Book Review: Fresh Expressions of Church and the Kingdom of God

Abstract

Fresh Expressions of and Kingdom of God. Edited by Graham Cray, Ian Mobsby, and Aaron Kennedy. Ancient Faith, Future Mission, volume 3. Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2012.179 pp. $20.00 (paper).The identifier expressions came into being through of England working group chaired by Graham Cray. The report titled Mission-shaped was filed in 2004 and saw both immediate celebration and criticism. Cray would go on to be lead in UK Fresh Expressions Team. His co-editors of this volume, Ian Mobsby and Aaron Kennedy, are leaders in their own right in Fresh Expressions as developers and practitioners of new monasticism in Moot Community they facilitate in London.The editors assume reader understands terms and concepts relevant to Fresh Expressions and perhaps it is thought to be unnecessary to offer further elucidation. Someone encountering Fresh Expressions for first time would be at loss to appreciate insider language in book. This is of particular concern since one main principle of Fresh Expressions is to create an inviting culture in Christian community for newcomers and seekers. Fresh Expressions, in North American context, has borrowed heavily from UK and has even adopted same definition of term: fresh expression is new church plant adopting different style or ethos from which it originated and it is established for who are not yet members of any Christian community.The book attempts to bridge what is understood as divide between who have view of Church and those whose centre of gravity is in mission (p. xiv). The editors go on to say, Those who have high regard for tend to feel that is more important than and the more kingdom focused emphasize that missiology is far more important than ecclesiology (p. xiv). For this reason editors hope to take non-dual and integrated approach to holding both and Kingdom of God in tension (p. xv).In collection of fifteen short essays reader is offered smorgasbord of perspectives and ideas on how church might better engage in God's mission, with several writers providing cautionaiy notes on pitfalls to avoid. Of fifteen contributors all are British, except for three who are American.Rowan Williams is one contributor who wonders if it may be consumer approach attempting to address a generally individualistic culture and that is losing confidence in its own distinctive calling or gift that is contributing to a deeply unhelpful collusion leading to desperate scramble to find 'acceptable' words or behaviours that will respond to market demand (p. 3). Williams warns that there are not going to be any crystalclear methods to avoid error, whether engaged in inherited or experimental church community (p. …