Confessing Christ in the Twenty-First Century

In Romans 10:9, Paul writes that, 'If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.' It is thus one of the church's earliest confessions: that Jesus is Lord. Yet what does it mean for us in 21st Century America? Ages ago, the language of lordship made sense. But in the Twenty-First Century, Americans emphasize personal freedom, self reliance, and equal rights for all. The idea that we have obedience to anyone beyond ourselves with a government that is 'of, by, and for the people' seems foreign to us. Confessing Christ in the Twenty-First Century, written for the layperson and for those who lead and teach them, challenges the readers to think about how their confession is the basis for claiming not only a relationship to a savior, but a way of living in the world—a politics—that is countercultural in the literal sense of that term. At the same time, it comforts them by reminding that the Lord they proclaim is one who opens up a way of living in genuine freedom and equality with others. Douglas probes essential issues in philosophy, theology, worship, ethics, and politics in a way that offers understanding and a comprehensive view, even as it stimulates readers to explore the meaning of their faith in vigorous conversation. This is a perfect book for pastors, leaders of adult education, and laypeople who want to deepen their faith by probing its real and practical implications.

Mark Douglas is assistant professor of Christian ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He has published chapters in two books as well as numerous articles.