Title

REACHING SECULAR PEOPLES: A REVIEW OF THE BOOKS OF GEORGE G. HUNTER III

School/Department

Talbot School of Theology

Publication Date

Summer 2013

Abstract

“Reaching Secular Peoples: A Review of the Books of George G. Hunter III” traces the development of the author’s thought through his eighteen books (as of June 2011). The review demonstrates that Hunter is the primary interpreter of classic church growth thought to those in the Wesleyan tradition, but he also ably speaks to members of the larger Christian family across all theological spectrums with a spirit of grace, cooperation, and collegiality. While his early books, written between 1971 and 1980, communicated insights from the emerging Church Growth movement to Wesleyans (particularly the people called Methodists), his later books demonstrate his ability to enlarge and extend the categories of church growth thinking. To date no one, to my knowledge, has so ably integrated field research, academic rigor, and sound theology in the field of evangelism and church growth as George G. Hunter III. For the person highly interested in evangelism, reading all of Hunter’s books is an enriching experience. This article first appeared in The Asbury Journal
in fall 2011, and is used here, with slight editing, with permission.

Keywords

Hunter, George G, 1938-; Church growth; Secularization (Religion)

Publication Title

Great Commission Research Journal

Volume

5

Issue

1

First Page

27

Last Page

39

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