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Title: The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West...Again
ISBN: 0687085853
Author:
George G. Hunter III
Publicate Date: 2000-02
Publish: 2000-02
List Price: $16.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $9.40
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $5.95
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Not Even Close...
What an exercise in wishful thinking!
Hunter's intentions are great, and his vision of what the church should be is definitely contagious and attractive, but he should not claim that this model is taken from the "Celtic" form of Christianity. First of all, most historians agree that if there is such a thing as a "Celtic" faith, it is almost entirely a modern contruct, stemming from the romantic notions of the nineteenth century. Secondly, his admitted lack of historical knowledge, while it allows him to postulate pretty much anything he wants about the Celts and their saints, leaves him rather baseless as far as factual support is concerned. Finally, his source material (which he proof-texts very dexterously, by the way) is composed almost entirely of popular sources, which academically are in the same boat he is.
By all means, let's pursue a more community-oriented, less institutional, more intuitive form of Christianity, but let's not support it by referencing a past that probably never existed.
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2: Great church model
This book promotes an effective, fruitful church model. It, not St. Patrick, won over an entirely pagan society. Contrast that with the Constantinian church model the Catholics and most Protestants use that leaves the churches vulnerable to infiltration by paganism!
The other two church models that are fruitful are the Wesleyan church model and the New Testament church model.
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3: The Celtic Way of Evangelism
Hunter knows Evangelism and his explaination in this book is positive and detailed when dealing with past ways of Christianity. I read Hunter because he get the heart of the matter quickly in English I can understand easily.
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4: Celtic Way A Helpful Read for Postmodern Times
"The Celtic Way of Evangelism"
I just finished The Celtic Way of Evangelism by George Hunter. I'd highly recommend it. Hunter explains how Patrick and friends engaged the "barbarians" of Ireland, moving from what they already knew to what they had no clue about, the God of Scripture. Also significant is how the missionaries used community to evangelize the Irish. The people found belonging before believing. In other words, they were committed to the church and the community they experienced there before they were actually converted to Christ. Interesting about this short book is how much the missionary ways of Patrick, Aidan, and others sound like what is needed in today's postmodern times. Also striking is how the Roman church swooped down and killed the entire thing, because they didn't know how to handle aggressive, indigenous missional movements. If you are on the frontlines of mission, trying to engage postmoderns with the gospel, this historical study will be very helpful to you.
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5: Breath of Hope... from the 5th Century
I am deeply relieved, encouraged and challenged that the "kingdom life" of Christ and the sharing of that life has been done so lovingly, incarnationally, and effectively in the communal spirit of Jesus' own ministry... in a time other than the first century AD. I needed to hear that what I and others are prayerfully working toward has been done before.
We are those who love Christ but no longer fit in the institutional church. We have come to accept no vain substitutions for His kingdom. We have come to want no lesser form of outreach than His own demonstrated love, power, and life-changing presence in the midst of His people among the broken. We are struggling against the dominant culture of western, consumeristic, Christian individualism. So was Saint Patrick... and the results of his unbending devotion to Christ and those He longed to redeem were staggering.
For all Christ-followers already on the postmodern journey of awakening, this book is a dynamic help rooted in both history and humility. It's a powerful reminder that we are not a "revolution" but rather the continuation of generations of others who have imitated Christ's own intentional example on earth in spite of the dominant secular culture.
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