The Prodigal Hugging Church: A Scandalous Approach to Mission for the 21st Century

Rating:
Summary: Coming Out of Our Shells.
Review: If one studies history, one will observe that Christianity has played a major impact upon the world's cultures. Art, music, literature, science, philosophy, and just about any other discipline named has been influenced by Christian thought. The Church used to play an active role in culture. Then something happened. The attacks on faith that began with the creation of Darwinism and Marxism came to a head in the 1960s with the sexual revolution, the drug epidemic, etc. Instead of engaging the culture and providing an alternative to the darkness offered, the Church withdrew and a Christian subculture was born. Everyone has been suffering the consequences ever since.

In THE PRODIGAL HUGGING CHURCH, Tim Wright sets a call of action to Christians everywhere. Instead of abandoning culture, Wright suggests that Christians need to embrace culture; just like the Father embraced the Prodigal Son in Jesus' famous parable. We need to embrace, welcome, celebrate, affirm, engage, use, and serve the culture in which we live.

I agree with most of what Wright says. We need to know what is going on in the world, engaging ourselves in culture and provide an alternative to the world at large. The Church has been living in the safe ghettos of the Christian subculture for too long. However, it is a fine and dangerous line that has to be walked. Wright doesn't warn enough of the dangers of submersing oneself into the ways of the world. Not only that, but he offers no real suggestions on how to actively engage the culture in a purposeful and meaningful way that will have an impact for the Kingdom. With that said, Wright's message still is one that needs repeated over and over until the Church is once again an active participant of culture.

Rating:
Summary: Engaging and Counter Cultural
Review: In modern times every Church growth expert has tried to have us hollywoodize churches turning them into, productions. This book takes us beyond the glizt and glamour and instead encourages us to use culture to love people. Some of his approaches may seem scandalous but Jesus was scandalous in his approach. Most importantly this is not another how to book. It simply makes reccomendations on how to better love the world around us.