In this in-depth study of eight diverse mainline Protestant congregations, anthropologist Fredric Roberts finds that when local congregations are evaluated by spiritual and religious standards instead of corporate- or pop-culture-based values there remains much to celebrate. Roberts recommends that congregations work to discover their own uniqueness and to build upon the strength that already exist […]
William Easum argues that a radical shift in culture makes it necessary for the church to change the way it proclaims the gospel, accounting for the anti-Christian climate in which we live while maintaining the and integrity of the Christian message.
Over the past several years, churches have engaged in an ongoing debate between two different styles of worship — ‘traditional’ and ‘contemporary.’ Here, Ronald Byars argues that many of the differences between the two styles are superficial. Authentic worship, being wholly theocentric, can and must be both responsive to contemporary culture and grounded in history […]