What should be the Christian's attitude toward society? When so much of our contemporary culture is at odds with Christian beliefs and mores, it may seem that serious Christians now have only two choices: transform society completely according to Christian values or retreat into the cloister of sectarian fellowship. In this book, John Stackhouse argues that, rather than trying to root up the weeds in the cultural field, or trying to shun them, Christians should practice persistencein gardening God's world and building toward the New Jerusalem. What should be the Christian's attitude toward society? When so much of our contemporary culture is at odds with Christian beliefs and mores, it may seem that serious Christians now have only two choices: transform society completely according to Christian values or retreat into the cloister of sectarian fellowship.In Making the Best of It, John Stackhouse explores the history of the Christian encounter with society, the biblical record, and various theological modelsof cultural engagement to offer a more balanced and fruitful alternative to these extremes. He argues that, rather than trying to root up the weeds in the cultural field, or trying to shun them, Christians should practice persistencein gardening God's world and building toward the New Jerusalem. Examining thelives and works of C.S. Lewis, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer for example and direction, Stackhouse suggests that our mission is to make the most of life in the world in cooperation with God's own mission of redeeming the world he loves. This model takes seriously the pattern of God's activity in the Bible, and insubsequent history, of working through earthly means--through individuals, communities, and institutions that are deeply flawed but nonetheless capable of accomplishing God's purposes. Christians must find a way to live in this worldand at the same time do work that honors God and God's plan for us.In an era of increasing religious and cultural tensions, both internationallyand domestically, the model that Stackhouse develops discourages the "all or nothing" attitudes that afflict so much of contemporary Christianity. Instead,he offers a fresh, and refreshingly nuanced, take on the question of what itmeans to be a Christian in the world today. INDICE: Acknowledgments Introduction: Who Are We, for Jesus Christ, Today?Part I: The Classic Typology Reappropriating H. Richard Niebuhr's Christ and Culture Part II: Some Resources for the Recovery of Christian Realism C.S. Lewis: The Christian Individual Reinhold Niebuhr: Prophet of Christian Realism Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Christian and the Church in and for the World Part III:Making the Best of It Method in Ethics: A Sketch The Story and the Mission Vocation Principles of a New Realism Conclusion: Making the Best of It Index Index of Scriptural References
- ISBN: 978-0-19-984394-7
- Editorial: Oxford University
- Encuadernacion: Rústica
- Páginas: 384
- Fecha Publicación: 20/10/2011
- Nº Volúmenes: 1
- Idioma: Inglés