The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why

by Phyllis Tickle

Book Overview

Combining history, a look at the causes of social upheaval, this text shows readers what the 'Great Emergence' in church and culture is, how it came to be, and where it is going.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801013135
• ISBN13: 9780801013133
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Baker Books
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Making Sense of the Present

Phyllis Tickle is able to concisely articulate the various threads of change in society and culture that are converging to provide the impetus for the next BIG change in Christianity. I love the metaphor that every 500 years the Church holds a rummage sale. Don't be mislead by the skinniness of this book--it is densely packed with information that is relevant and understandable.

A Significant Work for a Post-Modern Church

This book is a must read for those who wish to understand what is happening in the church today and how the church is being affected by dramatic cultural changes. Tickle has done extensive historical research and makes a strong case that what we are currently experiencing in the church comes every 500 years. Her predictions of what is yet to come are fascinating and grounded in the 2,000-year history of the church. The book is scholarly, but quite readable. I couldn't put it down!

Excellent Overview From an Historical Perspective, and More.

It's hard to see history when you are in the middle of it. Phyllis Tickle helps make sense of the church that is morphing back to relevance for 21st Century post-moderns. She looks at the centuries from 20,000 feet and takes a microscope to unravel the cable that connects the church. This is a rare, excellent look at the cultural worldview issues that are causative to church vitality and effectiveness. Her prophetic words about this hinge point in history--and the great explosion of Christianity that follows--resonates accurately with what we have observed in the U.K. and the European continent. It's not on the radar screen much yet, but you'll see, she's right. This book is an encouraging peek into the future.

A great conversation piece for those engaging in the emergent church

It's no secret that change is in the air. The evidence is found throughout our culture, felt in our economy and experienced in technology. Some of us are struggling to keep up with these changes, as they come so fast and from so many directions. Nowhere is that more apparent than within the church. As many Christians are struggling to reconcile what they're seeing and experiencing with their faith, they are asking hard questions of what it all means and where we're headed. In the midst of so much change and the resulting angst, Phyllis Tickle offers a provocative look at where we are in history as people of faith in order to point to what's to come. As the founding editor of the Religion Department of Publishers Weekly and a respected authority on religion in America, she recently penned THE GREAT EMERGENCE: How Christianity is Changing and Why. The book offers an overview of church history in which she suggests that every 500 years, people of faith have a rummage sale of sorts in which they reassess Christianity. She writes: "About every five hundred years the empowered structures of institutional Christianity, whatever they may be at the time, become an intolerable carapace that must be shattered in order that renewal and new growth may occur." Tickle is quick to point out that this emergence is not just religious but blends effortlessly into all aspects of society --- technological, cultural, scientific, even sociological. She points to shifts in church history, world history and technological breakthroughs as well as subtle but significant changes in the modern family to make her case. She argues quite persuasively that while the Great Reformation responded to the cry of sola scriptura, only scripture, that the Great Emergence is asking a similar question: Where do we get our authority from? When that mighty upheaval happens, she says history shows us that there are always at least three consistent results: a more vital form of Christianity emerges; the organized expression of Christianity becomes more pure; and the church ends up with two new expressions rather than just one. She gently reminds readers that we're not just at the hinge of a 500-year period, we're also the direct product of one. While the analysis of where we've been is swift in this short volume, the suggestion of where we might be going will leave many readers wanting. The conclusion is so open-ended, the question must be asked if anything can be concluded at all. But maybe that's the point of the emergence we're in. The dust is still kicked up and where it will settle is yet to be determined. Each of us will play a role in the outcome whether we realize it or not. Overall, THE GREAT EMERGENCE is a great conversation piece for those engaging in the emergent church. Those who read it will be better educated and equipped to talk about the church in today's ever-changing culture. --- Reviewed by Margaret Oines

Why buy another Phyllis Tickle book? Because this one is a concise overview of her work, great for g

If you know the name "Phyllis Tickle," then you probably already own one or more of her books. You may own copies of her guides to recovering the tradition of fixed-hour prayer, such as "Christmastide: Prayers for Advent Through Epiphany from The Divine Hours" or "The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime (Tickle, Phyllis)." You may be a fan of her "Prayer Is a Place" or may have studied her "The Words of Jesus: A Gospel of the Sayings of Our Lord with Reflections by Phyllis Tickle" with a small group. So, why buy another Tickle book? The answer is that this short volume is conceived as really a summation and introduction to the vast sweep of Phyllis' work over the past decade. You'll find here her concise overview of 500-year cycles of religious change. You'll find here her system for sorting out the impact of various religious movements -- and the convergence of movements back toward a spiritual core in Christianity. For a small book, though, this text deals with very big issues. While primarily a Christian book, there are important insights here for anyone interested in changing global culture and values. This book is custom-made for small-group study.