“The imminent demise of the church has been predicted since the middle of the 18th century. This is the regular secular mantra if churchgoing declines. I could take you to plenty of churches that are full to bursting and new churches being built.” IfsHas BeensChurchMiddleCenturyBuiltPlentyDeclineSecularMantrasDemiseBursting18th Century Author:N. T. Wright
“Yes, all fundamentalists feel that in a secular society, God has been relegated to the margin, to the periphery and they are all in different ways seeking to drag him out of that peripheral position, back to center stage.” WayFeelsHas BeensDifferentStagePositionSeekingDifferent WaysDragSecularMarginsPeripherySecular SocietyCenter Stage Author:Karen Armstrong
“This withdrawal of theology from the world of secular affairs is made more complete by the work of biblical scholars whose endlessly fascinating exercises have made it appear to the lay Christian that no one untrained in their methods can really understand anything the Bible says. We are in a situation analogous to one about which the great Reformers complained. The Bible has been taken out of the hands of the layperson; it has now become the professional property not of the priesthood but of the scholars.” WorldHas BeensMadeHandsChristianSituationTakenExerciseMethodLaysPropertyAffairTheologyMade ItFascinatingScholarBiblicalSecularPriesthoodWithdrawalReformers Author:Lesslie Newbigin