A Break in the Clouds: An Evangelical's Reflection on the Corporate Nature of Christianity and the Theology of Walter Rauschenbusch

by Tim Suttle

Jesus taught that love toward our fellow human beings-even our enemies-is the path to God. This, to Jesus, was not some ancillary teaching which should be tacked onto the gospel. This is the gospel he preached. You cannot love God if you do not love your neighbor. This is how we see God. This is how we are blessed. This is how we inherit the earth. This is the good news. In A Break in the Clouds, Tim Suttle exposes the ways in which the exaggerated individualism of American culture has muted and distorted the gospel Jesus came to preach. He argues that the impact of that distortion has rendered the church largely ineffective. Suttle reaches back a century to the theological writings of the great Baptist pastor Walter Rauschenbusch and offers an imaginative vision for how evangelicals can once again impact the world around us. Bypassing the culture wars and liberal/conservative squabbling, A Break in the Clouds offers a way in which the corporate nature of Christianity can be held alongside the evangelical belief in personal salvation. In so doing, he offers valuable theological rationale for the moves many pastors and lay-persons are making toward ministries of mercy and justice. Suttle demonstrates that the nexus of personal and corporate faith is where the power lies-power to transform lives and cultures alike.

104 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2011