Gathering 2008
Kindred Productions features several titles to further the conversation started at the pre-conference workshops at Gathering 2008. Three of them are briefly highlighted here.—Eds._______________________________________________________________________________
From Eagles’ Flight, a workshop on leadership development:
Mentoring Leaders: Wisdom for Developing Character, Calling, and Competency
Carson Pue
Baker Books, 2005
266 pages
How many times have you seen a brilliant, talented leader go down in flames because of character issues? Pue argues that leadership development is more than talent search and skill development – it’s a spiritual process, centred on the calling to share Christ with others. This book describes Pue’s five-stage process for leadership development, both spiritually and technically. No running out of good ideas halfway through – Pue remains insightful to the last page.
—Marvin Dyck
_______________________________________________________________________________From Engaging Culture Now:
Artists, Citizens, Philosophers: Seeking the Peace of the City
Duane K. Friesen
Herald Press, 2000
352 pages
What does it means for the church to be an alternative society? Friesen explains how the church ought to engage culture, or, seek the peace of the city. He addresses how we express a cultural vision in an aesthetically excellent way; how we exercise our responsibility in seeking the good of the human community and the well-being of the earth; and how, as lovers of wisdom, we discern what is true about reality and how that affects our lives and our culture. The book is deeply engaging for both lay readers and academics.
—Paul Doerksen
_______________________________________________________________________________Rethinking Christ and Culture: A Post-Christendom Perspective
Craig A. Carter
Brazos Press, 2006
224 pages
Craig Carter offers a highly nuanced analysis of our post-Christendom, postmodern Canadian ethos, which he asserts requires an authentic Christian embrace of culture that doesn’t compromise the integrity of Jesus Christ. To challenge culture, the church must focus on Jesus Christ, his modelling and message of love, non-resistance, and the strength of community founded on gospel values distinct and separate from predominant social paradigms of control, power, and violence. Carter also provides a thorough critique of H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic book Christ and Culture.
—Ken Peters
