Europe and the Gospel

Europe and the Gospel PDF

Author: Evert Van de Poll

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2013-08-21

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 8376560387

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Combining human interest stories with thought provoking analyses, Dr Evert Van de Poll paints the socio-cultural and religious picture of this exceptional continent: its population and cultural variety; past and present idea of ‘we Europeans’; immigration, multiculturalism and the issue of (Muslim) integration; the construction of the EU and the concerns it raises; and the quest for the ‘soul’ of Europe. Special attention is paid to Christian and other roots of Europe; the mixed historical record of Christianity; vestiges of its past dominance; its place and influence in today’s societies that are rapidly de-Christianising; and secularization as a European phenomenon. The author indicates specific challenges for Church development, mission and social service. In so doing, he outlines the contours of a contextualised communication of the Gospel.

Sharing Good News

Sharing Good News PDF

Author: Gerrit Noort

Publisher: World Council of Churches

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9782825416877

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An authoritative resource: new insights into evangelism are pertinent to Europe's secular environment and for rethinking the shape of Christian discipleship today.

Europe as the Other

Europe as the Other PDF

Author: Judith Becker

Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

Published: 2013-12-11

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 3647101311

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There has been much academic debate over recent years on Europe defining itself over against the »Other.« This volume asks from the opposite perspective: What views did non-Europeans hold of »European Christianity«? In this way, the volume turns the agency of definition over to non-Europeans. Over the last centuries, the contacts between Europeans and non-Europeans have been diverse and complex. Non-Europeans encountered Europeans as colonialists, traders, missionaries and travellers. Most of those Europeans were Christians or were perceived as Christians. Therefore, in terms of religion Europe was often identified with Christianity. Europeans thus also conveyed a certain image of Christianity to non-European countries. At the same time, non-Europeans increasingly travelled to Europe and experienced a kind of Christianity that often did not conform to the picture they had formed earlier. Their descriptions of European Christianity ranged from sympathetic acceptance to harsh criticism. The contributions in this volume reveal the breadth of these opinions. They also show that there is no clear line of division between »insiders« and »outsiders«, but that Europeans could sometimes perceive themselves as being »outsiders« in their own culture while non-Europeans could adopt »insider« perspectives. Furthermore, from these encounters new religious and cultural expressions could emerge.

Evangelism in Europe

Evangelism in Europe PDF

Author: Hannes Wiher

Publisher:

Published: 2018-07-09

Total Pages: 364

ISBN-13: 9783957760814

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To think Europe represents a challenge. The gravity and extreme complexity of this challenge call for a deep awareness of the situation in Europe, an analysis of contemporary practices, and a theological reflection on the spiritual condition of Europeans.

Altar Call in Europe

Altar Call in Europe PDF

Author: Uta A. Balbier

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-12-17

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0197502253

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"This book provides a transnational history of Billy Graham's revival work in the 1950s, zooming in on his revival meetings in London (1954), Berlin (1954/1960), and New York (1957). It shows how Graham's international ministry took shape in the context of trans-Atlantic debates about the place and future of religion in public life after the experiences of war and at the onset of the Cold War, and through a constant exchange of people, ideas, and practices. It explores the transnational nature of debates about the religious underpinnings of the "Free World" and sheds new light on the contested relationship between business, consumerism, and religion. In the context of Graham's revival meetings, ordinary Christians, theologians, ministers and Church leaders in the United States, Germany, and the UK discussed, experienced, and came to terms with religious modernization and secular anxieties, Cold War culture and the rise of consumerism. The transnational connectedness of their political, economic, and spiritual hopes and fears brings a narrative to life that complicates our understanding of the different secularization paths the United States, the UK, and Germany embarked on in the 1950s. During Graham's altar call in Europe, the contours of a trans-Atlantic revival become visible, even if in the long run it was unable to develop a dynamism that could have sustained this moment in these different national and religious contexts"--

Is Europe Christian?

Is Europe Christian? PDF

Author: Olivier Roy

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2020-03

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 0190099933

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As Europe wrangles over questions of national identity, nativism and immigration, Olivier Roy interrogates the place of Christianity, foundation of Western identity. Do secularism and Islam really pose threats to the continent's 'Christian values'? What will be the fate of Christianity in Europe? Rather than repeating the familiar narrative of decline, Roy challenges the significance of secularized Western nations' reduction of Christianity to a purely cultural force- relegated to issues such as abortion, euthanasia and equal marriage. He illustrates that, globally, quite the opposite has occurred: Christianity is now universalized, and detached from national identity. Not only has it taken hold in the Global South, generally in a more socially conservative form than in the West, but it has also 'returned' to Europe, following immigration from former colonies. Despite attempts within Europe to nationalize or even racialize it, Christianity's future is global, non-European and immigrant-as the continent's Churches well know. This short but bracing book confirms Roy's reputation as one of the most acute observers of our times. It represents a persuasive and novel vision of religion's place in national life today.

Church Planting in Europe

Church Planting in Europe PDF

Author: Evert Van de Poll

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2015-05-28

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 1498202004

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Church leaders and those who endeavor to plant new churches in Europe today face tremendous challenges, not least because the church itself is considered by many to be outdated, irrelevant, or even an abusive sect. Drawing on a wealth of experience, Church Planting in Europe helps to answer the question of how churches can become more relevant to the societies in which they exist. From biblical and missiological reflections to case studies and practical examples, the book gives insights into many of the key issues that church planters and those concerned with "missionary" renewal of existing churches are grappling with. Special attention is paid to the sociocultural and religious characteristics of Europe, which is marked by secularization, new forms of spirituality, and a unique Christian heritage, asking, what are typical barriers and bridges for the communication of the gospel? The contributors represent a wide variety of backgrounds and contexts across Europe and this is reflected in the breadth of topics covered. The chapters were presented during the Mission in Europe Symposium in Belgium (July 2014), and the highlights of the discussions afterwards are also included. The result is a valuable resource for church leaders, mission practitioners, and theologians alike.

Europe, was it Ever Really Christian?

Europe, was it Ever Really Christian? PDF

Author: Antonie Wessels

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 9780334025696

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The decline of Christian beliefs and Christian practice in modern Europe has often been commented on, and there have been calls for a 're-evangelization' of Europe. But how far has Europe really been Christian? That is the fascinating issue explored in this book. In a historical survey of the Graeco-Roman, Celtic and Germanic backgrounds against which the gospel was first preached, Anton Wessels asks how Christianity came to be related to pre-Christian cultures. Were these swept away or just given a new significance? Which elements of them were abolished and which Christianized? Did Christianity prevail only by incorporating much of what had previously existed? These questions are not just asked out of curiosity. What has long fascinated the author is whether an insight into the spread of Christianity through Europe can be of any help in presenting the gospel in today's secularized world. There is much talk of the cinculturation' of the gospel in other cultures: African, Asian and Latin American; but Europe can be no exception here and the inculturation of the gospel in European countries is something of which Europeans should be far more aware. Here is a wealth of fascinating information, from the Graeco-Roman mystery religions through the Arthurian legends to the German festivals. And here is an area of exploration which is likely to prove increasingly important.

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