Editor’s Note: In part two of this excerpt from Theology with Spirit, Dr. Lederle continues his examination of the major streams of the Third Wave, what he has renamed New Independent Charismatic Churches. The Pneuma Review editorial committee hopes you will be encouraged as you read this chapter and will purchase this excellent book for yourself.

Dominion (Postmillennial)

The second major group of Independent Charismatics is also characterized by its view of the kingdom of God. The distinctive teaching is known as Dominion theology and has been described by its pre-millennialist detractors as “Kingdom Now.” The recently deceased Earl Paulk, perhaps the most significant representative of this new thrust, became the Archbishop of the International Communion of Charismatic Churches, a global network representing at its zenith some 10 million members. The ICCC, however, may not be totally identified with Dominion theology. The ICCC was formed in 1982 by Bishop John Meares of Washington, DC, and Bishop McAlister of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Later, Bishop Idahosa of Benin City, Nigeria, and Bishop Paulk of Chapel Hill Harvester Church in Atlanta, Georgia, joined. They were all part of a global Pentecostal denomination named the International Evangelical Church, which, interestingly enough, joined the Geneva-based World Council of Churches in 1972 and was the first Pentecostal denomination to participate officially in the Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue.

The origins of Dominion theology, however, do not lie within the Pentecostal-Charismatic arena but outside it in classically Reformed theology. (This is illustrated in the ICCC Handbook, which lists the Presbyterian Westminster Confession in its creedal statements that provide the proper interpretation of the Bible.) Dominion theology is the product of the Christian reconstructionist movement, which developed in the 1960s and ’70s around the publications of scholar Rousas John Rushdoony. In order to understand their influence on the Dominion movement some reconstructionist views will be now outlined briefly. Rushdoony, an Armenian American, established the Chalcedon Foundation in Vallecito, California, in 1965. Another center is the Institute for Christian Economics in Tyler, Texas, founded by Gary North, who has also published widely. Central to the reconstructionist vision is the acknowledgement of the all-embracing cosmic headship of Christ, who has dominion over every dimension of reality, and the ensuing ideal of transforming society in accordance with God’s divine laws. Rushdoony had studied presuppositional apologetics with Cornelius van Til, who taught for many years at Westminster Theological Seminary. It is widely believed that in his book Theonomy in Christian Ethics, Christian reconstructionist theologian Greg Bahnsen argues that the laws of Moses should be applied directly to contemporary public life. The vision is, first, to reclaim the United States as a Christian nation and then to work in a gradual postmillennial strategy to establish the kingdom rule of God over all the earth. This would, in fact, be theocratic rule, with obvious parallels to Puritan thinking. The moral decline in the Western world is seen as the direct result of forsaking the eternal laws of God.

This vision is radical and goes far beyond a mainstream Reformed understanding of the transformation of culture under the Lordship of Christ. Christian reconstructionists hold to a theonomy (law of God) which considers Old Testament laws to be normative for all times. That would entail such extremes as capital punishment for adultery, bestiality, homosexuality, and even for incorrigible children! Critics of this movement go so far as to allege that some reconstructionists condone slavery, and exhibit racist tendencies.

John Lathrop interviews Eddie Hyatt about revival and his book Revival Fire.

John Lathrop: The word “revival” means different things to different people. How would you define “revival?”

Eddie Hyatt: Revival is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in response to the prayers of God’s people, breathing new life into His people and bringing a new passion for the honor and glory of God and a desire to see His name honored throughout the earth.

Lathrop: What prompted you to write the book Revival Fire?

Hyatt: As a new believer many years ago, I had the privilege of participating in a genuine move of the Holy Spirit that impacted many lives and an entire community. In contrast, especially recently, I have observed so-called revivals where there was so much hype, exaggeration and manipulation. This has grieved me deeply. I have a passion to see genuine Spiritual awakening but I know it must be based in Scriptural truth. I hope, through this book, to point people, who have a passion for revival, back to the Bible as their foundation for genuine Spiritual awakening.

Lathrop: What can be done to help Christians, especially Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians, to be more biblically knowledgeable?

