Who’s Minding the Story?
The United Church of Canada Meets A Secular Age
- History & Biography
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2018
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Publisher's Description
Who's Minding the Story? examines the trajectory of the United Church of Canada since its heyday in the mid-1960s. Jeff Seaton argues that the denomination accepted the criticisms leveled at it by proponents of secular theology in the 1960s and made sweeping changes to its practices, its presentation of the Christian story, and its engagement with the world. Seaton argues that these "adjustments," which continue to exert strong influence in the denomination today--as witnessed in the approaches of influential contemporary United Church leaders John Pentland and Gretta Vosper--have seriously weakened the United Church's Christian identity and contributed to its decline. Engaging the work of Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor in his magisterial volume A Secular Age, Seaton questions the assumptions that undergird secular theology. The book concludes with an invitation to the United Church to make a course correction by reengaging with the Christian tradition while maintaining its commitment to social justice, in a formulation Seaton names "progressive orthodoxy."
Endorsements (3)
Foreword
“Jeff Seaton demonstrates how the oddness and peculiarity of the Christian story does not easily translate into the stories that the world tells itself. Little about the gospel is innate or available to modern people without the substance and agency of Christ. . . . Reading Jeff’s book gave me hope for the future and a provided a way of recommitting myself to the distinctive, odd, wonderful story of Jesus Christ, reconciling God’s world to God.”
“In his first book, Seaton utilizes Charles Taylor’s magisterial insights to analyze the United Church of Canada’s turn toward ‘secular theology’ in the late 1960s. Tracing its lineage from early advocates to well-known contemporary leaders, he shows how, desperate for relevance, we traded away our most potent resource: odd Jesus and his ever-relevant gospel. As you can trust a real friend to tell you the truth, Seaton diagnoses our malaise with both clarity and sympathy.”
“Something new is brewing north of the border. Pastors and theologians like Jeff Seaton are leading the way with a renewed desire for theology that is Trinitarian, christological, and dedicated to the blessing of the world. I learned a great deal from this winsome and erudite book and recommend it highly to those committed to seeking the renewal of the church.”
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