Campolo, Revolution and Renewal

Share this:

Tony Campolo and Bruce Main, Revolution and Renewal: How Churches are Saving Our Cities. Westminster/John Knox Press, 2000.

Referenced in:

LifeandLeadership.com Summary

Though not as heralded as other Campolo volumes, this is an excellent text, especially for urban ministries and Christian political activists on both sides of the poverty issues. Its message is the same as many other good texts on the subject, but in many cases, it says it better. Campolo joins with co-author Bruce Main to affirm the convictions of both the political left and right on the needs of our cities.

The political left seeks to address the problems of the city by intervening in the socioeconomic order and restructuring institutions to facilitate justice and prosperity. They believe structural evil is what creates the pain and troubles of individuals, and that only when the various institutions of the social order are transformed will life be better. This requires change from the top down, creating a good social system which in turn will create good people. The political right, on the other hand, believes the city must be changed from the bottom up. They say the city is nothing more than an expression of the character of the individuals who make it up. Social change is achieved as we deal with those whose sinful behavior is destructive to themselves and those around them. For conservatives, it is ultimately individuals who determine the quality of life in the city. Urban policies should target converting individuals into good people who, in turn, will make the city good.

In this book the authors affirm both the left and the right, that changing the city requires both a “top-down” (revolution) and a “bottom-up” (renewal) approach. In their own words:

“If the church is going to be the ‘lead institution’ in bringing something of the city of God to urban America, we believe that it must, on the one hand, address institutional evils and simultaneously challenge its people to bring the lost souls of the city into transforming relationships with Christ. We believe that the church must combat evil on the macro level by working to eliminate racism in the business sector, bring true justice to the courts and to the juvenile-protection agencies, end corruption in the housing authorities, improve the educational system, clean up the environment, create good recreational programs, eliminate the drug traffic, outlaw gambling, improve family services, and organize neighborhood people to address all the problems inherent in the urban social system. In this book we will try to provide some directives and guidelines for making the church effective in doing such social action. But even as we challenge the church to embrace the call to work for social change, we will, at the same time, remind the church of its God-given calling to bring individuals into the new life that comes from Christian conversion.

The kingdom of God in the city begins with persons who surrender to the lordship of Christ or it does not begin at all. While we believe that social institutions and urban culture condition what happens to individuals, we also believe that individuals make their personal influences felt on the societal level. But when we consider both sides of this interactive process, we must conclude that the conversion of individuals into radical followers of Jesus is what will get redemptive social change started. Therefore, we believe that whatever else the urban church may get into, it must always hold its ministry to individuals as primary and, like its Lord, “seek and save those who are lost.” That is why, before getting into the roles that the church must play in bringing justice and creative socioeconomic change to institutional systems, we must first declare what the church can and should be doing to change individuals and to impact their lives with God’s transforming love.” (2-3)

As stated above, other texts in the urban ministry genre address the same “both-and” philosophy. The primary value of this volume is Campolo’s capacity to express things, and the many examples he and main present on how this philosophy works itself out.

From the Publisher

Revelation and Renewal tells of churches that infused new life into urban communities. It is the story of brave men and women who refused to walk away from an apparently hopeless situation. Their inspiring example of faith-based social action presents a blueprint for reclaiming the future of our cities.

About the Author

TONY CAMPOLO is professor emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. Founder of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE), an organizations that develops schools and social programs in various third world countries and in cities across North America, Dr. Campolo is an ordained minister and is presently recognized as an associate pastor of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in West Philadelphia. He is a media commentator on religious, social and political matters, having guested on television programs like Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect, The Charlie Rose Show and CNN News. He cohosted his own television series, Hashing It Out, on the Odyssey Network, and presently hosts From Across the Pond, a weekly program on the Premier Radio Network in England. Dr. Campolo is the author of 33 books, including Letters to a Young Evangelical and Everybody Wants to Change the World.

***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***

Related Areas

See Other Resource Guides on Christian Social Ministry:

Related Ministry Resource Guides on LifeandLeadership.com:

See Resources on Over 100 Ministry Topics:

Ministry Resource Guides Index

Social Justice, Social Ministry