Pluralism as such is not the enemy of the gospel. Preaching the Christian message will always encounter a world with many religions, world-views, ideologies, and lifestyles. The earliest generation of Christians found themselves in a pluralistic situation. They were witnessing to Jews as well as to Greeks and Romans in the great melting pot of Hellenistic culture. Religious pluralism does pose a threat when it becomes an ideological dogma that asserts that all religions are equally valid and lead to the same goal.

Effective evangelistic sermons require preachers to know their audience and to tailor their preaching accordingly. Chris Altrock uses findings of the Barna Research Group and his own experiences as a preacher to support his descriptions of several characteristics common to the unchurched or the lost crowd today. Recognizing that the audience today is vastly different from previous generations, Altrock suggests several approaches to these postmodern listeners, challenging preachers to change in order to reach the "field of harvest" that Jesus calls the church to love.

5 Classic Lectures from J. I. Packer Defending the Truth of the Gospel against Humanism, Universalism, and More Christians today confront complex opposition to the gospel from intellectuals, skeptics, and pluralists who deny the divinity of Christ. But these are not new issues; the first-century church encountered similar challenges to their faith. How did the apostle Paul address these questions and doubts to effectively spread God's word? In these lectures, originally given at Reformed Bible College and Moore College in 1978, renowned theologian J. I. Packer tackles common objections to Christianity—including secular humanism, pluralism, and universalism. By studying the evangelistic efforts of Paul and the early church, Packer skillfully preaches the glory of Christ crucified and helps students, pastors, and believers share their faith in an age of skepticism. 5 Vintage Lectures: Covering topics including Jesus's humanity and divinity, substitutionary atonement, and the truth of Christ's resurrection A Great Resource for Pastors and Thoughtful Christians: Provides gospel-centered answers to different worldviews including universalism, secular humanism, and pluralism From J. I. Packer: Prolific theologian and bestselling author of Knowing God

What does it mean to evangelize ethically in a multicultural climate? Following his successful Evangelism after Christendom, Bryan Stone addresses reasons evangelism often fails and explains how it can become distorted as a Christian practice. Stone urges us to consider a new approach, arguing for evangelism as a work of imagination and a witness to beauty rather than a crass effort to compete for converts in pluralistic contexts. He shows that the way we lead our lives as Christians is the most meaningful tool of evangelism in today's rapidly changing world.

Christians are often thought of as defending only their own religious interests in the public square. They are viewed as worrying exclusively about the erosion of their freedom to assemble and to follow their convictions, while not seeming as concerned about publicly defending the rights of Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and atheists to do the same. Andrew T. Walker, an emerging Southern Baptist public theologian, argues for a robust Christian ethic of religious liberty that helps the church defend religious freedom for everyone in a pluralistic society. Whether explicitly religious or not, says Walker, every person is striving to make sense of his or her life. The Christian foundations of religious freedom provide a framework for how Christians can navigate deep religious difference in a secular age. As we practice religious liberty for our neighbors, we can find civility and commonality amid disagreement, further the church's engagement in the public square, and become the strongest defenders of religious liberty for all. Foreword by noted Princeton scholar Robert P. George.

INSPIRATIONAL

In the three years since Donald Trump first announced his plans to run for president, the United States seems to become more dramatically polarized and divided with each passing month. There are seemingly irresolvable differences in the beliefs, values, and identities of citizens across the country that too often play out in our legal system in clashes on a range of topics such as the tensions between law enforcement and minority communities. How can we possibly argue for civic aspirations like tolerance, humility, and patience in our current moment? In Confident Pluralism, John D. Inazu analyzes the current state of the country, orients the contemporary United States within its broader history, and explores the ways that Americans can—and must—strive to live together peaceably despite our deeply engrained differences. Pluralism is one of the founding creeds of the United States—yet America’s society and legal system continues to face deep, unsolved structural problems in dealing with differing cultural anxieties and differing viewpoints. Inazu not only argues that it is possible to cohabitate peacefully in this country, but also lays out realistic guidelines for our society and legal system to achieve the new American dream through civic practices that value toleration over protest, humility over defensiveness, and persuasion over coercion. With a new preface that addresses the election of Donald Trump, the decline in civic discourse after the election, the Nazi march in Charlottesville, and more, this new edition of Confident Pluralism is an essential clarion call during one of the most troubled times in US history. Inazu argues for institutions that can work to bring people together as well as political institutions that will defend the unprotected. Confident Pluralism offers a refreshing argument for how the legal system can protect peoples’ personal beliefs and differences and provides a path forward to a healthier future of tolerance, humility, and patience.

Covering such timely issues as witness in a multifaith society and political engagement in a pluralistic world, this compelling book highlights things Christians can do to serve the common good. Now in paperback. Praise for the cloth edition Named one of the "Top 100 Books" and one of the "Top 10 Religion Books" of 2011 by Publishers Weekly "Accessible, wise guidance for people of all faiths."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Highly original. . . . The book deserves a wide audience and is one that will affect its readers well after they have turned the final page."--Christianity Today (5-star review)

Crystal Downing brings the postmodern theory of semiotics within reach for today's evangelists. Following the idea of the sign through Scripture, church history and the academy, Downing shows you how signs work and how sensitivity to their dynamics can make or break an attempt to communicate truth.

With its relentless insistence that there is no reality beyond that which we construct, postmodern thought questions the presuppositions of many disciplines, including homiletics. Offering a lively description of the postmodern worldview and its implications for Christian faith, Confessing Jesus Christ by David Lose teaches preachers how to rise to the challenges posed by our postmodern world. Few if any books on preaching offer such a comprehensive investigation of postmodern thought or yield such a wealth of insights for relevant Christian proclamation. Significantly, Lose sees postmodernism not primarily as an obstacle to the church but as an opportunity for it to stand once again on faith alone rather than on attempts to prove the faith. According to Lose, preaching that seeks to be both faithful to the Christian tradition and responsive to our pluralistic, postmodern context is best understood as the public practice of confessing faith in Jesus Christ. He explores the practical implications of a confessional homiletic for preaching and also provides concrete methods for preparing sermons that meaningfully bridge biblical texts and contemporary congregations.