Good news to the poor: The Gospel Through Social Involvement
By Tim Chester
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
How do we respond to the silent appeal in the dark eyes of the child in the charity catalogue, or the blanketed figure in the cold shop doorway? Should we share the gospel with them, or a bowl of soup?
Throughout history, men and women such as Wilberforce and Shaftesbury, Carey and Booth have recognized a call to help the needy. Others have argued that our first task is evangelism, that Christians should not meddle in politics, that social action is a distraction. Do we serve Christ through preaching his Word, or should we use words only when necessary?
Tim Chester argues passionately that evangelism and social action are inseparable, as two arms of the church's mission. He presents a biblical case for truly evangelical social action, that is shaped and inspired by the gospel. He shows how social activity is a response to evangelism, a bridge and a partner to it. He urges conservatives not to marginalize those who uphold the cause of the oppressed, and those involved in social action not to neglect the preaching of the Word.
Tim Chester
Tim Chester (PhD, University of Wales) is a faculty member of Crosslands and a pastor with Grace Church, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. He is an author or coauthor of over forty books, including A Meal with Jesus; Reforming Joy; and, with Michael Reeves, Why the Reformation Still Matters.
Read more from Tim Chester
A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace, Community, and Mission around the Table Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stott on the Christian Life: Between Two Worlds Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5You Can Change: God's Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Busy Christian's Guide to Busyness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Truth We Can Touch: How Baptism and Communion Shape Our Lives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Message of Prayer: Approaching The Throne Of Grace Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why the Reformation Still Matters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reforming Joy: A Conversation between Paul, the Reformers, and the Church Today Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good News to the Poor: Social Involvement and the Gospel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unreached: Growing Churches In Working-Class And Deprived Areas Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Good news to the poor
Related ebooks
Living Faithfully: Following Christ in everyday life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTelling the Gospel: 70 stories about Jesus to read out loud Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssentially One: Striving for the Unity God Loves Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Jesus Calls: Finding a simpler, humbler, bolder vocation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWe’ve Lost. What Now?: Practical Counsel from the Book of Daniel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Come Follow Me: Reflections on the Markan Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVicar: Celebrating the Renewal of Parish Ministry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOasis of Imagination: Engaging our World through a Better Creativity Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProclaiming the Gospel, Engaging the World: Celebrating One Hundred Years of Melbourne School of Theology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReignite: Seeing God rekindle life and purpose in your church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Message of the Holy Spirit Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCommentary on Proverbs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRestoring the Kingdom: The Role of God as the “Ordainer of Times and Seasons” in the Acts of the Apostles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHit the Ground Kneeling: Seeing Leadership Differently Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Emerging Faith: Lessons from Mission History in Asia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnd You Shall Be My Witnesses: A Verse-By-Verse Study of the Acts of the Apostles for Individuals and Small Groups Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHumble Confidence: Lesslie Newbigin and the Logic of Mission Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Radical Reconciler: Lent in All the Scriptures Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Christian Mission in the Modern World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Better Ambition: Confessions of a Faithful Liberal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5John's Epistles - Certainty in the Face of Change Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Exalting Jesus in 2 Corinthians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn God's School: Foundations for a Christian Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI’m Up: Soul Devotions for Seniors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bible You Don't Get In Church: The Pathway to a New Revelation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMisreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sound of the Liturgy: How Words Work In Worship Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDeveloping Faithful Ministers: A Theological and Practical Handbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsImagination Manifesto: A Call to Plant Oases of Imagination Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Good news to the poor
2 ratings1 review
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5To rephrase Bishop Tutu "When people say that the Bible and social action don't mix, I ask them which Bible they are reading." Yet it seems that many evangelicals are reading different Bibles. Evangelical attitudes to social action have always been mixed. Some see it as a capitulation to the social gospel others as an integral part of the gospel. Chester in this introductory book helpfully examines this relationship.
The book begins by outlining four ways in which evangelicals in general have responded to the relationship and poses a number of key questions:
Is social involvement something we do as well as evangelism? Is there another way of doing evangelism? Is it a distraction or the real job of proclaiming the gospel?
Is social involvement a legitimate activity of Christians? Does it have biblical support?
The book attempts to explore these important issues. He provides a good case for evangelical social action but has some pertinent criticism too and he wants to see social action that is truly evangelical. He sees proclamation of the gospel message as being central to Christian social action and the need for social action to be shaped by the gospel. He argues that evangelism and social action are distinct but inseparable activities.
In the first chapter he looks at three biblical reasons for involvement: the character of God, the reign of God and the grace of God. He maintains that social involvement is rooted in the character of God and that "Our understanding of poverty is fundamentally related to our understanding of God". This focus on the centrality of God is to be welcomed.
One of the reasons for the lack of involvement is that Christianity is too often considered to be a private with no public ramifications. This misconception is investigated in Chapter 2. Calvin, Kuyper, Elizabeth Fry, Wilberforce, William Booth are all cited of examples of Christians whose faith has made a public difference. The privatising effect of human reason on through the Enlightenment and human experience on faith through Romanticism are briefly - albeit oversimplified - examined.
Chester focuses on poverty as a key social issue, but he sees it including social marginalization and powerlessness. He advocates a relational approach to poverty. Tackling poverty is much more than feeding the hungry, poverty is more than a lack of income. The root of poverty is alienation from God, poverty is economic and social: it is "about marginalization, vulnerability, isolation and exclusion." This is obviously an area in which Christianity can help.
Chester makes a good case for social action that precedes, accompanies and follows evangelism. What he doesn't do is to show how social action and social reform relate. Does social reform need to follow social action?
Chester provides good reasons for the need for evangelicals to be involved in social action. He also provides some useful suggestions and ideas for involvement and includes some pertinent warnings: social action doesn't mean doing something for the poor, it is more than providing solutions. More effective ways include helping people to help themselves: "Good social involvement is helping people o find their own solutions." Participation is key.
The book includes some thought provoking poems by Stuart Henderson, a number of vignettes that help focus the issues on real situations, a useful list of further reading and a bibliography.