1839 Methodist camp meeting.
Wikimedia Commons.

Hyatt: We need to emphasize the foundational nature of God’s Word and show the transforming power the Word of God will have in our lives. We need to encourage people to have a personal daily time of prayer and reading the word. We need to encourage our people to memorize Scripture; for example like writing a Biblical passage on an index card and carrying it throughout they day, and at the end of the day you will have it memorized. We need to offer structured Bible studies for our people and more formal opportunities for Biblical studies.

Lathrop: Do you think that we give too much attention today to outward manifestations like shaking and falling?

Hyatt: It depends on the location. I have ministered in Pentecostal churches where they were, for one reason or another, opposed to outward manifestations and needed to be more open. Sometimes it is a fear of facing manifestations that may be fleshly or demonic and, instead of being willing to discern and confront, they reject all manifestations.

Eddie L. Hyatt

On the other hand, there are those who are off the deep end in the other direction—chasing manifestations and anything sensational, and not taking seriously the Biblical admonition to “test the spirits.” I have preached in churches where people had been trained—subtly of course—to fall when prayed for. In one particular church, I recall praying for a man who looked over his shoulder to make sure the catcher was there before he fell backward as I was praying for him. The bottom line is that we need to be focused on Jesus and His Word, not on manifestations.

Lathrop: What causes these manifestations?

Hyatt: There are three possible origins: God, Satan, or human—and it could be a combination of the human and God or the human and Satan. In a true revival, many of the manifestations are human responses to the presence of God. I think the cases are rare where a person is so overwhelmed by the Spirit (as Paul on the Damascus Road) that they have no control over their behavior. Wise leaders who desire revival will give room for people to respond—even intensely—to the presence of God while not tolerating fleshly and demonic manifestations.

This chapter is an excerpt from Steven M. Fettke, God’s Empowered People: A Pentecostal Theology of the Laity (Wipf & Stock 2011). Read Part 1 in the Winter 2012 issue of Pneuma Review.

Forming a Nurturing Community

A mother was preparing breakfast for her two sons, Kevin, age five, and Ryan, age three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

Some people can get so caught up in their own agendas and schedules that they forget that there are others around who might be hurting. Sadly, they often come across as too selfish to take time out to help those who are hurting because that might mean they would get off their strict daily schedules or they might have to hurt a bit with someone. After all, don’t they have enough troubles of their own without having to take on those of others? Let someone else deal with those hurting people. I will deal with my own needs, thank you very much. Those other folks who are hurting can deal with their own hurts themselves, just as I do.

Other people simply find themselves stressed and in need of loving nurture to sustain their faith. They need the warm embrace of a loving and accepting community as they negotiate the difficulties of living in a fast-paced society that expects so much of them in terms of job success, family wholeness, and psychological health and well being without providing the necessary supports for these things to happen. They need warm and loving nurture themselves, which often means they are unable to extend the same to others. They do not mean to be selfish and self-absorbed; they are just needy and weary.

To speak of love and nurture without recognizing real human stresses and strains is to ignore a common ailment of a hectic modern society. People are not surprised to be treated shabbily by a store clerk or fellow driver on the roadways. Who has not complained about a bored teenager who checked or bagged the groceries or a surly auto service manager who was barely civil when servicing the car? In such an atmosphere people become defensive because of the meanness encountered. Believers try not to be apathetic or mean in return, but often the atmosphere gets the better of them. At least they try to conceal their feelings with the thought that no one cares anyway, and certainly they don’t want to contribute with their own cruelty to the overall meanness already prevalent.

In addition, the notions of love and nurture have been cheapened by casual sex in television programs and in most movies. It is also common for television programs and movies to present a casual view of marriage and relationship commitments, as well as to present scenes of friends in deep conflict and division; often perpetrating great acts of cruelty upon each other. It does not help when most adult believers can tell tragic stories of churches split over some sort of un-Christian and inhumane treatment of a particular group of believers or the unjust treatment of a capable pastor.

It takes great care to speak of love and nurture to believers who might be a bit jaded by a society so casual about love and relationships. These adult believers may have become cynics about love and nurture from hearing it widely proclaimed in churches they have attended where only anger and division was experienced instead. Speaking of love and nurture is a delicate task because so many have been hurt in some way by counterfeits or by selfish people whose words of love belied their selfish actions.

Nicholas Perrin and Richard B. Hays, eds., Jesus, Paul and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N. T. Wright (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011), 294 pages.

