Awards

• Winner of Christianity Today Book Award (Top 25) 1997

Overview

Voted one of Christianity Today's 1997 Books of the Year Christians feel increasingly useless, argues Rodney Clapp, not because we have nothing to offer a post-Christian society, but because we are trying to serve as ""sponsoring chaplains"" to a civilization that no longer sees Christianity as necessary to its existence. In our individualistic, technologically oriented, consumer-based culture, Christianity has become largely irrelevant.The solution is not to sentimentally capitulate to the way things are. Nor is it to retrench in an effort to regain power and influence as the sponsor of Western civilization. What is needed is for Christians to reclaim our heritage as a peculiar people, as unapologetic followers of the Way. Within the larger pluralistic world, we need to become a sanctified, subversive culture that develops Christian community as a truly alternative way of life. Christians must learn to live the story and not just to restate it.Writing inclusively with considerable verve, Clapp offers a keen analysis of the church and its ministry as we face a new millennium.

Full Product Details

Author:   Rodney R. Clapp
Publisher:   InterVarsity Press
Imprint:   Inter-Varsity Press,US
Dimensions:   Width: 0.50cm , Height: 0.10cm , Length: 25.00cm
Weight:   0.327kg
ISBN:  

9780830819904

ISBN 10:   0830819908
Pages:   251
Publication Date:   12 November 1996
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Where I'm Writing From 1. The Church as Unchurch: How Christians Became Useless 2. The Church as Private Club: Irrelevant for Constantine's Sake 3. The Church as Nation-State: Why America Is Not the Issue 4. The Church as Type: Why Christians Should Thank God for the Culture Wars 5. The Church as Church: Practicing the Politics of Jesus. 6. The Church as Worshiping Community: Welcome to the (Real) World 7. The Church as Parade: The Politics of Liturgy 8. The Church as Listening Community: The Performance of Scripture 9. The Church as World: On the Faithfulness of Pagans 10. The Church as Mission Message: Evangelism After Constantine 11. The Church as a Way of Life: Liturgy After the Liturgy 12. The Church as a Community of Friends: About Beginning Where We Already Are Notes Index

Reviews

A wonderful, thoughtful, well-written call for the church to be the church. To read it is to be both challenged and encouraged. --Chrisitanity Today

Author Information

Until spring 1999, Clapp was senior editor for academic and general books at InterVarsity Press. He was formerly an associate editor for Christianity Today, and he has served on the editorial boards of The Journal of Family Ministry and Marriage Partnership. His essays have appeared in a variety of publications, including Christianity Today, Regeneration Quarterly and Books and Culture. Clapp is now an editor with Brazos Press, a new imprint of Baker Book House.

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