin. A highly
respected Christian leader and ecumenical figure, Newbigin provides
a brilliant analysis of contemporary (secular, humanist, pluralist)
culture and suggests how Christians can more confidently affirm
their faith in such a context.While drawing from scholars such as
Michael Polanyi, Alasdair MacIntyre, Hendrikus Berkhof, Walter
Wink, and Robert Wuthnow, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society is
suited not only to an academic readership. This heartfelt work by a
missionary pastor and preacher also offers to Christian leaders and
laypeople some thoughtful, helpful, and provocative reflections.
The late Lesslie Newbigin was widely regarded as one of this
generation'smost significant voices on Christianity in relation to
modern society. Nowthat he is gone, there is a call for his
unpublished writings to be madeavailable. To that end "Signs amid
the Rubble gathers some of Newbigin'sfinest statements on issues of
continuing relevance.
The first set of chapters consists of the 1941Bangalore
Lectures, in which Newbigin speaks powerfully of the kingdomof God
in relation to the modern -- severely deficient -- idea of
"progress." The second group of writings, the Henry Martyn Lectures
of 1986, deals mainly with the importance of Christian mission. In
the last piece, his address to the World Council of Churches
conference on mission andevangelism in Brazil in 1996 -- which
editor Geoffrey Wainwright calls his "swan song on the ecumenical
stage" -- Newbigin wondersaloud how future generations will judge
today's practice of abortion.
Respected missiologist Lesslie Newbigin's commentary on John is
unique both in its power to prepare pastors and teachers to declare
the Word of God to others and in its ability to communicate John's
message to contemporary readers.
This collection of seventeen never-before-published essays,
sermons, and addresses by Lesslie Newbigin, one of the premier
missiologists of the twentieth century, puts forth his developing
view of the agenda for Christian mission from 1960 to 1992.
Considered "the quintessence of Newbigin's thought" by editor
Eleanor Jackson, these papers record the dynamics of Newbigin's
ideas about mission as he confronted new issues in the church and
society. Newbigin's sermon at Riverside Church in New York City in
1960 opens discussion on the themes of unity in mission, changes in
the missionary enterprise, and developments in the theology of
mission. A second group of articles addresses specific "frontline"
situations: mission in the modern city, the pastor's role in the
inner city, and the future of the parish church. Newbigin then
moves to frontier concerns: the resistance of modern society to the
gospel, the cultural captivity of the church, and the consequences
of witness in a world of religious and ideological pluralism -
themes central to many of his full-length books. Finally, Newbigin
sets the agenda for mission as the church approaches a new
millennium. Spanning three significant decades in the history of
church outreach, A Word in Season offers an important perspective
on the course of Christian mission and provides valuable
instruction to those who struggle with the missionary task today.
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