"The notion of the church as a countercultural community of disciples confounds many conventional divides within the Christian family (liberal and conservative, church and sect), while forcing redefinition of commonplace categories like religion and politics, sacred and secular. The contributors to this book - theologians, social theorists, philosophers, historians, Catholics and Protestants of various backgrounds - reflect this shifting of categories and divisions. The book provides thought-provoking Christian perspectives on war and genocide, racism and nationalism, the legitimacy of liberalism and capitalism, and more."--BOOK JACKET.

The question, "What does it mean to be 'the church'?" has always been among the most controversial and of vital concern to political, economic, and ecclesial leaders alike. How it is answered influences whether Christianity will be a force for legitimating or subverting existing secular relations of power, influence, and privilege. The Church as Counterculture enters the debates on Christian identity, purpose, and organization by calling for the churches to reclaim their roles as "communities of disciples"—distinct and distinctive groups formed by the priorities and practices of Jesus—to constitute a countercultural reality and challenge to secular society and existing power relations. The notion of the church as a countercultural community of disciples confounds many conventional divides within the Christian family (liberal and conservative, church and sect), while forcing redefinition of commonplace categories like religion and politics, sacred and secular. The contributors to this book—theologians, social theorists, philosophers, historians, Catholics and Protestants of various backgrounds—reflect this shifting of categories and divisions. The book provides thought-provoking Christian perspectives on war and genocide, racism and nationalism, the legitimacy of liberalism and capitalism, and more. Contributors include Michael J. Baxter, Robert W. Brimlow, Walter Brueggemann, Michael L. Budde, Curt Cadorette, Rodney Clapp, Roberto S. Goizueta, Stanley Hauerwas, Marianne Sawicki, and Michael Warren.

Welcome to the front lines. Everywhere we turn, battle lines are being drawn—traditional marriage vs. gay marriage, pro-life vs. pro-choice, personal freedom vs. governmental protection. Seemingly overnight, culture has shifted to the point where right and wrong are no longer measured by universal truth but by popular opinion. And as difficult conversations about homosexuality, abortion, and religious liberty continue to inject themselves into our workplaces, our churches, our schools, and our homes, Christians everywhere are asking the same question: How are we supposed to respond to all this? In Counter Culture, New York Times bestselling author David Platt shows Christians how to actively take a stand on such issues as poverty, sex trafficking, marriage, abortion, racism, and religious liberty—and challenges us to become passionate, unwavering voices for Christ. Drawing on compelling personal accounts from around the world, Platt presents an unapologetic yet winsome call for Christians to faithfully follow Christ into the cultural battlefield in ways that will prove both costly and rewarding. The lines have been drawn. The moment has come for Christians to rise up and deliver a gospel message that’s more radical than even the most controversial issues of our day.

James Fisher argues that Catholic culture was transformed when products of the "immigrant church," largely inspired by converts like Dorothy Day, launched a variety of spiritual, communitarian, and literary experiments. He also explores the life and works

Are you ready to take a stand for unreached people groups and counter culture? In this companion piece to his bestselling book Counter Culture, David Platt offers sound Biblical support and practical action steps to help Christians take a courageous and compassionate stand for unreached people groups. Drawing heavily on personal stories and Scripture, Platt encourages Christians to get involved and highlights a wide variety of ministries and organizations currently involved with spreading the Good News to unreached people groups that need your help. The stage is set for the God of the universe to do the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the shocking, and the scandalous. And He wants you to be a part of it. It’s time to take a stand for Christ, join the fight for immigration, and counter culture!

"The people of God throughout history have been a people of exile and diaspora. Whether under the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks or Romans, the people chosen by God have had to learn how to be a holy people in alien lands and under foreign rule.For much of its history, however, the Christian church lived with the sense of being at home in the world, with considerable influence and power. That age of Christendom is now over, and as Lee Beach demonstrates, this is something for which the church should be grateful. The "peace" of Christendom was a false one, and there is no comfortable normalcy to which we can or should return. Drawing on a close engagement with Old Testament and New Testament texts, The Church in Exile offers a biblical and practical theology for the church in a post-Christian age. Beach helps the people of God today to develop a hopeful and prophetic imagination, a theology responsive to its context, and an exilic identity marked by faithfulness to God's mission in the world." -- Provided by publisher.

Michael Elliott has had a more than unusually varied career. Born in New Zealand, he first did postgraduate studies in Boston with Harvey Cox and Joseph Fletcher, at the same time joining the Berrigan brothers in protest action against the Vietnam War and taking part on a march on Washington. He then moved to London's South Bank to work with Bishop John Robinson in the inner city, from where he went with the Church Missionary Society to the Middle East, before returning to England to work in race relations. Eventually back home in New Zealand, he worked in development education, which also involved a stay in Cuba. From all this has grown his book. It is not an autobiography, but rather the beginning of a handbook for activists, indicating the issues that need to be addressed and the strategies that need to be tested by Christians in the modern world. Firmly rooted in the Bible, written in the tradition of liberation theology but arising out of the living conditions of the United States and Britain, it offers specific guidelines for the thought and practice of Christians who are dissatisfied with the world and the churches as they are today.

Argues that the various aspects of the "counterculture" of the 1960s had a significant impact on American religious institutions.