Every time I read N. T. Wright I come away edified, instructed, inspired, and even transformed. This book is no exception. As in much if not all of his other work (I am reluctant to be emphatic about the all since I do not want to give the misleading impression that I have read all of Wright’s books—I do not think that I will live long enough to do that, especially since the former bishop of Durham writes books faster than I can read!), Jesus is lifted up; the benefit of this book is that we also get a glimpse of how Wright sees St. Paul lifting Jesus up as well. Let me explain through a cursory overview of the two parts of this book.

As a product of the nineteenth annual Wheaton Theology Conference (at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois) held in April 2010, the volume features eight chapters responding to the work of the newly appointed chair of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews. Half engage Wright’s focus on Jesus (in part I) while the other half interact with Wright’s understanding of Paul (part II). Each chapter includes a brief rejoinder by Wright at the end, while each part concludes with a lengthier reflection by Wright on whither historical Jesus and whither Pauline studies in the life of the church, respectively (in part I on Jesus, quite a bit lengthier—about 45 pages worth, the longest chapter of the book). To be sure, the conference organizers had to be selective in inviting respondents to Wright’s work, so the essayists engage Wright’s corpus from their respective vantage points.

As Vanhoozer points out, Wright’s body of scholarship is slowly but surely initiating a paradigm change, not just in historical Jesus or historical Paul scholarship but also in the fields of New Testament Studies and even of historical, dogmatic/doctrinal, and systematic theology. Of course, this is happening in tandem with other developments such as postliberal theology and the New Perspective on Paul initiatives, the latter especially to which Wright has made his own substantive, even if also critical, contributions. The result, methodologically, is a sure-footed via media between conservativism and liberalism, between orthodoxy and historicism, between modernism and postmodernism, between biblical theology and theological interpretation, etc. More importantly, it is precisely in and through a careful rereading of the New Testament in particular and the biblical canon as a whole that Wright is forging a fresh understanding of the Gospel in Jesus Christ as it relates to God’s election of Israel, to the formation of the church as new people of God in relationship to the restoration of Israel, and to the mission of the people of God in the present time. To be sure, there will be detractors a plenty given all of the ground covered across the Wrightian corpus, but even if he is only half right, there are many implications for what that means for faithful Christian discipleship in our present time. (And again, even if Wright is only half right, there will be even more implications to be discerned from out of the process of correcting his proposals.)

The name of John Stott is widely known in the evangelical world. He was one of the most respected leaders in Christianity. For many years he served as pastor of All Souls Church in London, England. The thing that made him well-known to the wider Christian world was his writing. Dr. Stott was certainly one of the most prolific evangelical writers prior to his death in July 2011. The Radical Disciple is his last published book.

This is one of Stott’s shorter books; however, while it is relatively short in length it is not short on substance. This book contains the words of a man who has thought much about what it means to be a Christian and what is important in the Christian life. In The Radical Disciple Stott addresses eight areas of discipleship that he feels are often neglected but need to be taken seriously (pg. 16). The topics that he covers are: nonconformity, Christlikeness, maturity, creation care, simplicity, balance, dependence, and death.

In chapter one, “Nonconformity,” Stott warns Christians about being like the world. Specifically, he addresses the challenges of pluralism, materialism, relativism, and narcissism. After telling us what we should not conform to the author tells us whom we should conform to: we are to be like Christ. In chapter two, “Christlikeness,” Stott tells us that we are to be like Jesus in His incarnation, service, love, patient endurance, and mission. In this chapter he also tells us that suffering helps us to be like Christ, that the effectiveness of our evangelism is related to how much like Christ we are, and that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is necessary in order for us to be like Christ. Chapter three, “Maturity,” deals with the need for the growth of the believer. Christians need to have some spiritual substance. One may be surprised to see chapter four, “Creation Care,” included in this book. While concern for the environment is not a subject we frequently hear in the church, it is a subject that the scriptures address. “Simplicity” is the subject of chapter five. In this chapter Stott reproduces a rather long document called “The Evangelical Commitment to Simple Lifestyle.”  This document came out of The International Consultation on Simple Lifestyle and covers topics such as these: the church as the new community, the need for a simple personal lifestyle, international development, justice and politics, evangelism, and the Lord’s return. Chapter six is titled, “Balance” and here Stott looks at a number of images in Scripture that refer to believers: babies, living stones, holy priests, God’s own people, aliens and strangers, and servants. He tells us what can be learned from these images regarding the kind of people we are to be. Chapter seven is “Dependence” and in this chapter Stott tells us that dependence is the only appropriate attitude for the radical disciple (pg. 109). This is a very personal chapter in which the author shares a very difficult time in his own life. Chapter eight is “Death,” in this chapter Stott traces the themes of death and life as they relate to salvation, discipleship, mission, persecution, martyrdom, and mortality. In all of them, he says, death leads to life.

