Religious No More: Building Communities of Grace & FreedomToo many Christians are "religious"--Their faith is more a human endeavor than a response to God's loving initiative. Such religion assumes that our value comes not from God but from what we do. It absorbs principles and postulates from the surrounding society, leading to further misconceptions about God and our relation to our Creator. All this hinders people from experiencing vibrant Christian community, where they could freely love and be loved. Mark Baker suggests that just as car companies test automobiles under severe conditions to uncover weaknesses, North American Christians may detect fallacies in their "gospel" by examining how it plays out under the challenges of poverty, injustice, and entrenched religiosity. Baker's test case is drawn from his ten-year missionary experience in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at churches born out of North American mission work. Baker observes Honduran church life, draws parallels to the dangers of religion in the North American church and mines from Galatians exciting possibilities of robust Christian grace and freedom. The result is a bracing and refreshing approach to Christian community for laypersons, pastors, missionaries, and mission strategists. |
Contents
Acknowledgments | 9 |
Bound Together in Community | 17 |
Bargaining with | 34 |
Copyright | |
8 other sections not shown
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Religious No More: Building Communities of Grace and Freedom Mark D. Baker No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
Amor Fe Antioch authentic community behavior Bible biblical Catholic central chapter Christ's faithfulness circumcision Commentary concept context contrast covenant creation culture discussion doctrine E. P. Sanders Eerdmans Ellul emphasis enslaved ethical evangelical churches Faith of Jesus Fe y Vida fear freedom from religion Gentile Christians God's action Grand Rapids holistic gospel Honduras human action included individual salvation individualistic interpretation issue Jacques Ellul James D. G. Dunn Jesus Christ Jewish Jews Judaism Judaizers Las Mesetas Latin America legalism legalistic lens live Markus Barth means Mesetas missionaries N. T. Wright new-creation North American evangelicalism obeying observed offers pastor Paul Pauline person Peter preach present evil age problem reading of Galatians relation relationship religious boundary lines religious rules René Padilla Richard Longenecker righteousness sense significant social Spirit stoicheia talk teaching Tegucigalpa theology of glory things traditional translation truth understanding verse Vida Church words