In a period of tumultuous transition for the church as it moves out of the Christendom era and into the unknowns of the post-Christian era, it is strange that so little has been written about the church’s calling out of the dominion of darkness (Satan) and into the kingdom of Light (or, God’s dear Son). The very word ecclesia speaks of a people ‘called out.’ In the New Testament the theme of spiritual warfare is ubiquitous, and yet is relegated to the margins in our present cultural whitewater. In The Church and the Relentless Darkness, Robert Henderson approaches the topic of spiritual warfare directly, and focuses on its manifestation in local Christian communities. Using the Letter to the Ephesian Christians as his base, Henderson portrays the relentless darkness that comes with all satanic subtlety on unsuspecting communities, but he brings with this a message of hope and encouraging disciplines.
Circa l’autore
Robert Thornton (Bob) Henderson has had a long and colorful career as a pastor, mentor, Presbyterian denominational leader, ecumenical participant, author, encourager, and missiologist through some tumultuous cultural episodes. But it was South African missiologist David Bosch who said that missiologists are always gadflies in the church, always challenging its expressions and self-understanding. In that sense, Mr. Henderson is comfortable with his role as an ecclesiastical gadfly who has influenced many emerging collegians and young adults for over five decades.