The book on the question is and entitled Announcing the Reign of God: Evangelization and the Subversive Memory of Jesus and it is written by Mortimer Arais. It is often referred to as one of the most significant and valuable sources of evangelism. The author tries to shape questions that arise in modern evangelism and answer them. Arias tries to explain the role of evangelism in the modern world.
One of the major findings and contributions of the author is his view on the central postulate of evangelism. The idea of the Kingdom of God is confronted in the book as the author argues that there can be no notion of a kingdom in Jesus Christ’s teachings. There can only be the reign of God. The former principle involves “monarchical political connotations” as well as “patriarchal structures”, which is inconsistent with the very idea of evangelism and Christianity. The author emphasizes the need to use another concept. The reign of God is a more holistic and humanizing term that is offered.
The author manages to provide various examples of the flaws within contemporary evangelization. He also argues that it is important to make sure that people will “recover the original message of Jesus” without adding meanings created throughout the history of humanity. Arais states that evangelization should be perceived as bringing and accepting the good news. This will enable humanity to start a new stage of its development characterized by true humanization and virtue.
One of the lessons I learned is the importance of choosing words carefully. I did not even think about the power of words and the way connotations can shape people’s perceptions. Now, I see that pastors have to be careful with the words they use and the meanings they divert. I have to admit that the notion of the kingdom of God also shaped my perception of religion and Christianity. I was prone to accept the patriarchal conventions. For me, Christianity was as structured as a contemporary society, which is an inappropriate view. Now, I see that one word (kingdom) contributed greatly to this process. Another lesson I derived is concerned with the “texture” of people’s lives who are future-oriented. Evangelism is associated with the teaching of hope and people tend to hope for a better future for themselves, their children, and the entire humanity. Finally, I also learned that it is quite easy to tie modernity with the gospel as Arais does it in such a natural and clear way. The author provides various examples from people’s lives and it is clear that the Gospel is relevant and valuable as a guide for the contemporary individual as well. When addressing various issues of modernity, pastors can use Arais’ approach and reveal the ties between the texts and reality.
I believe the book has important pastoral implications as it teaches how to preach and how to tie Christian values, evangelism, and modernity. Clearly, searching for meanings can be a challenging task, but making people understand these meanings is even more difficult. Mortimer Arias manages to find simple answers to complex theological issues. More importantly, the author manages to explain his point in simple terms. The book is a valuable source for a wide audience including scholars, pastors as well as people who want to understand the value of evangelism and their attitude towards it. The Gospels are not some ancient books of ancestors but effective guides that contain answers to various issues of modernity. Every pastor has to employ strategies Arais utilizes in his book to make people understand meanings.
It is important to add that the author unveils one of the most challenging questions concerning the role of evangelization in people’s lives. Arias claims that it is insufficient to announce the coming of the reign of God. Evangelization should inspire people to hope and strive for future accomplishments in the sphere of spirituality. The author stresses that the modern world is full of injustice, death, and misery and this can avert people from religion. At the same time, the author does not provide a specific pattern to accomplish this goal. Therefore, the major question remains. Pastors and scholars will have to learn how to make people inspired and committed to creating a society governed by the principles of humanism and true virtue. Thus, the author provides a theoretical paradigm but practical issues are yet to be resolved.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the book in question provides valuable insights into the role of evangelism in modern human society. The author helps people to better understand their own attitudes towards religion. The reader can also find answers to questions concerning religion, morality, virtue, future, and so on. The book also has specific pastoral implications as it contains many answers to questions that may arise. Therefore, this book should be a compulsory source for those who want or need to understand evangelism as well as major Christian texts in terms of the modern world
Bibliography
Arais, Mortimer. Announcing the Reign of God: Evangelization and the Subversive Memory of Jesus. Lima: Academic Renewal Press, 1984.