SHAPES OF THE CHURCH TO COME
By Michael Nazir-Ali
Kingsway. £8.99
ISBN 0 85476 8912
How should the church respond to our so-called ‘post-modern’ post-Christian setting, or how can we Christians face the challenges of witnessing to Christ in 2002?
These are the urgent questions that Michael Nazir-Ali seeks to address in this new book. Nazir-Ali paints with broad brushstrokes, and therefore a lot of ground is covered in few pages. The discussion ranges far and wide over issues such as the form and function of the church in Britain today, the kind of coronation we should expect for our next monarch, the weakness of the church growth approach of targeting churches at sociological niches, the need of biblical ecumenism, the cell church movement and its Catholic counterpart base-ecclesial communities. Not all will agree with his conclusions but Nazir-Ali helps us to think widely about the mission and meaning of the church today.
As is evident in recent media attention, this book provides the perspective of a major player in the Anglican Church. Nazir-Ali is keen to show that his knowledge is not just that of ivory towers of the ecclesiological hierarchy; he grounds his book with pithy case studies about the issues faced at street level. These help the reader to think through the practical implications of the theology discussed.
There is also a very extensive study guide that would make this book a good one for a house group to read and discuss together.
I was particularly struck by the comment that it took the church 18 centuries to discover the significance of the Bible’s teaching in regard to slavery. With this in mind we are inspired to keep on seeking to relate our faith to contemporary culture and not to be passe in our application of Scripture or else we risk being blind to the full implications of the gospel for our world.
Perhaps an overemphasis on Anglicanism, too few truly radical ideas for local churches and the feeling that you’re just about to get stuck into a juicy debate when the chapter ends are the only criticisms I have of this book. Nevertheless, a worthwhile read.
