Foresight : 10 major trends that will dramatically affect the future of Christians and the Church / Howard A. Snyder with Daniel V. Runyon. [print]

Introduction: why trace trends? From regional churches to world church From scattered growth to broad revival From Communist China to Christian China From institutional tradition to kingdom theology From clergy/laity to community of ministers From male leadership to male/female partnership From secularization to religious relativism From nuclear family to family diversity From church/state separation to Christian political activism From threatened nations to threatened planet Conclusion: tomorrow's church- alternative futures.

What awaits the church in the 21st century? The Lord proclaims, "I do not change," yet in a world hurling toward astonishing breakthroughs in communications and technology, will the church be equipped to meet the challenges that will most assuredly affect the body of Christ? To alert the church to the future, Howard A. Snyder with Daniel V. Runyon, present ten major trends that must be heeded in order for the church to survive. Snyder and Runyon conducted an international survey of "keen observers of the church and society" -among them educators, social scientists, and church leaders-and asked them to identify key trends. Emerging currents toward a world church, increased Christian political activism, and the threats to our planet are included in this fascinating treatise. Both optimistic and pessimistic about the trends shaping the church, Snyder and Runyon feel that you, the thinking, caring Christian, must face up to these changes. "What the global picture will be, and what this means for the church," write Snyder and Runyon, "is the primary focus of our analysis."

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Howard A. Snyder is a teacher, author, and pastor and holds a Ph.D. in historical theology form the University of Notre Dame. In addition to serving as coordinator of the pastoral team of the Irving Park Free Methodist Church, he teaches in Chicago area seminaries. His previous books include The Problem of Wineskins, A Kingdom Manifesto, The Community of the King, and Liberating the Church. Daniel V. Runyon recieved an M.A. in communication from Wheaton Graduate School and is the coauthor of The Divided Flame: Wesleyans and the Charismatic Renewal.