Younger Evangelicals, The: Facing the Challenges of the New World (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Over a quarter of a century ago, Richard Quebedeaux chronicled the history and prospects of evangelicalism in his sociology of religion study, The Young Evangelicals. Webber, who teaches at Northern Seminary in Wheaton, Ill., offers an insider's perspective on the present state and future of evangelicalism. He contends that the "younger evangelicals" include anyone "who deals thoughtfully with the shift from 20th- to 21st-century culture. He or she is committed to construct a biblically rooted, historically informed and culturally aware new evangelical witness in the 21st century." In this splendid overview of the shifts in the evangelical landscape, Webber examines the differences in theological thinking, worship styles and communication styles; attitudes toward history, art and evangelism; and ecclesiology between "traditional" evangelicals (1950-1975), "pragmatic" evangelicals (1975-2000) and younger evangelicals (2000-). For example, where the traditional evangelicals argued theologically that Christianity is a rational worldview and pragmatic evangelicals contended theologically that Christianity is a therapy that answers needs, the younger evangelicals' theological program involves a return to ancient Christian and Reformation teachings that Christianity is a community of faith. These younger evangelicals, he argues, are highly visual believers, possessing great facility with technology. They are committed to the plight of the poor, multicultural communities of faith and intergenerational ministry, and they recognize that the road to the future runs through the past. Webber's helpful and thorough guidebook offers a generous assessment of the history of evangelicalism as well as a judicious but enthusiastic evaluation of its prospects in the 21st century.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Over two decades ago, Richard Quebedeaux's classic The Young Evangelicals told the story of a new generation of believers. Now, in The Younger Evangelicals, Robert Webber explores how another generation of emerging leaders is bringing sweeping change and renewal to the twenty-first century evangelical church. Webber explores the characteristics of these emerging leaders and provides an outlet for their stories. After giving an overview of twentieth century evangelicalism, he examines how the way "younger evangelicals'' think about faith and church practice is radically different from their "traditional" (1950- 1975) and "pragmatic" (1975-2000) predecessors. Thought provoking and timely, The Younger Evangelicals is a landmark book for all who want to prepare for and respond to the new evangelical awakening brought on by our changing cultural context.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801091527
• ISBN-13: 978-0801091520
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #216,022 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost a postmodern solution, June 24, 2003

By	Dan Sullivan (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This book is a great resource and is loaded with a ton of valuable food for thought, but I cannot quite recommend it wholeheartedly without a few minor reservations.
I found many of the ideas expressed by the author and those he has interviewed and learned from to be not only refreshing but at times very moving. Most notable would be the notion that the church is supposed to be "incarnational", that is, the church is Body of Christ, the presence of Christ in the world - therefore the best apologetic is seeing people living truly and honestly under the rule of God in this life, in true community and service.
The author's main premise is that Evangelicalism has moved through three phases in the last few generations. The traditionalist phase exalted reason and doctrinal correctness above all else. The Pragmatic Phase emphasized felt needs and marketing strategies to make faith relevant and accessible to seekers. But the Younger evangelicals have turned toward "authenticity" and away from rationalistic or pragmatic approaches, seeking a God who is beyond rational definitions. They wish to communicate the faith by embodying the teaching of Christ, rather than articulating principles or programs.
The way many young evangelicals (as well as many in mainline protestant denominations and Catholic and Orthodox believers) have adapted to Postmodern thought can be both heartening and frightening. On the one hand, the recognition that rationalism has infiltrated the church is undeniable and worth correcting. Not only have liberal theologians applied naturalism to scripture in a way that removed the supernatural from faith, but conservatives have applied the scientific method to biblical interpretation to the point where individual interpretation reigns. The Holy Spirit and the consensual interpretation of the rest of the church have been ignored or rejected altogether. Rationalism has also led many in the church growth movement to embrace marketing strategies at the expense of authenticity and perhaps biblical fidelity, a plastic notion postmodern evangelicals are rejecting.
The answer many from various denominational backgrounds are embracing is one that says that the Holy Spirit grants truth to the community of the faithful, so that there is solid footing in finding the common shared beliefs of Christians in various cultures and various time periods. Younger Evangelicals look particularly to the early church prior to Constantine. They are more open to embracing the historic creeds, communication of faith through symbols and sacraments and are less arrogant about finer points of non-essential doctrines. Thus they are quicker to strike alliances across denominational lines and more open to dialog with Catholic and Orthodox believers. And they are willing to use radical hi-tech methods to communicate timeless truths.
The one cause for pause is that many in the postmodern Christian movement (some of whom are quoted in this volume) seem to embrace a bit too uncritically many of the dangerous assumptions of the postmodern fringe. They are quick to assert that "foundationalism" is inadequate in and of itself, and to point out that the church has been unduly influenced by modernism, but fail to see that in many ways they are failing to judge postmodern thinking in light of a Biblical worldview and are quickly allowing postmodern thought to unduly influence their own view of church. They are in the prison house of their own words. So they criticize the previous generation for conforming to the spirit of the rationalistic age, but freely embrace the spirit of the mystical age in which they live. They insist that truth is not "propositional" but must use propositions to make that very case.
In rejecting rationalism, many seem to throw out rationality as well. For example, Webber documents the shift from evidential apologetics to incarnational apologetics, which is a shift that has some merit. But is it necessarily true that all evidential apologetics is hopelessly enmeshed in "modernism"? Because modernism failed to find answers to metaphysical questions, does that mean that satellites will all fall from the sky and the laws of physics and engineering no longer have value? Is the resurrection not historically defensible? If "evidential" apologetics is really passe' and naive, shall we reject Paul and Luke as modernists because Paul argued from evidence and Luke cited eyewitness accounts and "many infallible proofs"? Are all of evangelical scholarship and apologetics of the last 100 years worthless?
The problem with much of the church's response to postmodern thinking is that many of the analysts of this thought wrongly assume that the only alternative to fading modernism is wholeheartedly embracing emerging postmodernism. The truth is, a Biblical worldview preceded both, and allowed for genuine rationality and appeal to evidence, tempered with the truth that humans are finite, fallen and need the grace of the Holy Spirit to ultimately make sense of it all. There are hints of such a third alternative in Webbers book particularly in the later chapters.
The chapters on youth ministry and worship are excellent and provocative. The many charts that end each chapter of this book are worth the price themselves. If Younger Evangelicals can speak to the anti-Modern generation in new ways, re-establish the church as a true reflection of Christ on Earth without succumbing to total mysticism and irrationality, then the future could look very bright. I loved almost everything about this book - almost.

