Revolution and Renewal [Paperback]

Tony Campolo (Author), Bruce Main (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

Revelation and Renewal tells of churches that infused new life into urban communities. It is the story of brave men and women who refused to walk away from an apparently hopeless situation. Their inspiring example of faith-based social action presents a blueprint for reclaiming the future of our cities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Campolo, one of a handful of leading evangelicals whose primary concerns are poverty and social justice, has written a book that will surely garner much attention in the secular world as well as the Christian circles in which he is already prominent. Here, Campolo takes on the problem of urban decay, urging that churches must take an active role in revitalizing cities. Christians should get involved in public schools and prisons, says Campolo, but they must also go further than what might be seen as the Band-aid-on-the-corpse approach. Christians should help lure business development--and with it jobs--to urban areas and should support the increasingly trendy faith-based social programs. Churches should not be afraid to work with government, but neither should Christians lose their distinctive angle on social rejuvenation. Although clearly intended for a Christian audience, this call to arms could be fruitful for anyone interested in creating social change in American cities. Those looking for a searing critique of capitalism will not find it here, but for Christians who want to work within the capitalist framework to renew the city, Campolo offers a challenging call to action--a call coupled with enough practical guidelines to bring the task, though daunting, within reach.

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Tony Campolo is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. For ten years he was on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the founder and President of the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 066422198X
• ISBN-13: 978-0664221980
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #862,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tony Campolo (Ph.D., Temple University) is professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, a media commentator on religious, social, and political matters, and the author of a dozen books, including Revolution and Renewal, Let me Tell You a Story, and 20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid to touch.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book, August 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Revolution and Renewal (Paperback)

As someone who has heard Tony Campolo speak many times, and as someone who doesn't enjoy reading, this book opened my eyes. It only took me 2 days to read this book. I couldn't put it down. Tony Campolo obviously cares for the inner city missions of Camden and Philadelphia. This book is a great example of how Christians need to respond to the poor and the inner city people. This book will touch your heart with the stories by Bruce Main of his experiences in Camden adn so forth. This is a must have book for any person entering the mission field. Eastern College is very lucky to have a man like Tony Campolo to teach there. As a student at Eastern, I am blessed to have heard this man encourage the students and faculty to reach out to the people of Camden and Philadelphia. This book makes you look in depth at your life and walk with Jesus Christ.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hopeful and Helpful, August 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Revolution and Renewal (Paperback)

For those who really want to do something, or need to be encouraged to do something to help the Kingdom of God be manifest in the city, this book is for you. It is practical, and most importantly, hopeful. Campolo uses his own ministry and experiences, as well as other unrelated ministries (for example, Minneapolis; Ripon, New York; Costa Mesa, CA; and the Dominican Republic) as prototypes for what can be done in inner cities. He is honest in not promising that every ministry he mentions can be replicated; but since Campolo gives so many specific, practical suggestions on how to carry out the ideas and programs presented, people will hopefully catch a vision and be encouraged to give some of them a try.

Campolo's love and care for those in the inner city is contagious. He believes that one of God's main concerns is for the poor and oppressed, as evidenced in Jesus' first public words in Luke 4:18-19. Campolo challenges all of us to champion the needs of those who lack the basic necessities of life. He challenges the churches who have much, to partner with those who have little. And he challenges all of us to love Jesus through loving others, especially the poor and oppressed. But his ideas are not only about others helping the poor. He also believes in empowering people to help themselves (for example, see Ch. 7 on neighborhood meetings). If you want to do something to help God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, read this helpful and hopeful book.

5.0 out of 5 stars You need this book . . ., January 22, 2011

By 

J. W. Hedden (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revolution and Renewal (Paperback)

Seriously, you do. As a pastor in a downtown, semi-urban setting for over a decade, I found this book to be an essential one in my library. The chapters are organized around practical, Christian solutions to urban problems. There is advice on how to plan a town meeting, how to structure prayer ministry, how to better utilize church space for economic development and so on. But it's not a dry read! Dr. Campolo peppers his practical advice with stories of where and how this has worked. And in the beginning of the book, there are many stories by Bruce Main about his ministry in downtown Camden, NJ. Highly recommended.