The Whole Gospel for the whole world

By Walker, Alan

Subjects: Evangelistic work, Verkondiging

Description: Alan Walker occupies a significant place in ecumenical Christianity. He is perhaps the most widely known contemporary Australian Christian. Most important of all has been his leadership in Australia's Mission to the Nation, a nation-wide enterprise which was started by the Methodists but in which all communions were invited to participate. This mission has brought the gospel in a variety of ways to all the people of Australia. Alan Walker's name is increasingly associated with that "larger evangelism" which is needed in our time. He has been given to see the situation and to set forth in clear and impassioned words the ways in which the whole gospel can be brought to the whole world by the whole church. He rightly maintains that nineteenth-century evangelism is not enough for the twentieth century. It is not involved enough in biblical scholarship, in the social issues of mass society, in the church, in the intellectual climate of our times. Through his experience on several continents, and with various types of people, and especially through his experience in the Mission to the Nation, he has come to some penetrating insights and sound convictions about the message of Christianity, and in particular about the means by which that message and modern man can come into redemptive encounter. In this book he tries to help us see what he sees, and to match our vision with commensurate action. - Introduction. In recent years the Protestant Church has became increasingly aware that there is an urgent need for a renewed evangelism in terms relevant to the problems and understanding of the world today. Dr. Walker has written this book as a contribution toward this end. He analyzes the weaknesses of 19th century evangelism and pleads for a 20th century approach to this all important mission of the church. It must combine personal witness and social conscience, he says. Men must still be won individually, but at the same time the world they live in must be improved. Also modern evangelism must come to grips with fears and anxieties as well as with sin. His illustrative material comes from real-life experience in connection with the Australian "Mission to the Nation" of which Dr. Walker is leader. He is at present in the U.S. conducting missions and lecturing on evangelism for the General Board of Evangelism of the Methodist Church. This little book will commend itself to Protestant ministers in general who are alert to the special problems of evangelism in our day, and who have an ecumenical outlook and outreach. - Kirkus Review.