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Holiness and Mission: Learning from the Early Church About Mission in the City
This book explores what mission and discipleship meant for some of the earliest Christian communities. It is based on the Hugh Price Hughes Lectures in the West London Mission.
146 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 26, 2016
It was really the subtitle of this book that caught my eye: Learning from the early church about mission in the city. In less than 18 months I'll be moving into a city (Stockholm) to begin mission there, there's much I need to learn and so a neat little book on the early church from two respected scholars with reflections on city life seemed like an excellent choice.
The book is just five chapters based on lectures given to celebrate 250 years of Methodism in the west end of London. The first four contain reflections from the New Testament and the early church and the final chapter are some reflections on the lessons from the early church for today.
I am on record as being sceptical about a kind of city theology that is popular today which is ironic given that subsequently God is moving me to live in a capital city. So I was a little worried that I was going to get a 'aren't cities just marvellous' view that prioritises mission (I think unhelpfully) over other places. Fortunately this is quite balanced.
The first chapter by Hooker is focused on holiness, what does it mean to be 'set apart for God', that essentially who we are and what we do matters and it matters to mission. Nothing much to say here but it lays the groundwork nicely leaving us with the critical question of 'what kind of image of Christ as a church are we presenting to the world?' Good question.
The second chapter also by Hooker examines the idea of the city in the Bible. It tackles the simplistic idea of 'the Bible begins in a garden but ends in a city' which sounds nice but means little. For every Zion there is a Babylon, for every Jerusalem a Babel or Ninevah. Paul spent most of his recorded time in the city but Jesus spent most of his recorded time out of them. Paul founded churches in the cities, Jesus advanced the kingdom in the towns and villages. For every commendation to the city there is a biblical condemnation of one, for every call to the city there is also a challenge to the city.
But Hooker says,
"But for those of us who live in cities, or who work in cities, as most of us do, the biblical vision of a new Jerusalem is not just a promise, but a summons to action. The task of God's people is to witness to what the city could be: a just society, a caring society, where every individual has his or her place, and where we all live in harmony. Holiness is about transforming this world." (p25)
I've also heard much of the fact that all of Paul's missionary efforts were conducted in cities but Hooker makes an interesting point about what Paul would have done on the way to the cities:
"Look at a map, and you will see the immense distances travelled by Paul - and though he walked along the roads built by the Romans, which made travel much easier that it had once been, he could not travel from Philippi to Corinth, in a day. He would have found it necessary to stop in smaller towns and villages along the way - and I cannot imagine Paul staying the night anywhere without sharing the good news with everyone he met."
So while Hooker affirms Paul's missionary strategy she also adds in some common sense, clearly the cities are important, strategic, vital, the place where cultures meet and interact but we should always be wary of a 'cities are best' attitude.
In chapter three Frances Young looks at the spread of Christianity and how Christians lived in the pagan Roman Empire, perhaps a situation with more similarity for us today than our recent past. She thinks it was down to the following reasons; public preaching, the power of miracles and networks (or communities).
People were attracted to the church because the church offered a place of belonging with practical support, a reputation for caring for the sick and contempt for death.
Lastly that what the church communicated was the monarchy of God, the fulfilment of prophecy, Jesus Christ and the gospel, creation and resurrection and a holy lifestyle.
All helpful, insightful and worthy of reflection.
I won't say too much about the fourth chapter where Young reflects on the church in the Constantine era, was the emperor's conversion a blessing or a curse? Probably a bit of both but what became clear is how much the church has squabbled over the centuries.
In the last chapter Hooker and Young attempt to draw some conclusions for the contemporary church in the city and this is the weakest chapter of them all although still with some penetrating insights. But for me the concessions or compromises to pluralism, Young essentially says all routes go up the mountain of God just frustrate me because it seems detached from the confidence in the Gospel that they so clearly demonstrated that Paul and the early church had in spades.
However, notwithstanding that, this is an excellent little book that I will refer to many times I think as I seek to understand God's heart for cities.
The book is just five chapters based on lectures given to celebrate 250 years of Methodism in the west end of London. The first four contain reflections from the New Testament and the early church and the final chapter are some reflections on the lessons from the early church for today.
I am on record as being sceptical about a kind of city theology that is popular today which is ironic given that subsequently God is moving me to live in a capital city. So I was a little worried that I was going to get a 'aren't cities just marvellous' view that prioritises mission (I think unhelpfully) over other places. Fortunately this is quite balanced.
The first chapter by Hooker is focused on holiness, what does it mean to be 'set apart for God', that essentially who we are and what we do matters and it matters to mission. Nothing much to say here but it lays the groundwork nicely leaving us with the critical question of 'what kind of image of Christ as a church are we presenting to the world?' Good question.
The second chapter also by Hooker examines the idea of the city in the Bible. It tackles the simplistic idea of 'the Bible begins in a garden but ends in a city' which sounds nice but means little. For every Zion there is a Babylon, for every Jerusalem a Babel or Ninevah. Paul spent most of his recorded time in the city but Jesus spent most of his recorded time out of them. Paul founded churches in the cities, Jesus advanced the kingdom in the towns and villages. For every commendation to the city there is a biblical condemnation of one, for every call to the city there is also a challenge to the city.
But Hooker says,
"But for those of us who live in cities, or who work in cities, as most of us do, the biblical vision of a new Jerusalem is not just a promise, but a summons to action. The task of God's people is to witness to what the city could be: a just society, a caring society, where every individual has his or her place, and where we all live in harmony. Holiness is about transforming this world." (p25)
I've also heard much of the fact that all of Paul's missionary efforts were conducted in cities but Hooker makes an interesting point about what Paul would have done on the way to the cities:
"Look at a map, and you will see the immense distances travelled by Paul - and though he walked along the roads built by the Romans, which made travel much easier that it had once been, he could not travel from Philippi to Corinth, in a day. He would have found it necessary to stop in smaller towns and villages along the way - and I cannot imagine Paul staying the night anywhere without sharing the good news with everyone he met."
So while Hooker affirms Paul's missionary strategy she also adds in some common sense, clearly the cities are important, strategic, vital, the place where cultures meet and interact but we should always be wary of a 'cities are best' attitude.
In chapter three Frances Young looks at the spread of Christianity and how Christians lived in the pagan Roman Empire, perhaps a situation with more similarity for us today than our recent past. She thinks it was down to the following reasons; public preaching, the power of miracles and networks (or communities).
People were attracted to the church because the church offered a place of belonging with practical support, a reputation for caring for the sick and contempt for death.
Lastly that what the church communicated was the monarchy of God, the fulfilment of prophecy, Jesus Christ and the gospel, creation and resurrection and a holy lifestyle.
All helpful, insightful and worthy of reflection.
I won't say too much about the fourth chapter where Young reflects on the church in the Constantine era, was the emperor's conversion a blessing or a curse? Probably a bit of both but what became clear is how much the church has squabbled over the centuries.
In the last chapter Hooker and Young attempt to draw some conclusions for the contemporary church in the city and this is the weakest chapter of them all although still with some penetrating insights. But for me the concessions or compromises to pluralism, Young essentially says all routes go up the mountain of God just frustrate me because it seems detached from the confidence in the Gospel that they so clearly demonstrated that Paul and the early church had in spades.
However, notwithstanding that, this is an excellent little book that I will refer to many times I think as I seek to understand God's heart for cities.
January 18, 2023
A thought-provoking collection of essays. I found the synopsis of the birth of Christendom and the gospel of the church in first 3 centuries especially worthwhile. Some excellent questions are posed by Dr. Hooker and Dr. Young.
April 20, 2012
I reviewed this on my blog
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews