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Europe 2014 Mission Impossible?. A vision of yesterday. Strong nation states with empire aspirations Conservative, religious and confident The cutting edge of philosophical discourse White and monocultural Impervious to the outside world. The Euro-Global Village. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Europe 2014 Mission Impossible?
A vision of yesterday•Strong nation states with empire aspirations
•Conservative, religious and confident
•The cutting edge of philosophical discourse
•White and monocultural
•Impervious to the outside world
The Euro-Global Village•Networked with 1.19 bn Facebook users
•Playing catch up with the USA and China
•Struggling for identity and confidence
•A spiritual black hole
Presenting Christian TruthMore….
•Educated•Influenced•Uncertain•Inaccessible
…than even before.
The Shape of European society
1) Consumerism A way of life
focussed on Consumption [link with personal happiness]
Deliberate policy of government, industry and us
•Thorstein Veblem
Post WWII Development New technology
mass production Produce outstripping
demand = glut The box that
changed the world Advertisers
stimulated demand
New areas of merchandising [teen fashion/ accessorizing]
Economic boom & expectation– spending on impulse
Problems with Consumerism A consumer society is
• Unequal• Wasteful• Dominates life
•We live in a society where the spiritual has receded in favour of the material and our philosophical history has contributed
Personal and national debt• Personal 1,43 bn• 54,197 per household
• National 1,3 bn• 43 bn interest
Rise of the BRIC and MINT countries
2) Multiculturalism
• 2.1 births per woman• No western country (except USA and Albania)
maintain this• Mass immigration is an economic necessity
Changing perspectives
• A Judaeo-Christian world view is no longer assumed• Other faiths occupy the same shelf space• The link between church and state becomes
untenable• Evangelism can assume no privileged position
for Christianity
The good, the bad and the ugly face of multiculturalism
On-going tensions of multiculturalism
The higher intellectual ground
3) Religious pluralism• Religious diversity• A positive attitude to diversity expressed
structurally• Social inclusion• Openness to truth claims• All religions are equal
Why is pluralism an issue?• Unprecedented exposure• A collapse of confidence in
the bible• Public-private belief• A pragmatic view of religion• The assumption that
exclusive beliefs are arrogant and intolerant
• The doctrine of universalism
John Hick
• Major religions are ultimate responses to ultimate reality.
• Religions are historically and culturally conditioned interpretations of reality.
• The ability to transform is equal.
Is there Hope?
Yes
But only if we do
things right
Learn the 2,000 years old secret to evangelism• Feel the need v.16• Right place right
time v.17• Speak the language
v.23 (cf.Jn.4)• Get the big picture
Learn to whisper forcefully
• Hard truths to communicate (homosexuality & Islam)• Learning to be robust
but gentle (and pick your battles)
Be ready to carry Burdens
Moral Baggage
• People coming to faith don’t know right from wrong• People come to faith to
experience Christianity but not necessarily through guilt
Emotional Baggage
• Work pressures, family crisis, marriage breakdown, abuse, bereavement, stress, wounds
Be ready to carry Burdens
Moral Baggage
• Don’t run• Maintain biblical
standards• Be Christ-like• Remember they are
babies• See the big picture• Separate acute from
chronic
Emotional Baggage
• Don’t duck any problems• Be prepared for the long
haul• Treat people sensitively• Pray for healing• Be aware of the monster
of dependence
Follow the Fisherman (1Pet.3:15)
• The New Atheists (dealing with the God question)
• Postmodern-relativism (dealing with the truth question)
• Islam (dealing with the revelation question)
Things to note…
• Two contradictory ideas cannot both be true!
• Sincerity does not make something true!
Remember Jesus is special
• His virgin birth• consistent life• His claim of deity• His claim to control the world’s destiny• His miracles• His resurrection• Jn.11:35 I am the Resurrection and the
Life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies
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