Price: $10.00

Electronic Version: $7.00

How Far Along Is Your Church?  The Life Cycle of Congregations

Robert C. Linthicum

Congregations, like human beings, follow a life cycle from birth to death.  This paper presents the normal life cycle of any church or institution and helps you gauge where your church is in its life cycle. It also presents proven means by which a church can renew its life and reverse its life cycle.

Price: $10.00

Electronic Version: $7.00

Why Some Churches Succeed and Other’s Don’t!

Robert C. Linthicum

This surprising article is based upon a ten-year study of successful and unsuccessful urban churches throughout the world. This study conducted by Dr. Linthicum identifies particular characteristics that effective urban churches hold in common and demonstrates how previously unsuccessful churches, upon embracing these characteristics, can rapidly move toward success.

Price: $10.00

Electronic Version: $7.00

Relational Power: Bringing Morality Back Into Public Life

Robert C. Linthicum

Initially presented as the keynote address of the Alumni Symposium at Wheaton College, this paper was part of a year-long college-wide exploration of how Christians can reclaim morality in public life.  Robert Linthicum contends that the way to reshape public action and discourse is through Christians with non-believers building a relational power base designed for social reform.

Price: $10.00

Electronic Version: $7.00

The Surprising History of Evangelicalism – and Why We Need to Rediscover It!

Robert C. Linthicum

Today's evangelical movement focuses on a culture and conduct centered in orthodox theology and a personal relationship with God.  But it wasn't always this way.  In it's first 100 years, the evangelical movement was a radical effort to socially reform the world. This paper traces that surprising history, examines what turned evangelicalism into a privatized faith, and explores the possibilities of the renewal of the transformative dream.

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Electronic Version: $7.00

The Shalom Community: The Thread That Ties the Bible Together

Robert C. Linthicum

One of the greatest themes in the scriptures is the vision of the Shalom Community – society as God intended it to be.  This vision is  political and economic as well as spiritual.  Both Israel and the Church are called to shalom.  This paper thoroughly explores this vision throughout scripture and reflects on the degree to which Israel and the church have actually achieved it.

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Electronic Version: $7.00

The Biblical Understanding of the World As It Actually Is

Robert C. Linthicum

The Bible consistently presents an analysis of why society functions the way it does.  Whether in Egypt, Israel or Rome the political, economic and religious systems operated in concert together under an ethic of domination which resulted in an increasing division of mass poverty and elite power.  This paper explores this analysis and traces its implementation through scripture.

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Electronic Version: $7.00

Building Heaven and Creating Hell:  The Bible on Economic, Political and Religious Systems and Their People

Robert C. Linthicum

First published in the journal, Social Policy, this paper succinctly presents Dr. Linthicum’s biblical formulation of the world as God intended and society as it has actually become.  Responses include: “Linthicum might as well be a modern-day Ezekiel calling into account the evils that have befallen American culture, government and society.”  “If I had been taught this way of reading the Bible in Sunday school, I would never have left the church!”

Price: $10.00

Electronic Version: $7.00

Paul: The Man Who Understood Power

Robert C. Linthicum

One of the most sophisticated masters of power in scripture was the Apostle Paul.  In this paper, Robert Linthicum examines the eight unique ways Paul used power to confound the Jewish and Roman authorities, to protect his own interests and to advance the gospel.  This study teaches by example how to use relational power in order to work for the transformation of society. 

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Electronic Version: $7.00

One to Ones: A Way of Live and Ministry

Marilyn Stranske

In building relational power, the most radical action is the individual meeting.  The core of all community organizing is found in two people sitting down and talking substantively with each other about what they care about most; what brings them joy or breaks their hearts. Out of such sharing, the power is built to transform a city.  In this paper, Marilyn Stranske presents the genius and strategies of one-on-ones.

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Electronic Version: $7.00

Doing Community Organizing in the Urban Slums of India

Robert C. Linthicum

This is the miraculous story of how the poverty-stricken citizens of an urban slum in Chennai, India took charge of their abject situation.  They compelled Chennai’s political machine to correct their situation, and built for themselves a healthy, prosperous community.  This story provides a clear example of how God’s people can work for the transformation of even the most destitute people and circumstances through the principles of community organizing.

Price: $10.00

Electronic Version: $7.00

How Struggling Churches Can Cluster for Power

Robert C. Linthicum

This paper is based on Dr. Linthicum's pioneering work with clusters of churches in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and other cities. It outlines a strategy by which small struggling churches and larger anchor churches can work together in a common mission thrust to transform their communities without surrendering the unique life and ministry of each church.

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Electronic Version: $7.00

The Key to Transformation: The Doctrine of Vocation

Robert C. Linthicum

The doctrine of vocation or “call” is the belief that every human being has been chosen by God for a specific ministry in the world.  Vocation is one of the most neglected doctrines in the church today because it does not serve the institutionalization of the church.  This paper explores the theology of "call" and demonstrates how it gives clarity, purpose and impetus for service to the lives of church members.

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Electronic Version: $7.00

People of Vocation: An Amazing March Through Scripture

Robert C. Linthicum

The people of the Bible perceived themselves as a called  and chosen people.  This paper traces throughout scripture how a shepherd, military leader, judge, farmer, wife and mother,  king, mayor, governor, carpenter, fisherman and even a prostitute all saw themselves as being chosen by God. They knew they were gifted by God to impact the world, but could only do so by becoming a single community.  The results?  They turned the world upside-down.

Price: $10.00

Not available in electronic version

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: the 21^st Century Urban World

Robert C. Linthicum

In this paper originally presented before the American Scientific Affiliation, Dr. Linthicum reminds us that it is impossible to go back to the "good old days".  We are facing a post-modern world of globalization, localization, growing poverty, an electronic information revolution and a changing perception of the truth.  How do we live out the gospel in such a world?

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Electronic Version: $7.00

God’s Call to the Urban Church: Claiming Your Birthright

Robert C. Linthicum

Originally speaking to Presbyterians, Robert Linthicum reflects on the biblical story of how Esau despised his birthright.  He notes, “Like Esau’s, our birthright is an inheritance.  It is given us by our fathers and mothers in the faith.  And like Esau, it is not being extracted from us by force; it is being freely given away without our even realizing what we are doing”.  What is that birthright?  It is our engagement in public life stemming from the Reformed understanding of the providence and sovereignty of God.