God After Christendom?

Publisher Description

In the face of what appears to be a widespread questioning of the practical usefulness of serious theological reflection on the nature and purposes of God, the authors of this intriguing book argue that a return to the sources of the Christian tradition represents nothing less than a rich trove of resources for Christian living. By revisiting the story of speech about God in scripture and in the living tradition of the church, the authors argue that we are thereby enabled to confront the contemporary temptations that too often unwittingly remake God in our own image. In this way the authors provocatively suggest that at least part of what Christian discipleship involves today is bound up with the task of unlearning some of the ways of speaking of God that have become so familiar to us. By learning to reread the texts of the Christian tradition, particularly in its most vital and creative moments, the authors suggest that we might become better equipped to faithfully read the signs of our own times. --In this beautiful product of long conversations and deep friendship, Haymes and Gingerich Hiebert demonstrate why Christians cannot sustain a life of peacemaking and discipleship without God. Accessibly, and with solid scholarship and practical wisdom, they give their readers new (old) language to talk about the God who is known in history and mystery, in wonder and worship, and above all in Jesus Christ.-- --Alan Kreider, Professor Emeritus of Church History and Mission, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary --Combining strong scholarship and keen pastoral insights that engage the reader, this book is a profound theological reflection about what it means to believe in and speak about God in our world.-- --Eleanor Epp-Stobbe, Pastor, Breslau Mennonite Church --God After Christendom? is a short but ambitious book. It offers the reader a lyrical retelling of the biblical narrative, making surprising--and convincing--connections between unexpected topics, like the Trinity and discipleship. The freshness of its approach makes it a challenging read for study groups, membership classes, and undergraduate students.-- --John D. Rempel, Senior Fellow, Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre --The double-voiced way of presenting their material effectively seeks to present the truth of God in different, but complementary, ways. This is a book born of attention to our context, and the ways in which attention to the theological tradition can help articulate our contemporary experience.-- --Christopher Rowland, Emeritus Dean Ireland's Professor of Exegesis of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford Brian Haymes was Principal of Northern Baptist College in Manchester, Principal of Bristol Baptist College, and President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. He is coauthor of Baptists and the Communion of Saints: A Theology of Covenanted Disciples. Kyle Gingerich Hiebert is a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre at the University of Toronto. He is the author of The Architectonics of Hope: Violence, Apocalyptic, and the Transformation of Political Theology.