Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City
How are Christians to understand and respond to our distressed inner-city communities? Building on both the perspective of God's new creation and the view from the neighborhood, Mark R. Gornik's To Live in Peace shows how the life of the church, the strategies of community development, and the practices of peacemaking can make a transformational difference.Centering the bo...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
September 17th 2002
by William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
(first published August 31st 2002)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
114)
As expected, this book turned out to be very good. Gornik spends effective time laying out a biblical theology of the poor, church, and kingdom without using categories that often freak out conservatives. I was surprised and at home with his reliance on Reformed/Presbyterian sources; I hadn't expected that. The best chapter, of course, is the one where he describes moving into a run-down corner of Baltimore to become part of the community, not to "do charity" or institute programs a la When Help...more
For a generation or two, White American evangelicals, probably in exactly the same proportion as their secular conterparts, have been fleeing to the suburbs to escape the social ills of the city. Even more shameful than the scale of this white flight is the fact that almost no one reflects on this critically in the church. It never occurs to most to ever teach or preach about the importance of serving the city, or developing a theology of urban life. It all comes down to a rejection of the basic...more
Gornik does a fantastic job in addressing the patterns of development and decay that some inner city neighborhoods go through. Truly scholarly in nature, perhaps a doctoral dissertation, Gornik lays a solid groundwork for seasoned and novice community developers alike to build on.
Building on both the perspective of God's new creation and the view from the neighborhood, "To Live in Peace" shows how the life of the church, the strategies of community development, and the practices of peacemaking can make a transformational difference.
I started this book after a sermon series "The City" at my church. Gornik provided a great follow up with additional stories and biblical backing detailing the importance in loving your city and all whom dwell in it. The "everything everywhere" approach has proven unrealistic. Be a part of the city, a neighbor, and utilize the gifts from within to rebuild on faith, love, and hope.
This is perhaps the best book I have read on urban minitry and theology in along time. Gornik and others are founding pastors of New Song Church in Sandtown, a neighborhood in Baltimore. Gornik provides a thorough analysis of the community and the work he and others did blending solciolgy, economics, theology, and political analysis in a seamless way. Gornik footnotes and references are almost as rich as the text itself, so I will find myself going back to it again I am sure
One of the best books ever.
Cool things about Nehemiah, repentance, city building, urban dwelling, the flourishing of shalom, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jubilee, the New Jerusalem and lots and lots about why we are to love the city and all who dwell there.
Cool things about Nehemiah, repentance, city building, urban dwelling, the flourishing of shalom, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jubilee, the New Jerusalem and lots and lots about why we are to love the city and all who dwell there.
This was a fantastic book. While it succumes to some trendy leftist stuff, its heart and soul is to help the poor and broken, and for the church to go into the place of pain in the world and say "crucify me instead." A really important book.
Feb 05, 2008
Jeanne
is currently reading it
I am working through this now, because the author is a personal friend. I am eager to see it through, and discuss it with Mark and others who lived in Jackson, MS in the 1980's
Gave me a brief but necessary history of inner cities in America. Thoughtful book that provides a biblical/theological framework to think about inner cities and a Christian response.
An incredibly thorough examination of the church's calling to live out the gospel in our community.
May 18, 2013
Nicholas Robison
marked it as to-read
Apr 04, 2013
Christine
added it
Mar 31, 2013
Chris Sicks
added it
Mar 10, 2013
Whitney Conard
marked it as to-read
Mar 07, 2013
Jeremy
marked it as to-read
Feb 28, 2013
Virginia
marked it as to-read
Feb 17, 2013
Richard
marked it as to-read
Jan 14, 2013
Lauren
marked it as to-read
Jan 07, 2013
Mark Horn
is currently reading it
Nov 24, 2012
V Lynn McCabe Jr
added it
Nov 21, 2012
Devin
marked it as to-read
Nov 11, 2012
Kimberly Eshleman
is currently reading it
Nov 09, 2012
Emanuel
marked it as to-read
Oct 23, 2012
Vika Pascaru
marked it as to-read
Oct 18, 2012
Rebecca
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Nov 12, 2012 04:25am