John Wyckoff’s 1990 Ph.D. dissertation has finally come to print and is long overdue. In fact, it is perplexing how a scholarly treatise on such an intriguing topic was not snatched up by a publishing house in search of book candidates on controversial topics of perennial interest. Pneuma and Logos is just such a book. It sharply focuses on a hermeneutical question that has commanded the attention of church fathers and theologians from the earliest times of theological reflection in the Church. Simply put the question is, “Does the Holy Spirit have a role to play in the interpretive process called hermeneutics?” A necessary follow-up question, if the first is answered in the affirmative, is “How and to what extent does the Holy Spirit facilitate a person’s understanding of the Scriptures?”

Scholars and teachers interested in biblical hermeneutics are well aware that the central focus of this book is one well worth considering, if for no other reason than the Bible itself raises the question in passages like 1 Cor 2:10-15 and 2 Cor 5:5-17, not to mention John’s gospel where the “teaching” function of the Holy Spirit is amply attested. Oddly, seldom do hermeneutical textbooks contain a substantive treatment of the question at hand. In his introduction to the problem, Wyckoff describes a paradox. Scholars representing a wide spectrum of Christian tradition recognize the importance and challenges of biblical hermeneutics. Many of these hold to a high view of Scripture as the inspired Word of God and posit an active role of the Holy Spirit in its production. Yet pneumatology has received short shrift when it comes to hermeneutical reflection. Our author seeks not only to speak to this neglect, but make a major move toward remedying it.

In the space of five compact and well constructed chapters, Wyckoff conducts a historically-informed exercise in philosophical theology around the issue of the Holy Spirit’s relationship to biblical hermeneutics. Chapter one clearly states and defines the nature of the problem, establishes the need for the present study, circumscribes its scope and describes its internal organization. Admittedly the complex and multifaceted character of hermeneutics will raise a host of issues and questions beyond the scope of this book, but the author is determined to stay focused on the primary question which he argues deserves our singular attention.

Chapter two surveys the history of biblical interpretation from Early Church to the Reformation; the Reformation to the Enlightenment; and the Enlightenment to mid-twentieth century.

As a teacher I thoroughly enjoyed this helpful historical survey of the Church’s consideration of the Holy Spirit’s relationship to hermeneutics because it also serves as a primer to the field of historical hermeneutics in general. It provides a needed supplement to most textbooks in hermeneutics. Wyckoff conducts an overview of the major schools of biblical interpretation, their major figures and a succinct statement of their contribution to the field. Students will especially appreciate the summaries that appear after each historical period and the author’s conclusions at the end of the chapter. He lingers over major figures such as Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Turretin, Schleiermacher, Barth etc. to highlight their specific contributions to hermeneutics and specifically how they related the Spirit to a believer’s understanding of Scripture. Numerous choice quotes from the early Church Fathers and theologians demonstrate their high view of Scripture owing to their conviction of its divine origin and inspiration. It is this theological conviction which naturally led to their hermeneutical consideration of how the Holy Spirit continues to function as a mediator of Divine truth through the Scriptures. Nevertheless, while most affirmed this role of the Holy Spirit, some denied or deemphasized it. The author provides sharp insight into why this was so by revealing the theological, philosophical and epistemological presuppositions at work.

