Renewing Christian Unity: A Concise History of the Christian Church

In RENEWING CHRISTIAN UNITY, scholars Mark G. Toulouse, Gary Holloway, and Douglas A. Foster collaborate to provide an overview of the history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that will serve all readers by giving a brief, authoritative introduction to this important American denomination.

Throughout its history, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has been known for its commitment to Christian unity. The context for unity in the twenty-first century, however, is considerably different than it was in the nineteenth century. RENEWING CHRISTIAN UNITY provides a brief history of the Disciples and their unwavering but ever-adapting commitment to the unity of the church. Their story is one of both continuity and change. Disciples remain as those who are uncomfortable with denominationalism.

They still prefer simply to be known as Christians. But over the course of two centuries, the Disciples' understanding of Christian witness and of the ''one church'' has taken note of the changing times, and changed right along with them. This is partly because Disciples have always believed that human history is meaningful. God has entered human time to make a difference. Disciples celebrate this fact at the communion table and in the baptismal waters, through their active engagement with the world as they seek to embody both God's love and justice, and in their insistence that the church is one.

Alexander Campbell once declared, ''We . . . should hang our Sectarian trumpets in the hall and study ecclesiastic wars no more.'' Disciples have not always succeeded in meeting that expectation, but they do possess a history marked by an earnest desire to seek a renewal of Christian unity in the life of the church. In this book, readers will learn more about this significant group of churches, which has shaped the landscape of American Christianity.

RENEWING CHRISTIAN UNITY is the third volume in a series that also includes Renewing God's People and Renewal for Mission.

Mark G. Toulouse holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is the author of numerous articles and books, the latter including Makers of Christian Theology in America (Abingdon, 1997), Sources of Christian Theology in America (Abingdon, 1999), and God in Public (Westminster John Knox, 2006). After spending twenty-three years at Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University as an historian of religion and culture in the United States (as well as serving there as associate dean, dean, and executive vice president), Dr. Toulouse joined the faculty of Emmanuel College, Victoria University (University of Toronto) in 2009, where he now serves as principal of Emmanuel College and professor of history of Christianity.

Gary Holloway holds degrees from Harding University, the University of Texas, and Emory University. He recently stepped down as Ijams Professor of Bible and the associate director of the Center for Spiritual Renewal at Lipscomb University to take on his new role as director of the World Convention of Churches of Christ (an organization serving all three branches of the Stone-Campbell movement). He also preaches at the Natchez Trace Church in Nashville, TN. Among his other books, he co-authored Living God's Love: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality (Leafwood, 2009) and is the author of the upcoming Praying Dangerously (Leafwood, July 2010).

Douglas A. Foster is professor of church history at Abilene Christian University. He has also served there as the associate dean of the Graduate School of Theology and as director of the Center for Restoration Studies. His scholarly work has concentrated on the place of the Stone-Campbell Movement in American Christianity and the nature of the idea of Christian unity. He served as one of three general editors of the acclaimed Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement (Eerdmans, 2005).