—Brian McLaren author and speaker (brianmclaren.net)

The New Christians

What is the "emergent church movement" all about and why does it matter to the future of Christianity? Following on the questions raised by Brian McLaren and others about faith in a postmodern age, Tony Jones has written an engaging exploration of the emergent church movement that points the way toward a new kind of Christianity.

Through story and "dispatches" about the many adventurous communities and practices of emergent Christians around the world, Tony Jones offers an in-depth view of this new "third way" of faith between religious conservatism and religious liberalism. Jones examines its origins; its values; its theology; its views of truth, scripture, and interpretation; and the movement's hopeful and life-giving sense of community. With the depth of theological expertise and broad perspective he has gained as a pastor, writer, theologian, and leader of the movement, Jones initiates readers into the emergent conversation and offers a new way forward for all Christians. Written with a journalist's flair and a participant's studied reflection, this fascinating book draws upon years of research to provide compelling examples and first-hand stories of who is doing what, where, and why it matters.

The New Christiansprovides yet another voice in the ongoing conversation that is Christianity, always emerging.

"The New Christiansshows how the influence of Jesus of Nazareth is moving among a new generation hungry for something real and desperate to move beyond simplistic polarities inherited from the past. Tony Jones stands at the crossroads of theology, philosophy, and culture, tackling the issues facing this 'emergent' generation with the depth, humility, and grace, only a sojourner intimately familiar with the journey could provide."

—Jim Wallis, author, God's Politics; president, Sojourners/Call to Renewal

"This is the book to read to get the actual insider's view of all things emergent."

—Dan Kimball, author, They Like Jesus But Not the Church

"I devoured this book! Just as A New Kind of Christian gave words to the experiences and thoughts of so many early in this decade, The New Christians provides language, theology, and a nudge toward a path out of our bi-polar morass of left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative, mainline vs. evangelical. It cuts sideways across all the rhetoric, entrenchment, and warfare-positioning of modern-day Christianity. I'm confident Tony's book will provide definition for many, helpful disequilibrium for others, and—best of all—new hope for those who cannot (or refuse to) continue trudging numbly along the cattle paths of the American church."

—Mark Oestreicher, president, Youth Specialties

"In the tradition of all great apologists, Jones has written both a reasoned explication and a deeply personal explanation of emergent Christianity. Every thinking Christian should read this book either for the explication or the explanation. Wise ones will read it for both."

—Phyllis Tickle, compiler, The Divine Hours, and author, The Words of Jesus

Following on the questions raised by Brian McLaren in A New Kind of Christian, Tony Jones has written an engaging exploration of what this new kind of Christianity looks like. Writing "dispatches" about the thinking and practices of adventurous Emergent Christians across the country, he offers an in-depth view of this new "third way" of faith-its origins, its theology, and its views of truth, scripture and interpretation, and the Emergent movement's hopeful and life-giving sense of community. With the depth of theological expertise and broad perspective he has gained as a pastor, writer, and leader of the movement, Jones initiates readers into the Emergent conversation and offers a new way forward for Christians in a post-Christian world. With journalistic narrative as well as authoritative reflection, he draws upon on-site research to provide fascinating examples and firsthand stories of who is doing what, where, and why it matters.

Tony Jonesis the national coordinator of Emergent Village (www.emergentvillage.org), and a doctoral fellow in practical theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the author of many books, including The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontierand The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, and he is a sought after speaker and consultant in the areas of emerging church, postmodernism, and Christian spirituality. Tony lives with his wife, Julie, and their three children in Edina, Minnesota.

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