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Loading... When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Communityby Joseph H. Hellerman
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. An excellent and challenging book! The way the Mediterranean family functioned was an integral backdrop and model underlying Jesus' earthly ministry, the way the early church functioned, and context of Paul's letters. Understanding that strong familial tie adds clarity and understanding to the New Testament. How do we then model this reality with the individualistic me-centered Western culture we live in? How do we live out "church" as originally intended? Thought-provoking and challenging... ( ) no reviews | add a review
Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community. But as the modern cultural norm of what social scientists call "radical American individualism" extends itself, many Christians grow lax in their relational accountability to the church. Faith threatens to become an "I" not "us," a "my God" not "our God" concern. When the Church Was a Family calls believers back to the wisdom of the first century, examining the early Christian church from a sociohistorical perspective and applying the findings to the evangelical church in America today. With confidence, author Joseph Hellerman writes intentionally to traditional church leaders and emerging church visionaries alike, believing what is detailed here about Jesus' original vision for authentic Christian community will deeply satisfy the relational longings of both audiences. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)262Religions Christian church and church work Church Polity; EcclesiologyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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