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City on a Hill: Reclaiming the Biblical Pattern for the Church in the 21st Century
We are now living in post-Christian times, when Christianity no longer is the prevailing influence on the mind and heart of our culture. But we cannot compromise. More than ever before, it is imperative that Christians understand and embrace the biblical pattern for the church. Philip Graham Ryken knows that the changing face of America makes the need for the church to remain steadfast even more important. City on a Hill will provide readers with a deeper understanding of how to live for Christ in the twenty-first go back to the model set out in the first century. Sure to be an encouragement and challenge to anyone concerned about the effectiveness of the church today.
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2003
38 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Philip Graham Ryken
109 books71 followersPhilip Graham Ryken is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is Bible Teacher for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, speaking nationally on the radio program Every Last Word. Dr. Ryken was educated at Wheaton College (IL), Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) and the University of Oxford (UK), from which he received his doctorate in historical theology. He lives with his wife (Lisa) and children (Joshua, Kirsten, Jack, Kathryn, and Karoline) in Center City, Philadelphia. When he is not preaching or spending time with his family, he likes to read books, play sports, and ponder the relationship between Christian faith and American culture. He has written or edited more than twenty books, including Bible commentaries on Exodus, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Galatians.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 12, 2021
Simply excellent
Read
June 1, 2020Presby 9 marks
May 2, 2021
Excellent book on the church
This book on the church is simple and clear. Ryken makes an effective and biblical case for what the church should look like and how it should function. I would recommend this read for any church leader or elder.
This book on the church is simple and clear. Ryken makes an effective and biblical case for what the church should look like and how it should function. I would recommend this read for any church leader or elder.
August 31, 2017
Thinks through biblical doctrine of the church in the context of 21st century secularism. Good in a lot of ways. Many ways. Lays out clearly a Reformed, classical view of the church.
The paradigm of church vs culture was imo unrealistically black and white, though:
One thing that concerned me was how Ryken portrayed culture and evangelicalism. It was entirely in absolute critique mode: the world is (seemingly) utterly narcissistic, relativistic, lonely, entertainment-driven, etc ,etc. All truth to a degree, but apart from acknowledging points of contact with culture and recognizing how Reformed classical Christians helped create this cultural problem, it does push the book into a more or less fundamentalist direction. This absolutism makes it hard to avoid boogey man thinking or turning outsiders into depersonalized floating worldviews.
Another disappointment was that he does not point out how even good Reformed classical Christian ideas can spoil if misused or wielded recklessly.
So, in sum the weakness is that as much good in this book as there is, in the big picture it feels like a regurgitation of "us vs them," and "we are entirely right and they are entirely wrong."
I'd like to suggest this paradigm, as much as anything, has gotten us to this corrosive cultural moment.
The paradigm of church vs culture was imo unrealistically black and white, though:
One thing that concerned me was how Ryken portrayed culture and evangelicalism. It was entirely in absolute critique mode: the world is (seemingly) utterly narcissistic, relativistic, lonely, entertainment-driven, etc ,etc. All truth to a degree, but apart from acknowledging points of contact with culture and recognizing how Reformed classical Christians helped create this cultural problem, it does push the book into a more or less fundamentalist direction. This absolutism makes it hard to avoid boogey man thinking or turning outsiders into depersonalized floating worldviews.
Another disappointment was that he does not point out how even good Reformed classical Christian ideas can spoil if misused or wielded recklessly.
So, in sum the weakness is that as much good in this book as there is, in the big picture it feels like a regurgitation of "us vs them," and "we are entirely right and they are entirely wrong."
I'd like to suggest this paradigm, as much as anything, has gotten us to this corrosive cultural moment.
March 6, 2018
A decent book, but as a few other reviewers have mentioned, Ryken basically gives the stock Reformed answer for every question without much deep biblical analysis or cultural reasoning. It made for a significantly less-than-compelling read since I could basically give each answer before the author did.
February 17, 2020
American culture in the 21st-Century is awash with relativism and narcissism. How should we as the people of God seek to live in these post-Christian times? How are we to be the church for the world? For the church to be the church, she must become and remain a city on a hill. Ryken argues that we must be a teaching, worshipping, caring, and growing church.
We need to be a “countercultural community” (32). We must be a people committed to expository preaching, corporate worship, fellowship, pastoral care, discipleship, mission and evangelism, mercy ministry, and repentance and renewal. In short, for the church to thrive in the 21st-Century we must be set apart, holy unto Christ, faithfully committed to knowing and living out the Word of God.
Not all of the chapters are created equal. The two most profitable chapters were ch. 4 “Growing Together in Groups: Fellowship” and ch. 7 “Reaching the World: Missions and Evangelism.” From ch. 4, I appreciate his focus on how every member of the body needs to be functioning for the church to properly function. Each must play its part (82). From ch. 7, I appreciate the focus on the sacrificial nature of missions and the essential need for every believer to understand that they are a missionary. Missions is a way of life (144-145).
Many of the chapters, while generally helpful, came across a bit generic. The questions in the “Action Guide” are worth thinking through and processing together. Ryken’s A City on a Hill seems a bit like a Presbyterian version of Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. There is significant overlap between the two.
