A Culture of Peace: God's Vision for the Church

by Kreider, Alan

• ISBN13: 9781561485048
• ISBN10: 1561485047
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-11-30
• Publisher: Good Books

Summary

Why is peace such a divisive issue, even among Christians? Why is peace often considered an extra, rather than an essential, to faithful Christian living?

Author Biography

     
     Alan Kreider has spent his life in Christian mission and peacemaking. He was born in Indiana, grew up in Japan, and has spent most his adult life in England, where for 26 years he was a missionary with Mennonite Board of Missions. He has taught widely in Europe and North America and in recent years has frequently taught in Asia and Australia. He is especially happy when teaching together with his wife, Eleanor. Alan was educated at Goshen ( IN) College and Harvard University, where he completed his Ph.D. in English Reformation history (English Chantries: The Road to Dissolution [Harvard University Press,1979]). 
     
     He is author of Journey Toward Holiness (Herald Press, 1987), an award-winning book on Christian discipleship, and has written and edited more than 10 books and numerous articles in area of mission, peacemaking, and church history. In the past 20 years he has retooled himself as a scholar of the early church, about which he loves to teach because of its relevance to Christians today. A representative product of his early church scholarship is The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom (Trinity Press International, 1999). Alan is Associate Professor of Church History and Mission at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN, Mission Educator for the Mennonite Mission Network , and ordained minister in the Mennonite Church. Together with Eleanor, he was for many years co-director of the London Mennonite Centre in England. In England he was active in the peace movements and taught at London Bible College and Northern Baptist College. Between 1995 and 2000 he was founding director of the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture, Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

Table of Contents

Introduction	3	(6)
The Church as a ``Culture of Peace''	9	(9)
Peace in the New Testament: A Jewel with Many Facets	18	(22)
Does Peace Work?	40	(12)
Peace Inside the Church	52	(17)
Attitudes and Skills for Peace	69	(26)
Peace in Worship	95	(24)
Peace in the Workplace	119	(19)
The Culture of Peace in Wartime: Making a Difference Without Being in Control	138	(21)
The Culture of Peace and Evangelism: Offering Hope in Jesus Christ	159	(20)
Appendix I: Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love	179	(8)
Appendix II: The Just War Theory	187	(2)
Endnotes	189	(13)
About the Authors	202