The Church in Disorienting Times

The Middle East is in a period of profound change. In the midst of turbulence, trauma, tragedy and the hopelessness felt by many, an increasing number of indigenous churches are finding ever more imaginative ways to be active in the societies of which they are a long-standing and integral part. This book describes some of these developments. It seeks to inspire Christians worldwide to stand alongside such people and to provoke everyone, in the Middle East and elsewhere, to ask what they should be doing to encourage transformation of societies to the glory of God. How can we be the salt, light and yeast that Scripture exhorts us to be when faced with despair? How can we live as active heroes when others expect us to be passive victims? The expert contributors of this book delve into these issues to give churches direction in these disorienting times. The Institute of Middle East Studies Series provides academic theological books that are contextually appropriate to the MENA region and prophetically, sensitively and in a non-partisan manner inspire people and society. These resources represent the output of the Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES), founded by the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut, Lebanon, which seeks to bring about positive transformation in thinking and practice between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East and beyond. The purpose of IMES is to increase general awareness about Middle East realities and to resource evangelicals to serve specific needs in the Arab World and among Arab communities.