Alister McGrath, an Anglican priest, theologian, and Christian apologist, is currently Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at Kings College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture. He was previously Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford until 2005. McGrath is noted for his work in historical, systematic, and scientific theology, as well as his writings on apologetics and his opposition to anti-religionism. He holds both a DPhil (in molecular biophysics) and an earned Doctor of Divinity degree from the University of Oxford. His The Passionate Intellect is an interesting and readable offering for those wishing to understand or defend the intellectual viability of the historic Christian faith. Scholars and clergy alike as well as informed laity will benefit from reading it. This collection of diverse essays, lectures, and presentation or talks is divided into two parts, “The Purpose, Place, and Relevance of Christian Theology,” and “Engaging with Our Culture.” The Passionate Intellect is well written in a warm, personal style but has a “take no prisoners” approach to its opponents. It is scholarly without being pedantic and witty without being trite. Overall, it’s both an enjoyable and informative read.

In 2006 the movement now widely known as the new atheism exploded on the cultural scene in an aggressive manner. In this vein, Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion (2006) and Christopher Hitchens’s God is Not Great (2007) created a quite stir. Debate often centered on the rationality of faith and the coherence of the Christian vision of reality. For the new atheists Christianity represents an antiquated way of explaining things that cannot be accepted in the modern scientific age. For example Hitchens has declared that since the invention of the telescope and the microscope religion “no longer offers an explanation of anything important.” In large part, The Passionate Intellect (McGrath has debated Dawkins publically several times) responds to such statements and presents a view of an exciting and stimulating version of intellectual Christianity. McGrath thinks Christians can and should be well prepared to respond to any and all intellectual challenges from today’s culture (cp. 1 Pet 3:15). Too many Christians seem to feel intimated by atheists; but, the fact is that Christian thought is more than strong enough to stand up to the task of refuting them. McGrath concurs with the statement of C.S. Lewis that, “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen—not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.”

McGrath suggests the defense of the intellectual credibility of Christianity has become increasingly important in recent years, in part due to the rise of the new atheism. Christians must see themselves as standard-bearers for a vibrant faith. Accordingly, they must expand our vision of the Christian gospel. The need for a Christian presence and voice in our culture has never been greater. Apologetics, or rationally defending the faith, has become a critical task for all believers. In order to do so effectively, believers need to know the Bible, Christian history and tradition, and be able to reason calmly and clearly with doubters.

The new atheists tend to portray the Christian view of the natural world as naïve and unscientific. However, McGrath persuasively argues, that is not at all true. Some seem to want a war between religion and science. In fact, historically some of the greatest scientists have been devout Christians. A problem between the two only arises today when science and/or religion forget their place and try to do the other’s proper work. Science deals with observable phenomena of the natural world but has no authority in the realm of metaphysics or religion. Religion deals with ultimate values and purpose but is not authorized to make scientific pronouncements. McGrath adheres to the idea that true religion and true science are completely compatible. The personal testimony (included in this book) of Alister McGrath, once an atheist and himself a scientist coming to faith in Christ and becoming a leading theologian is a powerful example of that possibility.

Across the Spectrum contains seventeen short chapters which give a good introduction to a variety of debates spanning across the topics of systematic theology including: biblical inerrancy, divine providence, divine foreknowledge, how to interpret the Genesis creation narratives, the image of God, the relation of Christ’s human and divine natures, models of the atonement, Calvinism and Arminianism (including a chapter on eternal security), sanctification, the destiny of the unevangelized, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the presence of charismatic gifts today, women in ministry, the millennium, and hell. The book is concerned specifically with evangelical theology, particularly concerns raised in the American context, therefore the book does not aim to discuss every conclusion that the Christian traditions have taken on the topics covered. So, for example, the chapter on “The Lord’s Supper Debate” does not discuss the transubstantiation view, since this view is not held by evangelical theologians. Each chapter begins by briefly introducing questions that have lead to the debate and then notes the consensus among the diverse views. The authors also briefly note views that contrast with these evangelical proposals. The majority of each chapter discusses the biblical and theological arguments that support each viewpoint while also responding to potential objections to each viewpoint. The “Further Reading” sections at the end of each chapter and the glossary at the end of the book well serve students who seek to do further research on these topics.