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heart Freshly Stirred, But Read With Discernment, April 11, 2003

By A Customer

I highly recommend "The Younger Evangelicals." Dr. Webber has portrayed a stunning mosaic of what God is freshly stirring in many hearts today. God is moving many with a fresh desire for a church community that knows each other well enough to have authentic relationships. We see ourselves as a people of God's Presence with our corporate life as "mission," something we are and not just something we do. We don't just want to hear the wonderful stories in Scripture, but we want to experience them so that His story intersects our personal stories. We desire to share Jesus with others in our sphere of influence in natural, non-religious ways, living out the Good News and not just verbalizing it. A new leadership is developing with servants becoming participative leaders, a team without any abdication of healthy leadership. Dr. Webber threads this fresh move of God throughout "The Younger Evangelicals" in a way that stirs a, "Yes, Lord!" from within.

What concerns me, however, is HOW this mature man of God encourages these younger leaders to find the answer. First, his book seems to imply that the norm today is to leave the established church and start a new church plant from scratch. There's nothing wrong with that as an option, but the existing church also needs these impulses. Many of his arguments describing the established church set up the mega church as the "straw man." The mega church is only one expression of the church, and certainly has built-in problems when the goal is a relational community of believers. Second, candles, incense, icons, silent retreats, etc. are the methods that I see salted throughout the book. Methods could have been communicated in a way that heal the gap with the existing church instead of intensifying it (for instance, use "an intimate devotional time with Jesus" instead of Lectio Divina). I'm concerned that this book may splinter the western church even more by encouraging younger evangelicals to embrace outward methods that isolate them from the present church life. Third, I also believe God is after something much more central and essential than new methods. The Lord of glory wants us to change the way we experience Him and each other. Only out of this radical change in our theology can we discover new, fresh methods (if needed) to experience this new life.

I want to commend Dr. Webber for his excellent insight into this fresh move of God and for his heart to follow Him without compromise. But please read "The Younger Evangelicals" with discernment and eat the meat and spit out the bones. Younger evangelicals, please don't separate yourselves from the existing church. We need your energy and fresh way of looking at the Kingdom. Older evangelicals, don't marginalize younger evangelicals because some of the ways in which they express themselves threaten the existing order. Change may be threatening, but it's Kingdom. Younger evangelicals need mature mentors, and mentors need fresh expressions of the life of Jesus to continue to challenge them as lifelong learners. My plea is to dialog and learn from each other because we desperately need one another (1 Corinthians 12:12-27).

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars insightful book on post-contemporary christian leadeship, November 27, 2002

By	Jeffrey E. Short (las vegas, nv) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

for many years there were only classes to describe christian leaders and churches -- traditional and contemporary. but many began to feel that there was an emerging third category although they couldn't articulate it. webber has done a good job in describing this third category of churches and leaders alongside traditional and contemporary ones. i found his descriptions right on for the most part from my perspective, especially his insights on why many baby busters are opting out of baby boomer congregations with seeker-friendly services -- they find the staged performances too inauthentic, the high-tech equipment too circus-like for their tastes, which favors a more simple and less fancy format coupled with relationally rich environments and live interaction. twenty and thirty somethings want reality-based church over production-quality church. Gen X pastors lead in low key ways, rather than the high profile super-charged ways boomer pastors tend to. webber points this all out and more in his book. excellent description of what is playing out before us all in churches across america. traditional and boomer pastors should read this book to understand why the younger crowd does not respond to their efforts.