"Evangelism After Christendom" by Bryan Stone

Finally! An evangelism book that looks interesting. For those who don't know him, Bryan Stone is a Nazarene, educated by Nazarenes who is now an Evangelism Professor at the Boston University School of Theology. I had the priviledge to meet him a few years back at a conference in San Diego, so when I saw this book at Cokesbury I gave it a quick glance and bought it.

That quick glance was very refreshing. He suggests a major paradigm shift is needed as we think about evangelism. Most, especially in evangelical circles, think of evangelism in terms of convincing and converting. He contends evangelism ought to have more to do with "bearing witness" than with apologetics and arguments. Here is a particualarly telling and powerful quote from the introduction (it is all the farther I am, I'll add more as I go).

"Conversion. . .is not primarily a matter of deciding in favor of certain beliefs or having certain experiences. It is rather a change of worlds, participation in a new worship, and a journeying toward a new city. The practice of evangelism always hopes for such a conversion and seeks actively to nourish it. But where the evanfelist is tempted to become impatient with the inefficiency of obedience and worship when "more effecient" means are readily available such as manipulation, accommodation, and imposition, we are reminded that evangelism is ultimately an activity of the Holy Spirit and is not subject to our won calculus of effectiveness and "return on investment." Evangelism, then, or so this book will argue, is not primarily a matter of translating our beliefs about the world into catefories that others will find acceptable. It is a matter of being present in the world in a distinctive way such that the alluring and "useless" beauty of holiness can be touched, tasted, and tried" (21).

What do you think?