The task of this book is to examine the biblical and theological meaning of the city and our mission within it. It starts with the premise that the garden is lost, and we are headed toward the New Jerusalem, the city of God. In the meanwhile, we dwell in earthly cities that need to be adjusted to God's city: "[T]he fall has conditioned us to fear the city . . . though, historically, God intended it to provide safety, even refuge. . . . We have to band together and act to take back our communities if we are to help God in the divine task of reconciling the world to Godself by assisting God in adjusting our communities to God's New Jerusalem, rebuilding our own cities of Enoch on the blueprints of Christ . . . to go into all the world and share his good news, building the Christian community along the lines of the New Jerusalem, a city of light in which God is revealed." (from the Introduction by William David Spencer)
Toward achieving this goal, this single, accessible volume brings together the biblical, the systematic, and the practical aspects of urban ministry by various contributors who are urban practitioners and theologians themselves, and have taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston Campus.
Seong Hyun Park (PhD, Harvard University) is the Assistant Dean of Boston Campus and Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He coedits the Africanus Journal, the Africanus Monograph Series, and the Urban Voice Series.
Aida Besancon Spencer (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Professor of New Testament at the Hamilton Campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Among her books are Beyond the Curse: Women Called to Ministry, Paul's Literary Style, 2 Corinthians, and Pastoral Epistles.
William David Spencer (ThD, Boston University School of Theology) is Ranked Adjunct Professor of Theology and the Arts at the Boston Campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of Mysterium and Mystery: The Clerical Crime Novel, Dread Jesus, Name in the Papers: An Urban Adventure Novel, and coeditor of Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader.
