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Reviews
Prodigal Christianity: 10 Signposts Into the Missional Frontier by David E. Fitch, Geoffrey Holsclaw
tristaanogre's review
5.0
Scot McKnight in his book "The King Jesus Gospel" describes a deeper, fuller, more robust idea of the gospel that goes beyond simply "get saved". What McKnight did for reimagining the gospel, Fitch and Holsclaw have done for ecclesiology and mission in "Prodigal Christianity"
This powerful (and potentially controversial) book challenges the de facto responses to the post-Christendom and post-modern reactions to Christianity in the west and describes "signposts" to lead the church into this strange new world, following the "prodigal God".
The authors don't claim specific answers, nor do they claim a particular program for churches to follow. They instead describe life lived prodigally, upending assumptions and reimagining the church in our western culture.
Dr. Fitch, at my commencement from seminary, admonished us not to preach "nice" sermons. In a later blog post, he told people to be a "destroyer of worlds". Fitch brings his protege, Holsclaw, along with him as they certainly don't present "nice" answers and most definitely destroy the worlds we create in our churches.
Not everyone will welcome this book. From one side, people will claim it doesn't declare truth strongly enough and enters a very wishy-washy gospel and ecclesiology. From the other side, the authors will be accused of a new legalism and separatist conservatism coupled with too much of an "exclusivist" theology. To me, a follower of A Third Way myself, I found this book to thread that delicate way of living in relationship to the incarnational Christ while still being primely positioned to bring God's Kingdom bear in this world.
Read this book. Love it or hate it, you MUST read this book.
This powerful (and potentially controversial) book challenges the de facto responses to the post-Christendom and post-modern reactions to Christianity in the west and describes "signposts" to lead the church into this strange new world, following the "prodigal God".
The authors don't claim specific answers, nor do they claim a particular program for churches to follow. They instead describe life lived prodigally, upending assumptions and reimagining the church in our western culture.
Dr. Fitch, at my commencement from seminary, admonished us not to preach "nice" sermons. In a later blog post, he told people to be a "destroyer of worlds". Fitch brings his protege, Holsclaw, along with him as they certainly don't present "nice" answers and most definitely destroy the worlds we create in our churches.
Not everyone will welcome this book. From one side, people will claim it doesn't declare truth strongly enough and enters a very wishy-washy gospel and ecclesiology. From the other side, the authors will be accused of a new legalism and separatist conservatism coupled with too much of an "exclusivist" theology. To me, a follower of A Third Way myself, I found this book to thread that delicate way of living in relationship to the incarnational Christ while still being primely positioned to bring God's Kingdom bear in this world.
Read this book. Love it or hate it, you MUST read this book.
mattstout's review
5.0
Prodigal Christianity was really challenging for me. As someone who grew up with a conservative, apologetic ideology but is also dissatisfied with both Christian liberalism and emergent church, it spoke to me. It gives us a way forward that seeks faithfulness beyond commitment to an ideology and renewed commitment to living the gospel in our neighborhoods. It was a good, challenging, and encouraging read.
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