Christians at the turn of the twenty-first century face the awesome mission of discerning and responding to the ways of God for the society around us. It is our business to grasp history theologically and to act in it with confidence and hope. If we succeed, we will be faithful witnesses and the church will prosper; if we fail, we will simply become part of an increasingly confused generation. To help Christians discern their mission in today's world and to act in it with confidence and hope, Charles C. West examines: (1) the gospel as truth; (2) the gospel as community; (3) the gospel, God's power, and human powers; and (4) Christian hope in a fragmented world. Christians have a "new work" to do in this world, that is, to inspire it not with ideology but with hope. For "God's reconciliation of the world is working to weave society together despite the self-centered conflicting structures of human life." Charles C. West has been a missionary in China, Associate Director of the Ecumenical Institute of the World Council of Churches, and a seminary professor. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Christian Ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary.
