The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ [Paperback]

Jeff W. Childers (Author), Douglas A. Foster (Author), Jack Reese (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

'In general, this book is about attitudes and postures, about the big picture.... We want to suggest ways we can focus our conversations on the core issues that drive our faith and practice and which can transform both what we discuss and how we discuss it. Moreover, we want to equip leaders with ways of dealing with conflict and looking at Scripture that reflect the crux of the Christian faith.' - From the Introduction

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Jeff Childers is an Assistant Professor of Bible and Church History in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. Dr. Childers's special research interests include Eastern Christianity, New Testament textual criticism, Patristics, early hagiography, and the history of Bible interpretation. As a teacher, his focus recently has been on the integration of scholarship and ministry in the classroom and on the use of case studies in pastoral education. Recent publications include articles in Biblia Patristica, New Testament Studies, Oriens Christianus, Le Museon, and Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Dr. Doug Foster is an Associate Professor of Church History in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. In addition to teaching, he is also the Director of the Center for Restoration Studies at the University. Dr. Foster's scholarly work has concentrated on the place of the Stone-Campbell Movement in American Christianity and the nature of the idea of Christian unity. His book Will the Cycle Be Unbroken? Churches of Christ Face the 21st Century analyzes the current and future shape of Churches of Christ. He serves as one of three General Editors of the forthcoming Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Jack R. Reese serves as Dean of the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. He has served as minister to churches in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, and Iowa. His Ph.D. is from the University of Iowa, School of Religion. He is married to Jeanene, and they have three children, Jessica, Jocelyn, and Jay.

Product Details

• Paperback: 289 pages
• Publisher: Abilene Christian Univ Press (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089112036X
• ISBN-13: 978-0891120360
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uplifting and encouraging, May 11, 2001

By 

Paige Gant (Cullowhee, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this clearly written, thought provoking book. It was especially meaningful to me because I know and respect Dr. Foster. Not growing up in the church of Christ, the brief history of the church's beginnings was very helpful in bring me up to speed and the authors made clear and easy to follow conclusions about why our history is vital in understanding the crises we face today. The ideas of pre-modern, modern, and post-modern (which can be difficult to grasp, at least for me) were expained in terms that made them obvious. It was not only informative, it was challanging. The authors managed to appeal to both the "traditionalists" and the "progressives" with out riding the fence themselves. As a post-modern woman in a rather conservative church, I was surprised that the authors were able to make me see the other side of the story (that of the more traditional member) and give me a larger respect for them. Their style of writing is so easy to read and their hearts seem to flow through their words. I recommend this book highly to anyone in the church of Christ who is looking to understand the problems we seem to be facing today. The book is a quick read and is not written in an "academic" style that might seem off-putting to a layperson. It is so relevant that I am hopeful we, at our church, will be able study it in a bible class in the near future.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Crux of the Matter, November 7, 2002

By 

Leo Lauffer "leonlauffer" (Keizer, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ (Paperback)

The authors provide a stimulating discussion of the need for reassessment and redirection within churches of Christ. Beginning with the perceptive observation that the church most of us know came of age in the 1950's, they highlight the growing sense of disorientation felt by many in an increasingly post-modern world.

Before suggesting directions and solutions, they provide helpful perspective by taking a giant step backward and tracing our modern roots from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century through the American Restoration Movement of the 19th century. In doing this they demonstrate that at least some of our perspectives and distinctive doctrines were influenced by people and historical forces much more recent than the first century.

After that, the authors get to "the crux of the matter," retrace the current crisis of identity, diversity, and change in the church, and attempt to offer some directions for the future. Chief among these is a call to re-focus attention on the "core" of the gospel: "the story of our creator God's actions to save us from sin and death, culminating in the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Christ." This focus, they submit, provides the best platform for biblical interpretation, individual growth and congregational unity.

On the issue of biblical interpretation, for example, the authors contend that good interpretation acknowledges the core as a "center of gravity, allowing that core to govern both the reading of the text and its application." This approach de-emphasizes a search for "rules" and "patterns" and re-focuses on broader aspects of the text: purpose, theme, genre, context, and principle.

The authors acknowledge that the book is not intended as a fully-developed theology, but as a starting point for further thought and discussion. From that standpoint, I would highly recommend it as a very interesting and thought-provoking read.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Crem de la Crem of the Matter, April 29, 2001

By 

Sheldon F. Devries (Rochester Hills, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ (Paperback)

This book is inspiring, insightful and riviting. it describes the changes that have taken place in the Churches of Christ over that last 50 years (1950 - 2001) and does a great job in portraying its true values. This book is a real page-turner and should be read by all in the COC and some outside this fellowship as well. Perhaps it may shed some light on some misconceptions within this movement. Read it, love it and apply it.