Jonathan R. Wilson – författare

This book describes several aspects of contemporary culture that create both opportunities and threats to Christian mission. It offers insights and practices that the church today must embrace in order to live faithfully and witness effectively to the gospel.Following a presentation of the church''s history in relation to Western culture, several chapters draw upon specific suggestions in Alasdair MacIntyre''s After Virtue--that we live in a fragmented rather than a pluralistic world; how the church has compromised its faithfulness by accommodating the mainstream of morality; implications stemming from the collapse of "the Enlightenment project"; and the need for a "new monasticism" together with forms the life of the church must take to sustain a faithful witness in contemporary culture.Jonathan R. Wilson is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA, and the author of Theology as Cultural Critique.

A revised edition of one of the key texts of the new monastic movement, emphasising a community-centred virtue ethics as an antidote to modernist individualism.The first edition of 'Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World' became one of the founding and guiding texts for new monastic communities. In this revised edition, Jonathan Wilson focuses more directly on lessons for these communities from Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue. In the midst of the unsettling cultural shifts from modernity to postmodernity, a new monastic movement is arising that strives to be a faithful witness to the gospel. These new monastic communities seek to participate in Christ's life in the world and bear witness by learning to live intentionally as the church in Western culture. This movement is about finding the church's center in Christ in the midst of a fragmented world, overcoming the failure of the Enlightenment project and our complicity with it, resisting the temptation to Nietzschean power, and building communities of disciples. This new edition is greatly enlarged from the original volume. It includes responses to critics of the new monasticism such as D. A. Carson, an entirely new chapter on the Nietzschean temptation, an afterword on properly understanding the new monastic movement, the dangers it faces, and the work yet to be done, as well as an appendix on the supposed post-modern agenda of Jonathan Wilson and Brian McLaren. For those striving to understand the path the church should take in this fragmented world, this book is essential reading.

God So Loved the World covers the usual ground of contemporary evangelical and non-evangelical Christologies, but it does so in a unique way. Rather than simply discussing doctrine, Jonathan Wilson has incorporated stories, images, and practices from the New Testament that bring out the relevance of an orthodox Christology for the church and for individual believers. For Wilson, Christology is central to the gospel message. With both his students and contemporary culture in mind, Wilson has developed a postmodern primer that creatively uses the images of Christ's work to invite "theological reflection that connects believing with living." As such, it is a "Christology for disciples," written in a jargon-free manner that effectively communicates to both an academic audience and thoughtful seekers. The book's novel approach and accessible style make it ideal for professors, students, educated laypeople, and spiritual seekers who are looking for an orthodox approach to Christology that also seeks to understand more fully the relevance of Christ in our postmodern world.

The doctrine of creation has often been neglected in Christian theology. Distinguished evangelical theologian Jonathan Wilson exposes what has been missing in current theological discourse and offers an original, constructive work on this doctrine. The book unites creation and redemption, showing the significance of God's work of creation for understanding the good news of redemption in Jesus Christ. Wilson develops a trinitarian account of the life of the world and sets forth how to live wisely, hopefully, peaceably, joyfully, and generously in that world. He also shows how a mature doctrine of creation can help the church think practically about contemporary issues, including creation care, sexuality, technology, food and water, and more.

Penned by a Christian teacher who has led thousands of students through the unfamiliar terrain of systematic theology, A Primer for Christian Doctrine serves as a friendly guide to theology's topics, debates, and terminology. Telling you what you need to know as you begin your study of theology or doctrine, the book is an ideal companion to more comprehensive texts.After a brief introduction defending the continued need for doctrine, Jonathan Wilson clearly and concisely maps out each of the main topics of Christian belief in separate chapters. He also traces the differing emphases of theologians while suggesting reasons for their differences.Whether as a first taste of theology or as a readable summary of its present state, Wilson's Primer for Christian Doctrine will be an invaluable resource for students and small groups pursuing a deeper knowledge of what Christians believe.

The Civic Imagination: Why Democracy Needs Art makes a powerful case that democracy depends on more than elections, laws, and institutions. It also requires the human capacities that art helps cultivate: empathy, imagination, critical thinking, and the ability to recognize the dignity of others. Drawing on history, political science, education, psychology, and cultural studies, Jonathan R. Wilson shows how music, literature, theater, visual art, dance, architecture, and storytelling have long shaped civic life and democratic change. From protest songs and murals to museums and community theater, art has helped preserve memory, challenge injustice, and widen public dialogue. The book explores how artistic expression has supported abolition, labor reform, women's suffrage, civil rights, and contemporary social movements, while also explaining why authoritarian regimes so often censor artists and fear creative freedom. At a time when arts education and public investment in culture are under pressure, this book argues that art is not a luxury. It is democratic infrastructure, essential to a society that hopes to remain open, pluralistic, and resilient.

The first edition of Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World became one of the founding and guiding texts for new monastic communities. In this revised edition, Jonathan Wilson focuses more directly on lessons for these communities from Alasdair MacIntyre''s After Virtue. In the midst of the unsettling cultural shifts from modernity to postmodernity, a new monastic movement is arising that strives to be a faithful witness to the gospel. These new monastic communities seek to participate in Christ''s life in the world and bear witness by learning to live intentionally as the church in Western culture. This movement is about finding the church''s center in Christ in the midst of a fragmented world, overcoming the failure of the Enlightenment project and our complicity with it, resisting the temptation to Nietzschean power, and building communities of disciples. This new edition is greatly enlarged from the original volume. It includes responses to critics of the new monasticism such as D. A. Carson, an entirely new chapter on the Nietzschean temptation, an afterword on properly understanding the new monastic movement, the dangers it faces, and the work yet to be done, as well as an appendix on the supposed post-modern agenda of Jonathan Wilson and Brian McLaren. For those striving to understand the path the church should take in this fragmented world, this book is essential reading.