We need to be a “countercultural community” (32). We must be a people committed to expository preaching, corporate worship, fellowship, pastoral care, discipleship, mission and evangelism, mercy ministry, and repentance and renewal. In short, for the church to thrive in the 21st-Century we must be set apart, holy unto Christ, faithfully committed to knowing and living out the Word of God.
Not all of the chapters are created equal. The two most profitable chapters were ch. 4 “Growing Together in Groups: Fellowship” and ch. 7 “Reaching the World: Missions and Evangelism.” From ch. 4, I appreciate his focus on how every member of the body needs to be functioning for the church to properly function. Each must play its part (82). From ch. 7, I appreciate the focus on the sacrificial nature of missions and the essential need for every believer to understand that they are a missionary. Missions is a way of life (144-145).
Many of the chapters, while generally helpful, came across a bit generic. The questions in the “Action Guide” are worth thinking through and processing together. Ryken’s A City on a Hill seems a bit like a Presbyterian version of Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. There is significant overlap between the two.
June 15, 2024
Provides a foundational understanding of the foundational commitments of a church. It is biblical, convicting, and stays true to providing ministers of the gospel a vision for church life and the gospel mission.
September 6, 2019
A helpful vision of the church's engagement with the world!
December 13, 2021
Really practical book. Enjoyed it.
November 6, 2024
This is a great book that outlines many of the primary functions of the church and their biblical standard. It’s worth a read for all, pastors/elders, planters and members alike.
January 22, 2015
In City on a Hill, Philip Graham Ryken demonstrates that the biblical pattern for the church must remain despite 21st century obstacles. He argues that the biblical model for the Christian life, and for the church, remains unchanged in the face of the culture wars which are re-shaping the worldviews of believers and unbelievers alike. So, this book should be read by Christians seeking to gain a better understanding of their role in the church and the church’s role in the world. But this book is not only for believers, unbelievers can benefit from the book because it will allow them to better understand what the church and the gospel are all about.
The greatest strengths of this book are that the book is readable and comprehensive. The readability of the book is especially helpful for new believers or young believers who would find a thicker book a bit too difficult to grasp, or by people who are generally discouraged by reading in general. Ryken writes clearly and concisely without becoming overly complicated, while still explaining necessary information. This book is also comprehensive. Ryken overview of the Christian life, the Church, and the Gospel allows readers to soak in truth to lay as the foundation of a comprehensive worldview. This book’s comprehensive aspect evidences that believers can and must live with a comprehensive biblical worldview in the midst of the narcissistic post-Christian age.
Perhaps one weakness lies in Ryken’s use of the term sacrament rather than the term ordinance. I did not take notice of his word choice, but I had shared a paragraph from the book online and one of my former literature professors questioned his use of sacrament. This professor had grown up Catholic, so the word sacrament was distracting from the message which Ryken was communicating. Because this is such a great book for new believers (though all believers could benefit from it), conceivably it would have been from him to use the term ordinance rather than sacrament.
This book is a light in a dark post-Christian age. The book includes discussion questions for each chapter, so this book could be easily integrated into a book study or small group discussion.
The greatest strengths of this book are that the book is readable and comprehensive. The readability of the book is especially helpful for new believers or young believers who would find a thicker book a bit too difficult to grasp, or by people who are generally discouraged by reading in general. Ryken writes clearly and concisely without becoming overly complicated, while still explaining necessary information. This book is also comprehensive. Ryken overview of the Christian life, the Church, and the Gospel allows readers to soak in truth to lay as the foundation of a comprehensive worldview. This book’s comprehensive aspect evidences that believers can and must live with a comprehensive biblical worldview in the midst of the narcissistic post-Christian age.
Perhaps one weakness lies in Ryken’s use of the term sacrament rather than the term ordinance. I did not take notice of his word choice, but I had shared a paragraph from the book online and one of my former literature professors questioned his use of sacrament. This professor had grown up Catholic, so the word sacrament was distracting from the message which Ryken was communicating. Because this is such a great book for new believers (though all believers could benefit from it), conceivably it would have been from him to use the term ordinance rather than sacrament.
This book is a light in a dark post-Christian age. The book includes discussion questions for each chapter, so this book could be easily integrated into a book study or small group discussion.
March 11, 2013
City on a Hill begins with an introduction to postmodernism. Ryken identifies these "post-Christian times" as being characterized by relativism and narcissism. In order to overcome those forces and to be a remedy to society, the church needs to return to the model of the 1st century church - a church that was modeled on teaching, worshiping and caring. These three forces, when combined, caused the church to grow. Ryken identifies seven objectives for the church: expository preaching, worthy worship, Bible study and fellowship, pastoral care, educational programs, missionary work and service to the church and community. Each of these objectives forms a chapter in the book.
Nothing new there, as you can find the same kind of material in many other good and notable books. But Ryken takes it a step further. He shows how relativism and narcissism negatively impacts each of these seven objectives, and also shows how returning to the biblical model can be an antidote to the influences that pervade our culture.
