Winsome Persuasion : Christian Influence In A Post Christian World

Introduction
Part I: Laying A Theoretical Foundation
1. What Is A Counterpublic?
2. What Is A Christian Counterpublic Historical Sketch 1: St. Patrick
3. Argument Culture
4. Credibility Of A Counterpublic Historical Sketch 2: Jean Vanier/L’Arche

Part II: Engaging Others
5. Crafting Your Message
6. Delivering Your Message Historical Sketch 3: Harriet Beecher Stowe
7. Forming Loose Connections Historical Sketch 4: Wilberforce

Part III: Pressing Questions For Christian Counterpublics
8. How Should We Respond To Supreme Court Decision On Same-sex Marriage? (Muehlhoff)
9. How Should We Respond To Supreme Court Decision On Same-sex Marriage? (Langer) 10. Are You Saying . . . ?

Conclusion

Additional Info
How are Christians viewed in the broader culture? We blush at the possibilities. Brainwashed fanatics? Out-of-touch dogmatists? Buffoons? The task of bearing faithful witness to Jesus is complicated by persistent-and not altogether baseless-cultural stereotypes. In our post-Christian society, thoughtful Christians are considering again how to engage the dominant culture as a minority, a counterpublic, amid varying perceptions and misperceptions. In this timely book, Timothy Muehlhoff and Rick Langer ask what our interactions with the dominant cultural ethos should look like. How might we be persuasive and civil at the same time? How should we respond to those who ridicule and caricature us? How can we challenge the beliefs of other communities with love and respect? Muehlhoff and Langer present a model for cultural engagement that integrates communication theory, theology, and Scripture. Penetrating, wise, and relentlessly practical, it includes test cases and examples from history, such as William Wilberforce and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Now more than ever, Christians need what Winsome Persuasion offers: a compelling vision of public engagement that is both shrewd and gracious.