Alan Kreider – författare

For well over a millennium the civilization of Western Europe was 'Christendom,' with Christianity the dominant religion, buttressed by social and legal structures. This volume studies Christendom at its origins, bringing the insights of leading scholars in the fields of ancient history, theology, patristics, and liturgy to bear on aspects of Europe's Christianization. From a missiological perspective, the contributors ask what is Christianity's impact upon culture, what is culture's impact upon Christianity? Focusing on the first four centuries, but also looking forward to the future of Christianity in the West, this book combines scholarly excellence with accessibility. It will be valued by scholars and students alike.

Part of an expanding and academically acclaimed series, this is a genuine trans-denominational work on Nonconformity.

The interaction between Christianity and 'the world' has always been paradoxical, and this stimulating book, which contains contributions by seven authors, argues that the nonconformist tradition in Britain is a particularly illuminating example of how this paradox has expressed itself in the relationship of Christianity and 'culture'. The essays consider the development of chapel culture and the differences between the various nonconformist denominations, and between them and religious dissenters in other countries. They also examine the interaction between nonconformist culture and the culture of 'the world', in particular in relation to political, economic and gender history. There is discussion of a whole range of subjects, such as the emergence of the nonconformist conscience, the contribution of women writers to provincial nonconformity and the architecture of the free churches. This fascinating and varied collection of essays is an example of the insights which a study of denominational history can offer to other branches of historical research. It also addresses a problem which still confronts churches in Britain at the close of the twentieth century: the relationship of Christianity to 'the world'. The book is written by the foremost scholars in British religious history.

Does the market promote its own intrinsic and selfish values, or does it merely reflect the values of society? This collection offers reports from all areas of the business and policy sectors, providing a debate on the supposedly conflicting relationship between the market and spiritual values.

How and why did the early church grow in the first four hundred years despite disincentives, harassment, and occasional persecution? In this unique historical study, veteran scholar Alan Kreider delivers the fruit of a lifetime of study as he tells the amazing story of the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and worship, yet the church grew--not by specific strategies but by patient ferment.

On the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, this issue of Plough Quarterly explores the reformation the church needs today.This year’s five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation comes just as Christianity is undergoing what may prove to be its biggest recalibration since the fourth century. Christendom, the system in which Christianity shaped Western laws and society as the majority religion, has been shaky since the Enlightenment. Now it’s in its death throes, felled by secularization, consumerism, and the sexual revolution. For better or worse, Christians must learn to be a minority. There’s no better time than now to recall Karl Barth’s dictum: the church must always be reformed. What is the re-formed church we need now?In this issue, George Weigel and Eberhard Arnold call the church to turn back to its sources and to seek renewal in the example of the first Christians, for whom Christianity was not just a Sunday religion or a private affair. It meant belonging to the fellowship of disciples, whose way of life was countercultural to that of the surrounding pagan society, as Rowan Williams points out. Today, Christians of all traditions are realizing that we are again called, in the words of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, to form a creative minority. Pastors Jin Kim and Claudio Oliver explore how to practice communal Christianity in different contexts, and Andreas Knapp and Cécile Massie document the vibrancy of the persecuted church in Syria and Turkey. Editor Peter Mommsen explores the legacy and triumph of the Radical Reformation.Also in this issue:Reviews of Ben Sasse’s The Vanishing American Adult, Alan Kreider’s The Patient Ferment of the Early Church, Tobias Jones’s A Place of Refuge, and Andrzej Franaszek’s MiłoszPoetry by Mary M. BrownInsights from early church leaders Ignatius, Hermas, and PolycarpAn excerpt from Renegade, Plough’s graphic novel on Martin Luther’s lifeArt and photography by Daniel Bonnell, Jason Landsel, Randall M. Hasson, Rachel Wright, Arthur Brouthers, Andrea Grosso Ciponte, Olivia Clifton-Bligh, Malcolm Coils, Cécile Massie, Jader Gneiting, and Dean MitchellPlough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to put their faith into action. Each issue brings you in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art to help you put Jesus’ message into practice and find common cause with others.