One of the most significant and talked about books of the last decade in the evangelical Christian world is James Davison Hunter's To Change The World. In it, Hunter, an eminent sociologist, analyses the strategies used by various Christian groups in their attempts to 'change the world'.
His critique of the models employed by different groups and individuals is well worth reading. He undercuts the whole idea of trying to change the world, calling instead for "faithful presence". He describes this as our calling: "it is not rooted in a desire to change the world for the better but rather... it is an expression of a desire to honor the creator of all goodness, beauty, and truth, a manifestation of our loving obedience to God, and a fulfillment of God's command to love our neighbor." In other words, Christians shouldn't be obsessed with changing the world as their main aim, they should aim to be a faithful presence in every area of society, which will then have the effect of producing what Hunter calls "benevolent consequences of our engagement".
It's not uncontroversial, of course. How could it be, when Hunter takes aim at many of the 'big names' of American evangelicalism? But it raises an important question: is it our job to change the world? Read More
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