Phyllis Tickle, Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It is Going, and Why It Matters. Baker Books, 2012. Prequel: Tickle, The Great Emergence Referenced in: Missional Philosophy LifeandLeadership.com Summary This picks up where Tickle’s previous volume, The Great Emergence, left off. She provides an update on the status and evolving identity of emergent Christianity, which
Ryan Bolger, The Gospel After Christendom: New Voices, New Cultures, New Expressions. Baker Academic, 2012. Referenced in: Missional Church Philosophy, Trends LifeandLeadership.com Summary The missional and emergent conversations are constantly evolving. This is an excellent 2012 update on this evolution from a global perspective, with chapters from over twenty-five authors. Publisher’s Description “The broadest and
Michael Frost, The Road to Missional: Journey to the Center of the Church (Shapevine Series). Baker Books, 2011. Referenced in: Missional Strategies Missional Philosophy LifeandLeadership.com Summary Frost acknowledges the popularity of the “missional” ethos, but laments that the more common the term becomes, the less clarity it conveys. He discusses six areas where leaders may
Diana Butler Bass, Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening. Harper One, 2012. Referenced in: Church Leadership Philosophical Foundations, Missional LifeandLeadership.com Summary In this fascinating look at the religious landscape of American culture, Bass draws on research and visits with hundreds of Christian groups, arguing that we
James V. Brownson, Inagrace T. Dietterich, Barry A. Harvey, and Charles C. West, StormFront: The Good News of God. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003. Referenced in: Missional Philosophy Missional Lifestyle, Discipleship, Spirituality LifeandLeadership.com Summary StormFront is part of the Gospel and Our Culture Series. It offers a discerning analysis of the features of contemporary American culture that
Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century. Peabody, Mass. Hendrickson Publishers, 2003. Referenced in: Missional Philosophy Missional Communities – Missio Dei LifeandLeadership.com Summary There are several excellent authors on the missional church, but Frost and Hirsch are perhaps the most recognized spokesmen. Their models
Eddie Gibbs, ChurchMorph: How Megatrends are Reshaping Christian Communities. Baker Academic, 2009. Referenced in: Missional Philosophy LifeandLeadership.com Summary In 2009, this was the most comprehensive picture available of the missional and emergent conversations. Although Gibbs is sympathetic to the emergent movement, he writes less prescriptively and more descriptively, targeting professional and academic readers. Gibbs skillfully
Colin Greene and Martin Robinson, Metavista: Bible, Church, and Mission in an Age of Imagination. Paternoster, 2008. Referenced in: Missional Philosophy Theology of Mission, Proposals and Formulations, Missio Dei LifeandLeadership.com Summary Greene and Robinson address the concerns of mission in the United Kingdom, and presumably in the Western context in general. The term “metavista” is
Peter J. Leithart, Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom. IVP Academic, 2010. Referenced in: Missional Philosophy LifeandLeadership.com Summary This offers an interesting alternative voice to the common missional perspective which sees the Constantinian era as the dominant force in shaping the church’s identity from ancient Rome until the late
Reggie McNeal, The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church. Jossey-Bass/Leadership Network Series, 2009. Sequels: McNeal, Missional Renaissance McNeal, Missional Communities Referenced in: Missional Philosophy LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a very accessible and candid call to a missional engagement with culture. Written on a popular level, it is not of the same academic weight
