Product Description

This book is a vision for how the church can embrace the liquid nature of culture rather than just scrambling to keep afloat while sailing over it. Pete Ward presents his vision of a Liquid Church that addresses the needs of the isolated consumer-Christian by providing connection and community, located in common cause and similar desire for God.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #349707 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Customer Reviews

Church as a Verb, Not a Noun
Stimulating and provocative book. Stresses fellowship rather than 'the' fellowship. Solid church focuses on attendance at services, size matters, one size fits all and joining the club. Liquid church is networked, dispersed, consumer-oriented and evanescent. Following Dunn's views on Paul, Ward sees the importance of the phrase "in Christ" to suggest that anyone in Christ is in the church, so that the church can effectively be thought of as a star network with Christ as the hub. Shopping is seen as a search for meaning rather than materialism-the church should accept the challenge. Liquid church moves from meeting need (the need for God, etc.) to satisfying desire-since consumerism is essentially about desire for meaning and spirituality.
Richard Seel.

Fantastic
If you have any interest in where the church is heading in the 21st Century, then this is essential reading. Pete Ward does not attempt to solve the church's dilemmas but presents radical and exciting suggestions as to how it may evolve. A really encouraging read for those involved in the "emerging church" or the "alternative worship" movement. Buy it!

Five years on
I was expecting more from this book. I'd heard the phrase `liquid church' bandied around in discussions about church for the 21st century: variously castigated and upheld as the way forward. So when I eventually got round to reading it I was expecting something fresh and radical.

Maybe it is if you haven't previously encountered stuff about church for postmodern culture, emerging church etc., but much of this book felt like a rehearsal of the now familiar explanations of `solid' modernism and its more fluid successor which Ward likes to refer to as `liquid modernism'. And maybe that's a reflection of the fact that it is now five years old; it was perhaps a significant stepping stone in helping the church negotiate its way across uncharted waters, but the conversation has moved on. Having said that, I realise there are significant swathes of the church that haven't even understood there is a conversation.

So, if you are new to considering questions of church for a new kind of world, you could do worse than start with Liquid Church, not least because it's a pretty quick, easy read. But if you're looking to be inspired, you'll need to look elsewhere, because Pete Ward's style is rather plodding. I also found the book a bit light when it came to developing some of the ideas - a few additional pages may have helped.