Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture [Paperback]

Michael Frost (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2006

Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture presents a biblical, Christian worldview for the emergent church--people who are not at home in the traditional church or in the secular world. As exiles of both, they must create their own worldview that integrates their Christian beliefs with the contemporary world. Exiles seeks to integrate all aspects of life and decision-making and to develop the characteristics of a Christian life lived intentionally within emerging (postmodern) culture. It presents a plea for a dynamic, life-affirming, robust Christian faith that can be lived successfully in the post-Christian world of twenty-first century Western society. This book will present a Christian lifestyle that can be lived in non-religious categories and be attractive to not-yet Christians.

Such a worldview takes ecology and politics seriously. It offers a positive response to the workplace, the arts, feminism, mystery and worship. Exiles seeks to develop a framework that will allow Christians to live boldly and courageously in a world that no longer values the culture of the church, but does greatly value many of the things the Bible speaks positively about. This book suggests that there us more to being a Christian than meets the eye. It explores the secret, unseen nooks and crannies in the life of a Christian and suggests that faith is about more than church attendance and belief in God. Written in a conversational, easy-to-read style, Exiles is aimed at church leaders, pastors and laypersons and seeks to address complex issues in a simple manner. It includes helpful photographs and diagrams.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book is for exiles: Christians who find themselves caught in that dangerous wilderness between contemporary secular Western culture and an old-fashioned church culture of respectability and conservatism. Frost presents a plea for such Christians to embrace a dynamic, life-affirming, robust Christian faith that can be lived confidently in a world that no longer values such a faith.

About the Author

Michael Frost is the founding director of the Tinsley Institute, a mission study center at Morling College in Sydney, Australia. He is the author of more than a dozen books including Exiles and The Road to Missional. He lives in Sydney.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 192120284X
• ISBN-13: 978-0801046278
• ASIN: 0801046270
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 5.9 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Frost (1961 - ) is an internationally recognised missiologist and one of the leading voices in the missional church movement. His books are required reading in colleges and seminaries around the world and he is much sought after as an international conference speaker. Frost is the Vice Principal of Morling College and the founding Director of the Tinsley Institute, a mission study centre located at Morling College in Sydney, Australia.

He is the author or editor of ten popular Christian books, the most recent of which are the highly successful and award-winning The Shaping of Things to Come (2003, co-authored with colleague Alan Hirsch), Exiles (2006) and Re:Jesus (2009). These books explore a missiological framework for the church in the postmodern era. Frost's books have been translated into German, Korean and Spanish.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm willing to accept the "but ..." November 27, 2006

By Johan Maurer

Format:Paperback

I understand why some reviewers prefer the first half of the book to the second. And I too wonder whether Michael Frost gets a little too prescriptive in some of his second-half pronouncements.

Here's why I forgive and welcome those pronouncements:

First of all, he's made it clear enough in the earlier pages that we're not to use his opinions and guidelines as a substitute for the work of making our own.

Second, the issues he lists are not "liberal talking points," but concrete examples of applied discipleship. We may very well come to different conclusions, but at least we are watching someone try to say what being an exile means with very concrete examples. We wouldn't disagree (or agree, as I often do) if we didn't have some raw material to work with. For example, I think that his critique of the corporation is valid and worth considering by Christians who are active in the business world. Such Christians might be able to offer a good corrective to Frost's critique, but where else would they have even read such a critique (aka an invitation to dialogue) from an evangelical source?

I think his comments on the exaggerated importance of the weekly gathering, and on the vapidity (to put it charitably) of much praise music goes a little over the top. But I'm a grown-up; I can handle a passionate commentary, agree with some of it and disagree with the rest.

To those who haven't read the book yet: I highly recommend it, in part as a good extended sermon, and in part as a catalog of neglected dimensions of discipleship, some elements of which will resonate with you more than others. (The chapter on environmental stewardship is a more comprehensive summary of the issues involved than I've seen in other evangelical sources.) The "catalog" aspect is argumentative, as others have noted, and somewhat slow going, but every topic is worth considering, even if not all at once. I deeply respect the author's effort to make these real-life dilemmas of authentic discipleship accessible to his readership; the problem isn't what he says, it's how to keep the conversation going, with urgency and affection and honest conflict, beyond the fixed covers of just one book.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Great ideals...but exiles hurt, too. August 15, 2007

By J. Waldron

Format:Paperback

I read this book after being involved in an emerging church full of exiles. There's so much I recognise and agree with in this book, which I think accurately portrays the feelings, reasoning, and practical implications of those who are rejecting the current church.

My one criticism of this book is that it seemed to be so angry - not just passionate - and very hard-line. The arguments and experiences need to be heard, but you can't continue to build a church on your anger toward what you define yourself against. I think Mike's disdain for pastoral care of the hurting also assumes that exiles are happy to go from a painful, abusive church to throwing themselves into mission in a victorious, confident experiment, where my experience is that a lot of us want a rest and need to deal with our issues before we inflict our woundedness all over others. I'm not saying we should be the perfect, healed, whole Christian...I'm just aware of how bitter and angry an exile can become.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An exiles guide for following Jesus January 30, 2007

By Andrew F. Menzies

Format:Paperback

Michael Frost is a naturally gifted communicator. He is also the Vice Principal at the Baptist College of NSW (Morling College) and there he heads up the Centre for Global Mission and Evangelism. He has written several books before although has come into international prominence through the book he co-authored with Alan Hirsch, The Shaping of Things to Come.

If you are a thoroughly Christianized church going person (who for example enjoys visits to local Christian bookstores), then maybe this book is not for you. (You probably should read it but I don't want to be the one who made you mad or upset or confused) This is a strong book! But it is a truthful book and a necessary book. I can say and mean with confidence that it will either be your kind of book or it won't - there won't be many people in between!

Frost has written it particularly for those who are trying to follow Jesus but find themselves on the margins of the church or for those who simply tried church and eventually gave up - therefore it is written for many, many people! The book is broken into four sections (Dangerous Memories, Dangerous Promises, Dangerous Criticism, & Dangerous Songs).

The first half of the book is particularly brutal on the traditional, solid church at times but then again it isn't written for that wing of God's people. At times I struggled with his inability to find anything good with the form of church I have been in for most of the past 20 or so years (and I could name worthy things that the church has contributed in areas of justice, local charities, community, youth housing, youth work, family counseling, education, theological education, etc) but this is a prophetic book and the argument and experience of many needs to be heard. Anyway, I sense that these comments are more about helping vocalize the real experiences of many then writing off the whole institution! Frost even says that at one point.

Frost's interest lies with those who want to missionally engage with a Post-Christian world rather then a Christendom past. It is a wholesome, intelligent and challenging read. It calls the reader to follow Jesus with authenticity and relevance and is the fruit of many conversations and experiences by the author in this reality.

If you are an exile then this will generally be one of those books that are a bit like `coming home'. If you are in a solid church and happy with it then you will really, really struggle. You will want to throw it across the room or write all over certain pages in parts. But read on and listen to it. This is a wonderful attempt at hermeneutically reading the idea of the missional church through the lens of Post Christian culture. And that is the order that we should do our theology if we are serious about mission. But it will also explain why some of your friends have left church. And if you are a church leader (like me) then read it if for nothing else as a great guide towards pastoral care for those who leave the church and need to be understood and valued.