1990
First Published
3.85
Average Rating
160
Number of Pages
Christians have become more and more a minority group in American culture, and so now find themselves in a situation similar to the early Christians—facing the challenge of living as cultural exiles. THE CHURCH IN EXILE draws upon the epistle of 1 Peter, which was written to ''exiles,'' to help us learn how to live faithfully when many around us do not share Christian values. Because Christians in America now belong to a distinctly minority group, their behavior will increasingly be considered strange to the majority of the population. This new situation presents Christians with demanding tests—on the job, at school, and in our relationships with neighbors. We are now discovering the challenge of being Christians when that is not a popular identity. During the first four centuries, Christians met in small house churches surrounded by neighbors and even family members who scorned their beliefs and their morality. 1 Peter was written to such believers. The ''alien'' Christians who first read 1 Peter were not strangers in their own lands because of their skin colors or their nationalities. Their obedience to the call of Christ had made them exiles. According to 1 Peter, Christians are ''aliens and exiles'' (2:11). The Christian life is similar to the Israelites in Egypt or Babylon, who also did not assimilate into the larger population. So today, how do we find the resources to live as exiles? The epistle of 1 Peter is a sermon that was originally preached to offer such resources. THE CHURCH IN EXILE applies this message to Christians in Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago in the early twenty-first century, showing us how to live as a counterculture in a non-Christian world.
Avg Rating
3.85
Number of Ratings
13
5 STARS
15%
4 STARS
54%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
0%
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Author
James W. Thompson
Author · 6 books
Dr. James Thompson is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. In addition, he is also a Professor of New Testament and an Editor for the Restoration Quarterly. After earning his B.A. and M.A. at ACU, he went on to earn his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He has also earned a B.D. from the Union Theological Seminary in New York. Dr. Thompson has been at ACU since 1992 and has served as chair of the Graduate Department of Bible and Ministry since 1997. Prior to his coming to ACU, he served as professor and President of the Austin Graduate School of Theology in Austin, Texas. He is the author of several books, including Our Life Together, The Mark of a Christian, Strategy for Survival, The Church in Exile, Equipped for Change and commentaries on 2 Corinthians and Hebrews. He was a translator of the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. His research interests include the relationship between biblical interpretation and preaching.
