ABSTRACT

Christian Language and its Mutations explores how Christian language alters in various social, cultural, historical and religious contexts. Having delineated the core language of Christianity, David Martin analyses how it mutates in different historical and social contexts, notably: peace and war; the arts - particularly painting and music; the sacred space (the city) and the sacred text (the liturgy); education; and the global situation of Christianity and contemporary secular society - evangelicalism, rational religion, Pentecostalism and Base Communities. Presenting a unique perspective to show how and why Christianity alters according to context, this book will prove insightful and accessible to students, clergy and general readers alike. David Martin is Honorary Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Lancaster University, and Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, UK. He is the author of some two dozen books, including many landmark titles in the sociology of religion.

part I|17 pages

Fundamentals

chapter Chapter 1|11 pages

The Language of Christianity 1

part II|24 pages

The Religious–Political Tension

chapter Chapter 3|8 pages

Christianity: Converting and Converted

part III|52 pages

The Religious–Aesthetic Tension

chapter Chapter 4|21 pages

Music and Religion: Ambivalence Towards the Aesthetic

chapter Chapter 5|13 pages

Sacred and Secular in Handel's Reception

chapter Chapter 6|9 pages

Prophecy, Time and Christian Art

part IV|28 pages

Sacred–Secular Dynamics in the City

part V|35 pages

Internal Adjustments to Modernity

chapter Chapter 11|8 pages

The Political Economy of Baptism

part VI|58 pages

Alternative Responses to Modernity

chapter Chapter 13|7 pages

Enlightenment: Dialogue and Conflict

chapter Chapter 16|19 pages

On Evangelical Christianity: A Review

chapter Chapter 17|7 pages

Global Christianity