Post-Christendom, 2nd Edition
Church and Mission in a Strange New World
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Post-Christendom, 2nd Edition
Church and Mission in a Strange New World
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Publisher: SCM Press
ISBN: 9780334057048
Number of Pages: 267
Published: 30/04/2018
Width: 15.3 cm
Height: 22.9 cm
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?
In this second edition of this provocative and important book, 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.
This is a UK edition.
Preface to the First Edition xiii
Preface to the Second Edition xv
1. The End of Christendom 1
Snapshots of Post-Christendom 1
What Post-Christendom Is Not 4
The Meaning of Post-Christendom 21
2. The Coming of Christendom 24
The Achievement of Christendom 24
Constantine 25
From Pre-Christendom to Christendom 34
Constantine’s Successors 35
Converting the Empire 36
Some Questions 39
3. The Expansion of Christendom 41
From the Margins to the Center 41
From the Center to the Margins 42
Strengthening the Center 44
Extending the Boundaries 46
How Christian Was Christendom? 53
More Questions 58
4. The Christendom Shift 60
Augustine 60
Summarizing the Christendom Shift 66
Illustrating the Christendom Shift 69
Objections to the Christendom Shift 74
Alternatives to the Christendom Shift 79
5. The Heart of Christendom 84
The Culture of Christendom 84
Truth and Violence 86
The Bible 91
The Church 95
Mission 98
Marginal Voices 100
6. The Disintegration of Christendom 109
Christendom in Turmoil 110
Reforming Christendom 113
Rejecting Christendom 119
Reflecting on Christendom 130
7. The Christendom Legacy 132
The Demise of Christendom in Western Europe 132
Vestiges of Christendom 139
The Christendom Mindset 149
Responding to the Christendom Legacy 153
8. Post-Christendom: Mission 161
Mission in Late Christendom 161
Evangelism in Post-Christendom 166
Mission in a Plural Society 171
Church and Society 176
Church and State 180
9. Post-Christendom: Church 185
What Kind of Church? 185
Emerging Church 186
The Post-Christendom Lens 189
Inherited Church 192
Simple Church 201
Reimagining Church 203
Revival or Survival? 207
10. Post-Christendom: Resources 209
Church 210
Bible 214
Theology 219
Imagery 220
Terminology 223
Jesus at the Center 225
Appendix 1: The Donatists 231
Appendix 2: The Waldensians 235
Appendix 3: The Lollards 239
Appendix 4: The Anabaptists 243
Bibliography 247
"You will find this well-written and compellingly-argued work to be as challenging as it is insightful, and as exciting as it is encouraging." - Greg Boyd, Senior Pastor, Woodland Hills Church, Maplewood, Minnesota
"What an illuminating read! Its clear-eyed analysis of how Christians got so tragically off course is a must-read for all those ready to rediscover Jesus, reimagine church, and live into hope for a more just, gentle world." - Sara Wenger Shenk, President, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana
"I read the first edition of Post-Christendom when it came out fourteen years ago and have returned to it regularly since. Stuart Murray's plea for us to disavow Christendom and rediscover Jesus-centered mission from the margins of contemporary society is no less a clarion call today than it was back then." - Michael Frost, Morling College, Sydney
"I used to recommend the first edition to all the leaders, pastors, church planters, and students I could. I will now require the second edition for all I work with. This is a crucial read." - Cam Roxburgh, Senior Pastor of Southside Community Church, National Director of Forge Canada