Ryken points out that if we are wise, "we will recommit ourselves to expository preaching, God-centered worship, loving fellowship, pastoral care, costly discipleship, global evangelism, and practical compassion. But none of this will matter unless we recognize our need - our daily need - for the gospel. The church can only be a city on a hill if it confesses its sin and trusts in the crucifixion, resurrection, and intercession of Jesus Christ for any hope of salvation" (page 179).
I highly recommend this book (4.5 stars). It is consistently biblical, returning constantly to the Word of God. It calls the church to return not to the model of the twentieth century, but the model given to us in the Bible. It is accessible and yet challenging (in a good, self-examination kind of way). You won't be disappointed.
Nothing new there, as you can find the same kind of material in many other good and notable books. But Ryken takes it a step further. He shows how relativism and narcissism negatively impacts each of these seven objectives, and also shows how returning to the biblical model can be an antidote to the influences that pervade our culture.
Ryken points out that if we are wise, "we will recommit ourselves to expository preaching, God-centered worship, loving fellowship, pastoral care, costly discipleship, global evangelism, and practical compassion. But none of this will matter unless we recognize our need - our daily need - for the gospel. The church can only be a city on a hill if it confesses its sin and trusts in the crucifixion, resurrection, and intercession of Jesus Christ for any hope of salvation" (page 179).
I highly recommend this book (4.5 stars). It is consistently biblical, returning constantly to the Word of God. It calls the church to return not to the model of the twentieth century, but the model given to us in the Bible. It is accessible and yet challenging (in a good, self-examination kind of way). You won't be disappointed.
August 4, 2015
More Like Reverting to the 1950s Church
The author argued more for tradition than biblical church. It was funny to read how his 1950s style church just happened to fit the "biblical" model needed in the 21st century. At several points I wondered if even Jesus would be allowed in his church because the Jesus I read in the New Testament doesn't fit the authors mold.
Consider for example the author's endless "expository preaching as the ONLY biblical way to preach" mantra. I read the New Testament and I do not find one occasion where Jesus preached expositorily. I do find numerous occasions when Jesus told stories to illustrate biblical truth. I have nothing against expository preaching, but I also don't think it is the only preaching tool in the toolbox.
I whole heartedly agree with the author that rampant relativism and narcissism are fundamental problems in Western culture. The author nailed that. However, I might add materialism - i.e., the material world is all that there is - equals narcissism and relativism as fundamental worldview problems.
The author proves to be a much better in-depth analyst of cultural and church problems than providing fresh, new insights to reaching the first Western post-Christian century in more than a millenia. And reverting back to the 1950s is surely not the answer.
I really wanted to like this book, but sadly I've read this same old, retreaded "biblical" answer to the world before which rely far more on the church the author grew up in than what is truly biblical.
The author argued more for tradition than biblical church. It was funny to read how his 1950s style church just happened to fit the "biblical" model needed in the 21st century. At several points I wondered if even Jesus would be allowed in his church because the Jesus I read in the New Testament doesn't fit the authors mold.
Consider for example the author's endless "expository preaching as the ONLY biblical way to preach" mantra. I read the New Testament and I do not find one occasion where Jesus preached expositorily. I do find numerous occasions when Jesus told stories to illustrate biblical truth. I have nothing against expository preaching, but I also don't think it is the only preaching tool in the toolbox.
I whole heartedly agree with the author that rampant relativism and narcissism are fundamental problems in Western culture. The author nailed that. However, I might add materialism - i.e., the material world is all that there is - equals narcissism and relativism as fundamental worldview problems.
The author proves to be a much better in-depth analyst of cultural and church problems than providing fresh, new insights to reaching the first Western post-Christian century in more than a millenia. And reverting back to the 1950s is surely not the answer.
I really wanted to like this book, but sadly I've read this same old, retreaded "biblical" answer to the world before which rely far more on the church the author grew up in than what is truly biblical.
May 26, 2015
This book was about 10 times too long. The Author was able to make his point usually within a few pages into each chapter, but then proceeded to fill up the rest of the chapter with things that actually seemed to weaken his main point! I also think the author tries really hard to come across as humble, but he doesn't get close. He comes off as wishing for the good ole days, and luckily for us readers, he has the solution for today's problems! Just follow his interpretation of the Bible and America will be restored to its former glory! The book lacks context and chooses to ignore a lot of history. This book has some good points and I can appreciate the idea behind trying to put all this info into one book, but I think Christians would be a lot better off reading separate books on each of the topics.
August 27, 2013
This book is a really excellent biblical, theological, and practical introduction to what the church should be in a post-Christian culture. I'm a little biased because the author was the senior minister of my home church and the outline of the book is basically that church's mission statement. Still, it is an accessible and comprehensive portrait of a biblically healthy church. I can see this book being great for officer training or for a new member's class.
October 26, 2013
Very solid intro to basic church ministry. Ryken unapologetically affirms the primacy of word and sacrament ministry, bolstered by small groups, personal discipleship, and mercy ministry. The final chapter stresses the church's need for the gospel in all aspects of her life.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews