Emily Bowen

About Emily Bowen:

Emily grew up in a progressive mainline church in Southern California that in large part shaped her into the woman she is today. A call to social justice in the form of caring for those chewed up and spit out by the church drives a great deal of her ministry. She longs for people to know and feel their worth in the eyes of God.

About the Book:

By providing an affirming and accessible introduction to emergence Christianity, Emily Bowen and her co-author, Phil Snider, show how offering hospitality to emergents by engaging the depths of mainline theological traditions has led to the revitalization and renewal of their own congregation, and they believe that the theological reflections and emerging worship resources included will help other mainline communities consider ways they might offer hospitality to emergents as well.

What others are saying about the book:

Convergence between streams of emergent and progressive Christianity is a striking and hopeful happening. This exciting book is very much needed now.

--Marcus Borg, best-selling author of "The Heart of Christianity"

This painstakingly researched, beautifully crafted work not only places the reader's hand on the pulse of emerging theology but draws out how this contemporary movement relates to, and resonates with, the wider Christian heritage.

--Peter Rollins, author of "The Orthodox Heretic"

Phil Snider and Emily Bowen point mainline churches Toward a Hopeful Future. Let's hope that the churches start down the path they're suggesting! This book will help normal churches take a look at this new, "emergent" thing they're hearing about. It's thoughtful, well-researched and contains practical ways for typical churches to move into a faithful and effective ministry with a new generation.

--Martha Grace Reese, author of the "Unbinding the Gospel Series," www.GraceNet.info

You won't be disappointed as Snider and Bowen guide you through the convergences and departures of mainline Christianity and the emerging church movement. They've given careful and critical attention to the church at the margins and have a clear and hopeful idea of what these communities offer the established church and vice versa. I'm grateful someone has taken the effort to understand emergence beyond just the aesthetics. This book is far overdue.

--Nadia Bolz-Weber

Founding Pastor, House For All Sinners and Saints, Denver, Co

Author, "Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television"

Blogger, sarcasticlutheran.com

At the end of his 1913 edition of "The Quest of the Historical Jesus", Albert Schweitzer compared "conservative and liberal" forms of Christianity to "two thin streams that wind alongside each other between the boulders and pebbles of a great river bed." But, "when the waters rise and overflow the rock, they meet of their own accord." But when and how will that happen? "When desire and hope for the kingdom of God," he said, "and fellowship with the spirit of Jesus govern them as an elementary and mighty force." One hundred years later, at the start of a new century, this present book, "Toward a Hopeful Future," proves that contemporary streams of "emergent" and "mainline" Christians are turning Schweitzer's hope into a reality.

--John Dominic Crossan, author of "God & Empire"