This 2009 publication is a revision of the book as first published in 2002. The major changes from the first edition involve the reduction of a chapter on the “Human Constitution Debate” (e.g., body, soul, spirit) down to a section in the appendix, the expansion of the chapter on divine foreknowledge to distinguish “The Arminian View” from “The Calvinist View,” and the addition of a very helpful appendix (formerly available online), which very briefly introduces the diverse evangelical approaches to the following topics: theological method, models of the Trinity, the extent of Noah’s flood, the relation of wives to their husbands, Christians and politics, what happens to babies who die, baptism in the Holy Spirit (as well as its relation to speaking in tongues), the relation of Christians and demons, how to interpret the book of revelation, the timing of Jesus return (with respect to Preterism and the ‘rapture’) and, (as noted above) what constitutes humanity. Between the main chapters and the appendix, the book already offers a wealth of information. The book could be further strengthened by expanding the chapter on divine foreknowledge to consider additional attributes of God as well as by adding a discussion of the diverse evangelical views regarding original sin, the historicity of Adam and Eve, and forms of church governance.

Across the Spectrum is helpful for anyone looking for a brief outline of the debates in evangelical theology. The format succeeds at informing people at more than their own presuppositions, even though it is limited to focusing on evangelical theology. In a classroom format, the book could serve well as a supplement to a full introduction to Christian theology. One strength of the book is that it clearly illustrates how evangelicalism includes diversity on many theological topics (however, those who would define evangelical theology very narrowly might question if a few of the viewpoints in this book are in fact reflective of evangelical theology). Recognizing these strengths, a potential hazard of the book is that, if used alone, a person could read the book and conclude that theologians are only busy debating many topics and miss the depth of the key teachings of Christianity that are found within the consensus of the Church.

Reviewed by Andrew K. Gabriel.

Publisher’s page: www.bakeracademic.com/Book.asp?isbn=978-0-8010-3793-1

Preview this book: books.google.com/books?id=4tj2N1QaaO4C

This work is the product of a teacher and scholar’s lifetime experience. Eddie Gibbs has taught at Fuller for many years, and before that had extensive experience in England. He has intimate knowledge of the development of both church growth and missional thinking, and has been a studied observed of both Fresh Expression and Emerging Church. The result is this work in which he masterfully grasps and communicates the compass of his subject, presented in simple yet profound prose. I found reading this to be quite compulsive, bringing both insight and spiritual enrichment.

Gibb explores the thesis, ‘There are five megatrends impacting the churches of the West. These are the transition from modernity to postmodernity; the transi­tion from the industrial to the information age; the transition from Christendom to post-Christendom contexts; the transition from production initiatives to consumer awareness; and the transition from religious identity to spiritual exploration’ (p 19).

To these five I would add a sixth: the transition from an understanding of personhood defined by (i) complex, plural relationships; towards personhood perceived in terms of (ii) fragmented individualism.

Eddie Gibbs (DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor emeritus of church growth in the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

This 6^th megatrend is amplified by each of the 5 megatrends that Gibbs identifies and describes. The trend from modernity to postmodernity reduces descriptors and definitions that supported societal traditions and identities, further reinforced by the retreat of people from discursive interface face-to-face into detached interaction at information terminals. The diminution of awareness towards the traditions of Christendom and the increase of the pursuit of consumption prompts an easing away from the essence of Judaeo-Christian traditions and their emphasis on plural, organic identity.

But community itself as an emphasis is not enough. Many who have experienced the too often introspective emphasis on relationships of the Charismatic renewal of the 1980’s can bear witness to how community can turn in on itself. An emphasis on being relational must also be intentionally missional. Gibbs observes that one identified factor of succeeding church is a stress upon, ‘Communitas Not Community: The most vigorous forms of community are those that come together in the context of a shared ordeal or those that define themselves as a group with a mission that lies beyond themselves—thus initiating a risky journey’ (p 36).

In looking at new attempts in mission and outreach, Gibbs opines that these ‘will only gain significance as they reach out to the de-churched and never-churched segments of the population, rather than providing the latest attraction for bored, frustrated, or angry current churchgoers. They also need to be strongly in evidence in urban contexts, recognizing that our culture is driven by urban values and images, with suburbia increasingly becoming culturally marginalized’ (p 44).

Gibbs reappraises the nature of effective leadership in a post-modern environment, stressing the role of the leader as a catalyst, encouraging creative thinking and initiative. In the post-Christendom environment, churches need to recognized that they have not yet arrived, but are to move forward experimentally in mission. A focus on place needs to be replaced by a focus on people; a community of people on pilgrimage.