Proclaiming the Gospel in a secular age : a general theory of religious communication / David G. Attfield.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Attfield, David G.

Series:

Ashgate new critical thinking in theology & biblical studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Communication--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Communication.

Physical Description:

vi, 169 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Aldershot, England ; Burlington, VT : Ashgate, [2001]

Contents:

(i) Autobiographical 1

(iii) Species of Communication 4

(iv) Assumptions of the Theory 9

2 Current Forms of Religious Communication and their Problems 15

(i) Church Decline and its Causes 15

(ii) The Normal Process of Communication 17

(iii) A Special Process of Communication 19

(iv) Gender and Communication 21

(v) A New Positive Approach 22

(vi) The Requirements of Communication 24

3 The Core Theory 27

(i) The Four-Stage Model 27

(ii) Adding the Fifth Stage 28

(iii) The Background Conditions 31

(iv) The Second, the Communicator's Model 33

4 Background Conditions 37

(i) Verbal Ability 37

(ii) Autonomy 40

(iii) Opportunity 43

5 Nourishing the Sense of God 47

(i) The Sense of God 47

(ii) Nourishing the Sense of God 49

(iii) Assessing Stage IV 54

(iv) The Case for God's Reality 55

6 Motivation and Myers-Briggs 61

(i) The Myers-Briggs Typology 61

(ii) Motivation by Type and Temperament 64

(iii) Applying Myers-Briggs in Communication 67

(iv) Other Categorisations 69

7 Learning, Exploration and Commitment 73

(i) Learning 73

(ii) Exploration 76

(iii) Religious Truth-Criteria 79

(iv) Reformed Epistemology 85

(v) The Stage of Commitment 90

8 Application 97

(i) Evangelism 97

(ii) Inter-Faith Dialogue 99

(iii) Nurture of Adults 102

(iv) Child Nurture 104

(v) Religious Education 105

(vi) Academic Study of Religion 107

(vii) Ministerial Formation 109

9 Objections 117

(i) The Social Gospel 117

(ii) Grace and Human Effort 118

(iii) Lack of Resources 120

(iv) Remediation 123

10 Training the Communicators 127

(i) Who are the Communicators? 127

(ii) Evangelism 128

(iii) Inter-Faith Dialogue 132

(iv) Nurture of Adults 134

(v) Child Nurture 135

(vi) Religious Education 138

(vii) The Academic Study of Religion 141

(viii) Ministerial Formation 144

11 A Concluding Vision 149

(i) Summary of the Whole Argument 149

(ii) The Sower and the Seed 150.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [157]-162) and index.

ISBN:

0754614840

OCLC:

45630104