– Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year Award of Merit – Apologetics/Evangelism How are Christians viewed in the broader culture?We blush at the possibilities. Brainwashed fanatics? Out-of-touch dogmatists? Buffoons?The task of bearing faithful witness to Jesus is complicated by persistent—and not altogether baseless—cultural stereotypes. In our post-Christian society, thoughtful Christians are considering again how to engage the dominant culture as a minority, a counterpublic, amid varying perceptions and misperceptions.In this timely book, Timothy Muehlhoff and Rick Langer ask what our interactions with the dominant cultural ethos should look like. How might we be persuasive and civil at the same time? How should we respond to those who ridicule and caricature us? How can we challenge the beliefs of other communities with love and respect?Muehlhoff and Langer present a model for cultural engagement that integrates communication theory, theology, and Scripture. Penetrating, wise, and relentlessly practical, it includes test cases and examples from history, such as William Wilberforce and Harriet Beecher Stowe.Now more than ever, Christians need what Winsome Persuasion offers: a compelling vision of public engagement that is both shrewd and gracious.
Daftar Isi
Foreword by Quentin J. Schultze
Introduction
Part I: Laying a Theoretical Foundation
1. What Is a Counterpublic?
2. What Is a Christian Counterpublic
Historical Sketch 1: Saint Patrick and Irish Civilization
3. Counterpublics in the Argument Culture
4. Credibility of a Counterpublic
Historical Sketch 2: Jean Vanier and L’Arche
Part II: Engaging Others
5. Crafting Your Message
6. Delivering Your Message
Historical Sketch 3: Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin
7. Forming Loose Connections
Historical Sketch 4: William Wilberforce and Parliament
Part III: Pressing Questions for Christian Counterpublics
8. How Should We Respond to the Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage? Tim Muehlhoff
9. How Should We Respond to the Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage? Richard Langer
10. Engaging Each Other: A Guided Conversation
Conclusion
Subject Index
Tentang Penulis
Quentin J. Schultze is the author of over a dozen books on the relationship between faith and communications. He serves as executive director of the Gainey Institute for Faith and Communication and as Arthur H. De Kruyter Chair in Faith and Communication at Calvin College.