Christianity Today 2019 Book of the Year Award, Missions/Global Church
Building from a behind-the-scenes case study of Kenya's Nairobi Chapel and its ‘daughter’ Mavuno Church, Wanjiru M. Gitau expands their story into a narrative that offers analysis of the rise, growth, and place of megachurches worldwide in the new millennium. In contexts experienced as deeply volatile, and on a continent reeling from the structural incoherence imposed in colonial times, megachurches provide a map of reality to navigate by, with the gospel as their primary compass. Gitau shows that recognizing the psychological, spiritual, and social destabilization of modernizing societies is the first step to valuing the place of megachurches in contemporary Christianity.
Through analysis of social demography, theology, philosophy of ministry, leadership development, and strategy, Megachurch Christianity Reconsidered makes integral sense of the historical and social forces that give megachurches their growth opportunity, and reclaims them as a subject of serious theological conversation.
This engaging account centers on the role of millennials in responding to the need for ‘a home for new generations’ amid the dislocating transitions of globalization and postmodernity in postcolonial Africa and around the world. Gitau gleans practical wisdom for postdenominational churches everywhere (mega- and otherwise) from the lessons learned in Kenya's remarkable urban, evangelical renewal movement.
Missiological Engagements charts interdisciplinary and innovative trajectories in the history, theology, and practice of Christian mission, featuring contributions by leading thinkers from both the Euro-American West and the majority world whose missiological scholarship bridges church, academy, and society.
Table of Content
List of Figures
Foreword by Mark R. Shaw
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Oscar Muriu: Bold Leadership in a Liminal Decade
2. Whither African Millennials? Crossroads and Chokepoints
3. Comprehensive Missional Transformation: The Mavuno Marathon
4. Muriithi Wanjau: Leading Change
5. Mavuno Church’s Impact: A Fearless Influence on Society
6. First-World Problems Worth Solving: Christianity’s Ambiguity with Modernity
Conclusion: The Cultural-Translation Process
Further Reading
General Index
Scripture Index
About the author
Mark Shaw is the director of the world Christianity program at Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya. He has studied world Christianity at the University of Edinburgh (M.Th.) and the history of Christianity at Westminster Theological Seminary (Th.D.). Mark is the author of a number of books, including 10 Great Ideas from Church History (Inter Varsity Press) and The Kingdom of God in Africa: A Short History of African Christianity (Baker). He and his wife, Lois, currently reside in Kenya where they have lived and worked for twenty-five years.
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