Rethinking Church in the 21st Century

God's love in Jesus Christ for the salvation and recreation of all things is still the hope of the world. This Christian affirmation is the reality that "holds all things" and "holds all things together." Yet in today's world, it is easy to understand why the church is in pain and declining in its Christian and moral influence. Rethinking Church in the 21st Century is the culmination of three years of exploration into the condition of the church around the world today. Bringing together a diverse community of Christian voices, these essays offer reflections and admonitions to ignite the hearts of pastors and leaders during the dynamic, vulnerable, and hopeful times we face. In this first volume, scholars and church leaders from across the globe respond to writings on suffering and persecution. The authors examine the universal themes of suffering and address topics such as violence, natural disasters, and persecution through contextually rooted lenses. The resulting essays are an authentic, richly diverse collection that offers fresh perspectives for the church to reflect on together.

God's love in Jesus Christ for the salvation and recreation of all things is still the hope of the world. This Christian affirmation is the reality that "holds all things" and "holds all things together." Yet in today's world, it is easy to understand why the church is in pain and declining in its Christian and moral influence. Rethinking Church in the 21st Century is the culmination of three years of exploration into the condition of the church around the world today. Bringing together a diverse community of Christian voices, these essays offer reflections and admonitions to ignite the hearts of pastors and leaders during the dynamic, vulnerable, and hopeful times we face. In this second volume, scholars and church leaders from across the globe expound seven biblical metaphors – yeast, salt, light, people, temple, body and ambassadors, and the people of God – that are foundational for our understanding of the church today. From the gospels, the Pauline epistles, and the Petrine letters, the authors help readers to engage with the conceptual content of metaphors and how they shape our experiences and attitudes, so we can flesh them out for application in our own contexts. This is not a book about the shortcomings of the church, but one that nurtures the hope grounded in remembering who the church is and that calls us to live that identity into the twenty-first century.