Practice
Evangelism in an Age of Despair Hope beyond the Failed Promise of Happiness Andrew Root “Evangelism” is a contested, even conflicted, word. But churches are declining in numbers and resources. What if we aren’t think- ing about evangelism in the right way, culturally or theologically? In Evangelism in an Age of Despair , Andrew Root contextualizes evangelism in our late-modern times and reimagines what the call to outreach means in today’s world. Root offers a vision for how a theology of consolation can shape a hopeful approach to evangelism. He uses a fictional church to show rather than tell us how consolation evangelism works. For support he looks to the ministries of Gregory of Nyssa and his sister Macrina, Jean Gerson, Johann von Staupitz, and Martin Luther, who all contend that consolation is central to our transformation into the life of God. “An invaluable study of the central place of consolation in the practice and theology of ministry and its power to fundamentally reshape our witness. Root bids us to repent of our culture’s official optimism and to embrace the one thing genuinely needful: the good word of the cross that claims and consoles us.” —Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen “Root confronts a new set of urgent pathologies facing the church as it seeks to evangelize a secular age. Returning the church to the consoling vision of the theology of the cross, this book leads read- ers through these ‘sad times’ to a life transformed by the crucified God, calling for a reimagined evangelism—one that consoles rather than counts souls.” —Ashley Cocksworth, University of Roehampton “Root piques my curiosity about the recovery of evangelism in our late-modern context. Somehow he compels me to see its sur- prising and miraculous usefulness for church ministry. As always, Root’s work is rich and generative.” —Mihee Kim-Kort, Presbyterian minister; author of Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith “Root’s reimagining of evangelism, attending to the sacramental shape of divine-human encounter, will bless and challenge those who long for a deeper, more wholistic understanding of how best to share our Christian faith with others.” —Ross Lockhart, Vancouver School of Theology
MARCH 2025 • 304 pp. • paper • $29.99 • 9781540968715
Andrew Root (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is the author of more than twenty books, including the Ministry in a Secular Age series and The End of Youth Ministry? Root is also the coauthor (with Kenda Creasy Dean) of The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry. He is a frequent speaker and hosts the popular and influential When Church Stops Working podcast.
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