Exile and Empire

The global economic system is a contemporary form of empire with profound influence on people’s lives. In this book, Dr. Peter McDowell explores missiological research on the relationship between gospel and culture to critically examine Western Christianity’s relationship to the empire. McDowell highlights the economy’s underlying values, critiques the Western history of colonization, and engages the experiences of faith communities in Scripture, who lived through the Egyptian, Babylonian and Roman Empires, as a resource and challenge for the contemporary church. While brilliantly avoiding the revivalist assumption that the church will be restored to prominence and the opposing response of despair, McDowell frames the church’s relationship to culture as a missiological encounter wherein the gospel must be appropriately contextualized in order to avoid the dangers of syncretism. This thought-provoking read is instructive and insightful for theologians, pastors, and leaders committed to discipleship in today’s complex world.