Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age A General Theory of Religious Communication

This title was first published in 2001. Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age explores how a religion, Christian or any other focussing on a personal God, may be communicated to people in a secular age. With people uninterested, uninformed or unbelieving in the Godward dimension and in any particular religious tradition, David Attfield claims that appropriate communication is essential. Before direct communication can begin some background conditions in the targeted population must be satisfied, and communication then requires a series of stages. This book offers an examination of seven particular species for communication: evangelism; inter-faith dialogue; nurture of adults; nurture of children; religious education in schools; the academic study of religion; professional ministerial formation. David Attfield offers fresh insights and practical suggestions which will be of interest to a wide-range of students, academics and those in ministerial training and practice.

Contents: Introduction: Autobiographical; Defining the key terms; Species of communication; Assumptions of the theory; Current forms of Religious Communication and their Problems: Church decline and its causes; The normal process of communication; A special process of communication; Gender and communication; A new positive approach; The requirements of communication; The Core Theory: The four-stage model; Adding the fifth stage; The background conditions; The Second, the communicator’s model; Background Conditions: Verbal ability; Autonomy; Opportunity; Nourishing the Sense of God: The sense of God; Nourishing the sense of God; Assessing Stage IV; The case for God’s reality; Motivation and Myers-Briggs: The Myers-Briggs typology; Motivation by type and temperament; Applying Myers-Briggs in communication; Other categorisations; Learning, Exploration and Commitment: Learning; Exploration; Religious truth-criteria; Reformed epistemology; The stage of commitment; Application: Evangelism; Inter-faith dialogue; Nurture (of adults); Child nurture; Religious education; Academic study of religion; Ministerial formation; Objections: The social gospel; Grace & human effort; Lack of resources; Remediation; Training the communicators: Who are the communicators?; Evangelism; Inter-faith dialogue; Nurture of adults; Child nurture; Religious education; The academic study of religion; Ministerial formation; A Concluding Vision: Summary of the whole argument; The sower and the seed; A final view; Bibliography; Index.

David G. Attfield