Renewing Christian Unity: A Concise History of the Christian Church

by Mark G. Toulouse, Gary Holloway, Douglas A. Foster

In RENEWING CHRISTIAN UNITY, scholars Mark G. Toulouse, Gary Holloway, and Douglas A. Foster collaborate to provide an overview of the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that will serve all readers by giving a brief, authoritative introduction to this important American denomination.Throughout its history, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has been known for its commitment to Christian unity. The context for unity in the twenty-first century, however, is considerably different than it was in the nineteenth century. RENEWING CHRISTIAN UNITY provides a brief history of the Disciples and their unwavering but ever-adapting commitment to the unity of the church. Their story is one of both continuity and change. Disciples remain as those who are uncomfortable with denominationalism.They still prefer simply to be known as Christians. But over the course of two centuries, the Disciples' understanding of Christian witness and of the ''one church'' has taken note of the changing times, and changed right along with them. This is partly because Disciples have always believed that human history is meaningful. God has entered human time to make a difference. Disciples celebrate this fact at the communion table and in the baptismal waters, through their active engagement with the world as they seek to embody both God's love and justice, and in their insistence that the church is one.Alexander Campbell once declared, ''We . . . should hang our Sectarian trumpets in the hall and study ecclesiastic wars no more.'' Disciples have not always succeeded in meeting that expectation, but they do possess a history marked by an earnest desire to seek a renewal of Christian unity in the life of the church. In this book, readers will learn more about this significant group of churches, which has shaped the landscape of American Christianity.RENEWING CHRISTIAN UNITY is the third volume in a series that also includes Renewing God's People and Renewal for Mission.

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 7, 2010

Reviews

[Joe Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three historians of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) give us a constructive and visionary narrative of the denomination's role in contemporary Christianity. Especially helpful are their accounts of the church's response to the growing ethnic diversity of America and the global ecumenical movement.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of a series of books briefly exploring the history of the three branches of the Stone-Campbell Movement, Mark Toulouse builds on the work of Gary Holloway and Douglas Foster, to provide an excellent introductory history of the Disciples of Christ that is accessible and amazingly comprehensive. This new book will join nicely with his more thematic history -- Joined in Discipleship (Chalice Press).