How the incarnation shapes faith and ministry
ISBN 9781783596621
In some places, and against prevailing trends, Christian belief and practice is not being chased out of the public square but rather is very active in stimulating new forms of civic and social engagement. Like two blades of scissors, an applied theology requiring both being grounded in biblical work as well as social policy, can create faith-based action that develop collaborative platforms that pass muster in today’s secular culture. The theological grounding is incarnational; incarnational suggests identification. The Identification Principle offers a new impetus to holistic and practical engagement by the church with our world. All too often, incarnational ministry is divorced from proclamation and prayer.
The author is developing new forms of community engagement in a way that does not lose the importance of spiritual formation. Word and work go hand in hand. This fresh take on incarnational life, church and society draws together recent academic research and cutting-edge ministry. It presents a renewed theology of Christian action for a new generation of leaders who have to intuitively hold together action with word and worship. The book offers both theology and praxis. Exploring the role of the atonement, the honour of God and His divine worth, the incarnation and the role of Christ. The author argues for the effectiveness of proclamation, intercession, and the confronting of systemic and individual wrongs to create new types of embodied communities that engage culture and re-focuses holistic mission. An incarnational grounding therefore points to:
- Passionate intercession
- Anointed solidarity (incarnational apologetic and confident proclamation)
- Divine doorways and social transformation
- The power of presence