How will the western church negotiate the demise of Christendom? Can it rediscover its primary calling, recover its authentic ethos and regain its nerve? If churches are to thrive--or even survive--disturbing questions need to be confronted and answered. In conversation with Christians who have left the church and with those who are experimenting with fresh expressions of church, Stuart Murray explores both the emerging and inherited church scenes and makes proposals for the development of...

Western societies are experiencing a series of disorientating culture shifts. Uncertain where we are heading, observers use "post" words to signal that familiar landmarks are disappearing, but we cannot yet discern the shape of what is emerging. One of the most significant shifts, "post-Christendom," raises many questions about the mission and role of the church in this strange new world. What does it mean to be one of many minorities in a culture that the church no longer dominates? How d...

This book aims to explore the meaning of salvation in Balthasar Hubmaier's theology. Previous research has tended to explain and evaluate his theology by locating his identity among contemporary Anabaptists. Moreover, Hubmaier's theology has been variously labeled as Catholic Anabaptist, Magisterial Anabaptist, or as a bridge between the Radical and Magisterial branches of the Reformation. These approaches to Hubmaier's theology essentially depend on a static and transactional perspective ...

Click here to read the introduction to The Naked Anabaptist.In churches and kitchens and neighborhood centers across the world, communities of Jesus-followers are crafting a vision of radical service, simple living, and commitment to peace. Many are finding a home in a Christian tradition almost five centuries old: Anabaptism.Who are the Ana...

The New Testament indicates that the early churches were multivoiced, participative and expectant that the Holy Spirit would speak through all members of the community. First-generation renewal movements have typically been multivoiced, recovering this New Testament characteristic. But institutionalization (often accompanied by clericalization) has persistently reduced such diversity of participation and resulted in many aspects of church life becoming mono-voiced or restricted to only a f...

Medical humanities and disability studies are disciplines at the cutting edge of innovative critical work in the study of health and disability, but to date there has been no book-length examination of the relationship between the two. Although each has emerged from different heritages, they share many features, from discussing the complexities of embodiment, identifying processes of exclusion and championing user participation, to a commitment to new forms of critical writing.In/D...

Los cristianos anabautistas existen desde hace alrededor de 500 años. ¿Cómo se ve un anabautismo sin el ropaje de las tradiciones Amish y Menonitas? Stuart Murray intenta quitar las capas que se han acumulado a lo largo de la historia para llegar a los componentes centrales de la fe Anabautista. Intenta explorar lo que esto significa para su propio contexto y el nuestro. El seguimiento de Jesús nos desafía, nos inspira y nos anima a adorarle y seguirle con todo nuestro corazón. Lea este li...

What does it look like to be an Anabaptist community in the modern world? And why does it matter?A new incarnation of Anabaptism is emerging, but not where we might expect. In the United Kingdom—a post-Christendom context with little historical Anabaptist presence—Christian communities are embodying fresh expressions of Anabaptist faith and practice. In this companion to The Naked Anabaptist, author Stuart Murray identifies 12 common practices of such chur...

What does it mean to be a peacemaker in a polarized world?It can feel as if the world—and the church—has never been more polarized. But when we feel worn down by the chasms dividing us, we can take hope from the early Christian vision of God uniting all things in Christ, a hope that can lead us to act. Stuck Together explores Bible stories and narratives ancient and modern that inspire us to open hearts and minds to persons with whom we disagree as we gain...

During the past century the advance of secularism, the growth of other religious communities and the decline of the churches have combined to reduce the size and influence of the Christian community. Christians are now members of a minority religious community in a plural society. How is this diminished status to be understood in a global and historical context, within the purposes of God? What institutional changes are required? What psychological and emotional adjustments are needed in c...

This story takes place in December, near Christmas day, in Ottawa, Canada. Emily, 17, has just completed her babysitting course. She also recently got her driver's license. Her dad, the chief of police for Ottawa, has reluctantly allowed his daughter to take the family car to her first babysitting job.A convicted killer who is nearing the end of his jail term is being escorted around the local mall by a policeman. As part of a new initiative from the jail warden, the killer is bein...

Whenever renewal occurs, everyone in the church is drawn into involvement in the church’s mission. But within a generation or two, vitality wanes and ministry is left to religious specialists. In The Power of All , renewal leaders Stuart and Sian Murray Williams confront this thought-provoking dilemma by asking: how can a New Testament model help empower and renew the church in today’s post-Christian society?Follow the authors as they outline how early churches were multi...