Category Archives: Culture

Is the “Dark Night” of Christianity in the West Inevitable?

Posted on May 23, 2013 by John Armstrong

Are we living in a “dark night” for Christianity in the West? The church, and culture shaping Christian influences, have both been losing ground since the late 1950s. The only people who seem unaware of this are Christians of my … Continue reading →

Posted in ACT 3, Church History, Culture, Current Affairs, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Renewal, The Church, The Future | 1 Comment

Evangelism, Evangelization and Missional-Ecumenism (4)

Posted on May 16, 2013 by John Armstrong

Over the last three days I have written about evangelism and evangelization, from both a Protestant and Catholic perspective. I have attempted to show the meaning and importance of these respective terms and the theology that lies behind both of … Continue reading →

Posted in American Evangelicalism, Culture, Current Affairs, Discipleship, Evangelism, Gospel/Good News, History, Kingdom of God, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church | 3 Comments

Evangelism, Evangelization and Missional-Ecumenism (3)

Posted on May 15, 2013 by John Armstrong

Yesterday, I provided the first three major characteristics of Pope John Paul II’s 1990 encyclical Redemptoris Missio. This encyclical spells out the “new evangelization.” My purpose in these blogs is to show how the words evangelism, evangelization and mission are now being … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Gospel/Good News, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future | 9 Comments

Evangelism, Evangelization and Missional-Ecumenism (2)

Posted on May 14, 2013 by John Armstrong

Yesterday, I wrote about the term, and teaching emphasis. which is called the new evangelization within the Catholic Church. I showed how this movement has been building and how it has impacted both Catholics and non-Catholics globally. While evangelicals have … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Gospel/Good News, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future | 3 Comments

Evangelism, Evangelization and Missional-Ecumenism (1)

Posted on May 13, 2013 by John Armstrong

The subject of Christian evangelism notoriously raises problematic questions for those who believe that it is one of the clearest imperatives that Christ gave to his church. Now, in the last few decades, a new term (with slightly different meaning) … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Missional Church, Missional-Ecumenism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future | 4 Comments

Day Two of the Lausanne Catholic-Evangelical Conversation in Mundelein

Posted on April 24, 2013 by John Armstrong

On the second day of our Lausanne Catholic-Evangelical Conversation last week we spent Friday morning sharing, praying and seeking to love one another as new friends in Christ. In a group of twenty-five people, many of whom only met the … Continue reading →

Posted in ACT 3, American Evangelicalism, Culture, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Missional-Ecumenism, Mysticism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, Unity of the Church | 8 Comments

Back to Lausanne

Posted on March 25, 2013 by John Armstrong

Evangelicals will always have a mixed reaction to anything papal. After all, we do not accept the Catholic claims regarding the Petrine office as adequately and properly rooted in biblical authority. But we can respect the man, even love him … Continue reading →

Posted in American Evangelicalism, Church History, Culture, Current Affairs, Gospel/Good News, Missional-Ecumenism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church | 2 Comments

Who Is Pope Francis, Really?

Posted on March 25, 2013 by John Armstrong

Yesterday marked the beginning of Holy Week in the Western Church. I am well aware of the importance of each day in this week for Christians who follow the liturgical calendar. Many of you, like me, follow the liturgical calendar … Continue reading →

Posted in Church History, Church Tradition, Culture, Current Affairs, Missional-Ecumenism, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church | 10 Comments

Habemus Papam Franciscum: What Has Lausanne to Do with the Pope? (4)

Posted on March 21, 2013 by John Armstrong

The Lausanne Movement Evangelicals in general, and evangelical leaders in particular, know far too little about the Lausanne Movement. This movement for global evangelization begin in the 1960s through the vision of Dr. Billy Graham. As Graham began to preach … Continue reading →

Posted in American Evangelicalism, Church History, Church Tradition, Culture, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Friendship, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church | 6 Comments

Habemus Papam Franciscum: “We Have a Pope” (3)

Posted on March 19, 2013 by John Armstrong

My Prayers for the Selection of the New Pope What does all of this news about the new pope mean for non-Catholics? And what, especially, does this mean for evangelicals like me who long to see the whole church pursuing … Continue reading →

Posted in American Evangelicalism, Church History, Church Tradition, Culture, Current Affairs, Evangelism, Kingdom of God, Missional-Ecumenism, Personal, Roman Catholicism, The Church, The Future, Unity of the Church | Comments Off