Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian "third Way" Changed the World, Paperback

In our Western, post-Christendom society, much of Christianity's cultural power, privilege, and influence has eroded. But all is not lost, says bestselling author Gerald Sittser. Although the church is concerned and sobered by this cultural shift, it is also curious and teachable.

Sittser shows how the early church offers wisdom for responding creatively to the West's increasing secularization. The early Christian movement was surprisingly influential and successful in the Roman world, and so different from its two main rivals--traditional religion and Judaism--that Rome identified it as a "third way." Early Christians immersed themselves in the empire without significant accommodation to or isolation from the culture. They confessed Jesus as Lord and formed disciples accordingly, which helped the church grow in numbers and influence.

Sittser explores how Christians today can learn from this third way and respond faithfully, creatively, and winsomely to a world that sees Christianity as largely obsolete. Each chapter introduces historical figures, ancient texts, practices, and institutions to explain and explore the third way of the Jesus movement, which, surprising everyone, changed the world.

Recovering the Genius of Early Christian Discipleship

"As we witness a decline in church attendance and in church membership, and as allegiance to any religious group is on the wane, Sittser issues a persuasive call in Resilient Faith for a return to the systematic approach to discipleship developed by the early church to counter this downward trajectory. No need to search for novel methods to halt the deterioration of the church's influence in the world; applying the heart of the gospel message will lead to flourishing again!"
--Kay Warren, bestselling author and cofounder of Saddleback Church

"Today's Christians must learn the way forward by looking back at the riches of the early church's way of life. Sittser provides us an accessible history that not only teaches us about the resilience of the early church but provides a vision for how we might be more faithful in our current moment through the recovery of its doctrines and mode of cultural engagement. This is not a dry history of dates, names, and abstract ideas but a call to a rich project of retrieval--a chance to sit at the feet of our oldest brothers and sisters and learn from them how we might live more fully in the way of Jesus."
--Tish Harrison Warren, Anglican priest, writer-in-residence at Church of the Ascension (Pittsburgh), and author of Liturgy of the Ordinary

"So if believers today live in a post-Christian era similar to the early churches' pagan era, what can these early believers teach us? Apparently a lot. So argues Sittser, tantalizing us with ancient ideas and practices that can invigorate Christian witness today."
--Mark Galli, editor in chief, Christianity Today

"If you're interested in a knowledgeable, insightful, and thorough introduction to the life and thought of the ancient church--and the ancient church leaders known as the church fathers (and church mothers)--this is just the book for you."
--Chris Hall, president of Renovaré

"An exciting, beautifully written, and much-needed book. In a time in which our social fabric seems to be tearing, Sittser draws on the early centuries of the church to offer a powerful vision of Christian witness. Sittser's 'Third Way' offers significant promise for a robust renewal of Christian life and thought."
--L. Gregory Jones, Duke Divinity School

Gerald L. Sittser (PhD, University of Chicago) is the bestselling author of Water from a Deep Well, A Grace Disguised, and The Will of God as a Way of Life. He is professor of theology at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, where he also serves as senior fellow and researcher in the Office of Church Engagement. He specializes in the history of Christianity, Christian spirituality, and religion in American public life. Sittser has written for numerous publications, including Christianity Today, and has spoken at numerous churches, conferences, retreats, and colleges.