Author Description

In today's postmodern culture many people are turning to religion, but they are not necessarily finding their way back to the church. Most unbelievers in America and other Western countries are "post-Christians." Though baptized and brought up in a church, they no longer believe and practice the Christian faith. In such a time, the great challenge facing the church is re-evangelization. This volume provides serious theological reflection on Christian missions within postmodern, post-Christian culture. Written by respected scholars representing the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox traditions, these chapters point out elements of the gospel that will help the church speak effectively to contemporary society, particularly in the United States. John Milbank examines the origins of postmodernity and suggests that belief in the incarnation will be accepted only when the church fully embraces (hetero)sexuality. Robert W. Jenson insists that the church must boldly uphold its distinctive beliefs in an otherwise pluralistic and relativistic age. David L. Schindler argues that our reductionist view of nature must be replaced with one that again sees God's presence in the world. R. R. Reno compares postmodernism's negation of truth claims to the weightless humanism of the Roman writer Petronius. Philip Turner maintains that Christians can actively persuade others today only through their actions. Anthony Ugolnik believes that the gospel must now be be "de-familiarized" in order to make it fresh once more. Todd E. Johnson traces the history of evangelism in America and locates a valid model for our time. Frank C. Senn questions the rise of the "seeker service," defending instead a traditional liturgy that emphasizes the Trinity. Carl E. Braatten works to recover the full power of the church's missionary calling. Suggesting startling approaches to Christian proclamation, this volume shows how the "strange new word" of the gospel can reawaken faith in the postmodern world. - Back cover.