The emerging church movement has quickly become one of the fastest growing ecclesiological phenomena in the west today. But there is still a debate to be had about how the church understands its identity and purpose within postmodern culture. Offering an assessment of the impact of the emerging church upon the church in the West, and examining the thinking of the movement's leading proponents including Brian McLaren and Rob Bell, "New World, New Church?" affirms what is good and insightful in the emerging church and offers a robust critical evaluation of its theological revisions. Table of Contents: 1. What is the Emerging Church? 2. The Emerging Church and Culture 3. The Emerging Church and Eschatology 4. The Emerging Church and Missiology 5. The Emerging Church and Ecclesiology 6 The Church of Tomorrow Bibliography

Clothing the New World Church makes a significant contribution to the fields of textile studies, art history, Church history, and Latin American studies, and to interdisciplinary scholarship on material culture and indigenous agency in the New World.

The Church of the New Jerusalem or New Church sprang up in the late eighteenth century based on the writings of Swedish visionary Emanuel Swedenborg. The focus of this history is how the church spread through the United States, from its introduction in Philadelphia shortly after the American Revolution to its development through the nineteenth century. Originally published in 1932, this volume remains the most comprehensive book on New Church history in print.

In this book, pastor and distinguished church leader John Buchanan reviews the history of the Christian community, examines the realities of the church worldwide, and looks forward to the future where a new church may be needed to meet the challenges of a new world. Buchanan describes changes impacting the church and invites Christians to be hopeful and look for signs of what God might be calling the church to be.A New Church for a New Worldis insightful, informative, and ideal for individual or group study. The Foundations of Christian Faith series enables readers to learn about contemporary theology in ways that are clear, enjoyable, and meaningful. It examines the doctrines of the Christian faith and stimulates readers not only to think more deeply about their faith but also to understand their faith in relationship to contemporary challenges and questions. Individuals and study groups alike will find these guides invaluable in their search for depth and integrity in their Christian faith.

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.

He has captured the imagination of people around the world, including those who thought they were ""done with"" Christianity. In ways no one could have expected and no one predicted, Pope Francis has become a living example of what it might mean to be a Christian in our time and place. The modern world was not ready for Pope Francis, but as has been demonstrated--in his travels to the United States and around the world, in his calls for mercy and defense of the vulnerable--Pope Francis was ready for the modern world. New World Pope: Pope Francis and the Future of the Church explores how Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis--the ideas, experiences, influences, and passions that have formed this pastor who has inspired, challenged, encouraged, and angered people worldwide. Ten experts from around the world--scholars, journalists, church leaders, and others--provide insights into the origins and trajectories of Pope Francis' vision and hopes for the Christian community in our day. Persons intrigued by Pope Francis will find deeper insights into his witness via this exploration of the roots and trajectories of his sense of Christian mission and discipleship. ""Books about Pope Francis understandably proliferated as his charisma ignited responses from around the globe. New World Pope is distinguished by the range of perspectives among its authors, from journalist to theologian, Jewish rabbi to Catholic cardinal, biblical to Ignatian reflection. Together the authors present an insightful portrait of Francis' past formation, present vision, and, most importantly, the trajectory of his future impact on the church and on the world."" --Timothy Matovina, University of Notre Dame ""This volume offers us great insight into this somewhat confusing or surprising figure. We are enlightened and challenged by the essays in this volume; challenged to confront Francis' call for 'pastoral conversion.' Yet this volume . . . does not lapse into the adolescent temptation of suggesting complete rupture. Rather, the continuity . . . is clearly outlined. I could not recommend this collection highly enough."" --Conor Cunningham, author of Darwin's Pious Idea: Why the Ultra Darwinists and Creationists both Get it Wrong Michael L. Budde is Professor of Catholic Studies and Political Science at DePaul University in Chicago, where he is also Senior Research Scholar in the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology. His published work focuses on ecclesiology, political economy, and world Christianity; recent works include The Borders of Baptism and the coedited Witness of the Body.

Drawing on a diverse range of case studies in both the Old World of Europe and the New World of the European settler societies in the United States, Australia and New Zealand this volume offers an original perspective on the conduct of church-state relations and how these have been reshaped by translation from the Old to the New Worlds.

Many churches are “mule churches”–strong for a generation but unable to reproduce themselves. As a mule comes from a horse and a donkey, they were the product of demographics and cultural conditions conducive for a generation of strength but did not produce many offspring in new church starts or strong candidates for ministry. Mule churches create a generation or more of pastors, superintendents, and bishops who think they knew what made for strong church, who think their approach to ministry is the key reason for their success. And it produces churches with a nostalgia for the way things used to be. This makes it hard for churches to adapt to change. We've been declining for a long time due to changes in secular and consumer culture, demographics radically adjusting normative family structure, and a theology based in consumer marketing rather than mission-driven vitality. Now we realize that the church is free to not just make the gospel relevant to life but to make life relevant to the gospel. Conservative evangelical Christianity was able to focus on relevance prior to its ascendency on the national stage. Methodism requires a similar period of confessional self-definition. We are going through these confessions now in the debate about our stance toward homosexuality. Most students and most professors go to the seminary "to fix the church," because they realize that the future of the church and its seminaries are inseparable. Seminaries provide scholars for the church, who learn how to think, who learn how to take the long view, who shape identity, who foster a "culture of calling." A new kind of Methodist progressive evangelicalism is regenerating, which lives the great commandment (love) and the great commission (reproducing disciples) on a global scale. Before, seminaries prepared pastors to maintain healthy churches in stable neighborhoods. Now, every neighborhood is changing and many churches are losing their members and their confidence. They long for a recovery of their sense of mission and a new kind of leadership. A new kind of seminary is regenerating to foster hope, wisdom, creativity, and engagement with the great issues of our day.

Micro churches, as a fresh expression of the bride of Christ living in community, are flourishing in many parts of the world. In Micro Church Networks, Larry Kreider explains from decades of first-hand experience how these networks fit the needs, call and passion of believers from many generations. Typical questions such as "How are micro churches different from small groups?" and "How do micro church networks relate to churches with a more traditional structure?" are well-answered in this timely publication. God is always ready to do a new thing. Larry helps us perceive this new move of God and recognize the significant role of micro church networks in the advancement of God's Kingdom in our present time.

Biblical scholar Robert Wall and pastoral leader Anthony Robinson here join forces to bring the Acts of the Apostles forward to our time as a resource for congregational renewal and transformation.Featuring both careful exegetical study and exciting contemporary exposition, the fifteen chapters of Called to Be Church each first interpret the text of Acts as Scripture and then engage Acts for today's church. The book dives into many of the most vexing issues faced by the church then and now -- such issues as conflict resolution, pluralism and multiculturalism, sexuality, money, church and state, the role of the Holy Spirit, and more.Enhanced by study questions at the end of each chapter, Called to Be Church will lend itself especially well to small-group study within congregations. Pastors, lay readers, students, and ordinary believers alike will find the book helpful and inspiring.