Found in the Middle! Theology and Ethics for Christians Who Are Both Liberal and Evangelical
Wesley J. Wildman, Stephen Chapin Garner
There exists a deep and broad population of Christians who feel the labels of “liberal” and “evangelical” both describe their faith and limit their expression of it. By working to reclaim the traditional, historical meanings of these terms, and showing how they complement rather than oppose each other, Wesley Wildman and Stephen Chapin Gardner stake a claim for the moderate Christian voice in today’s polarized society.
Found in the Middle! offers a foundational approach to the theology and ethics that undergird a congregation where moderate Christians can thrive. Wildman and Garner serve as helpful guides on a quest for a humble theology, an intelligible gospel message, a compelling view of church unity, and a radical ethics deeply satisfying to most Christians with both liberal and evangelical instincts.
Pastors, congregational leaders, seminarians, and all thoughtful Christians will learn how truly moderate Christianity can unite the compassionate openness and social activism of liberal Christianity with the magnetism and spiritual fervor of evangelical Christianity. You may feel lost in the middle, but you are not alone there. The middle may be the place where you find yourself living most authentically.
Praise for the Book
“Here is a fine exploration of a ‘middle way’ for American Christians navigating joyfully the shoals of a rigid conservativism on the one hand and an anything-goes liberalism on the other. Who said this Christian life would be easy?! And the confusing tantrums of fringe Christians right and left make navigation tools all the more important. Here is a good one.” —Louis Weeks, President Emeritus, Union-PSCE in Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina
“So many people have a strong centrist faith but have trouble describing it. Open-minded on the key issues of the day, and rooted in the faith tradition, they are inarticulate when trying to describe just who they are in the Christian family. This book will give them the words. Readers will finish it knowing that they are not alone and that they represent a strong and steady stream in Christianity.” —Lillian Daniel, Senior Minister, First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
“Wildman and Garner’s Found in the Middle! gives both deep encouragement and sure direction to those of us who don’t see ourselves in the available options or polarities of the contemporary religious landscape. Moreover, the perspective to which they give powerful voice is not a ‘muddled middle’ but a vital center.” —Anthony B. Robinson, President, Congregational Leadership Northwest and author of Changing the Conversation, A Third Way for Congregations
About the Authors
Wesley J. Wildman is Associate Professor of Theology and Ethics at Boston University. His research and writing focuses on interdisciplinary topics connecting religion with the natural and social sciences. He is ordained in the Uniting Church in Australia and has seven years full-time parish experience in moderate Christian churches.
Stephen Chapin Garner is the senior pastor of the United Church of Christ in Norwell, Massachusetts. He has just completed his DMin in homiletics focusing on the role of first-person narratives in sermons.
ISBN# 978-1-56699-381-4
Alban No. AL381
paper, 185 pages
2009
In stock
$18.00
($14.40 for members)
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