Missional Engagement with Culture

Missional Church 25 Years Later [2]

Series: Missional Church 25 Years Later

1. A Quarter Century of Theological Revolution?

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How does Missional Church’s cultural analysis hold up?

By that, I don’t mean to ask whether the analysis is dated. Of course it is. It would be superficial to observe cultural shifts that the authors of Missional Church couldn’t have foreseen. Moreover, a book like this one is interested in demonstrating a kind of theological work instead of offering a definitive account. So no, the question isn’t whether there is ongoing cultural analysis to do.

Instead, I’m asking about the relevance of the book’s account of Western culture for the development of the missional church movement in the subsequent twenty-five years. There is always more to say, and times change, but this kind of broad-scale assessment of the context aims to put its finger on the pulse of the culture, which tends to have staying power. What proved to be the case? What remains relevant?¹