The Identification Principle

In some places, and against prevailing trends, Christian belief and practice is not being chased out of the public square but rather, it is very active in stimulating new forms of civic and social engagement. The theological grounding is incarnational―incarnational suggests identification. The Identification Principle offers a new impetus to holistic and practical engagement by the church with our world. All too often, incarnational ministry is divorced from proclamation and prayer. Christopher Steed, an Anglican minister, is responsible for a large and innovative Christian social project on the edge of city center, which is developing new forms of community engagement in a way that does not lose the importance of spiritual formation. Word and work go hand in hand. This fresh take on incarnational life, church, and society draws together recent academic research and cutting-edge ministry. It presents a renewed theology of Christian action for a new generation of evangelical leaders who have to intuitively hold together action with word and worship. The book offers both theology and praxis. The author argues the effectiveness of proclamation, intercession, and the confronting of systemic and individual wrongs to create new types of communities that engage culture and re-focuses mission.

Christopher Steed has had a varied career, consisting of management in the public sector and senior roles in the voluntary and charity sector. More recently, as an Anglican minister, he is developing St Winfrid’s, a faith-based community hub in the Southampton area with a mix of social innovation, support services, and social enterprise.