Post-Christendom Church and Mission in a strange new world.
Stuart Murray (Paternoster 2004)
In this book Stuart Murray seeks to move the discussion out of post-modernity/ism and to explore the other term that has become part of our vocabulary in recent times ‘Post- Christendom’. Murray offers an interesting perspective and seeks to make a case for ways the Church should respond to its changing status in society. He highlights key moments that were significant cultural and theological shifts that impacted the church’s mission for centuries. There is actually a necessary, though lengthy, historical introduction which helps set the context for his discussion. In the whistle-stop historical tour we move from the coming and expansion of Christendom where Augustine is figured as the significant figure in the Christendom shift, to the disintegration of Christendom, where Murray is particularly looking at the Reformation. In his reading of the reformers he states that ‘they introduced important changes but did not challenge the Christendom mindset’. Hence, as Murray points out; oaths, infant baptism, tithing, just war, use of Scripture to support the dominant culture, Old Testament taking precedence over the New, the marginalizing of Jesus, a ‘clergy caste’ who ‘performed services’ and an increased ‘dominance of monologue preaching’ and the operating with a ‘hermeneutic of order’ rather than justice, concern with church discipline, all reflect how the Reformers ‘hoped to transform society from the centre, but challenged none of the essential components of Christendom.’
It is perhaps at this juncture Murray’s Anabaptist perspective radically prods at those of us who are of a reformed tradition or background. Nonetheless, the book highlights how inaction, denial or hope in out-moded revivals are simply no longer options and calls for the church to accept that radical change is needed in all areas of mission and ministry. Indeed, it shows how a new mindset is required for actually 'being' church.
The legacy of Christendom in the vestiges and mindset that persist – ecclesial and social, Murray outlines some responses that we need to move beyond – denying, defending, dismissing, dissociating, demonizing, disavowing, disentangling, deconstructing, disembarking.
For all Christians concerned with the present and very real issues, Post-Christendom is an informative, hopeful and important account. However, its historical introduction, whilst necessary for setting the book in context, is overly critical and lengthy, and the book as a whole does perhaps betray a particular historical reading. Nevertheless, this does not undo the worthiness of this book.
The final chapter as he acknowledges, is not so much about resource answers, as matters of keeping on questioning. In conclusion, it rests upon a fresh encounter with Jesus at the margins of church and society, ‘since that is where Jesus is so often found’.
The helpful thing as you read through this book is that Murray persists with rigorous questioning that I think is vital to connect our inherited past (Christendom) with the present we encounter. This book challenged me and the questions raised should continue to engage us in our own context here in New Zealand, where perhaps some of these questions are more pointedly being faced. The post-Christendom of New Zealand is an interesting anomaly that has some huge deep running tensions within and among the churches. Also, post-christendom here has much to recover from, in a way, due to a very colonial christendom and how things have developed historically. This is too simplistic and otehrs will know much better, but...we need to do a similar reading for here(Unless osmeone can guide me to a source I am not aware of ).
