JEROME E. BURCE

Fifty years ago in the United States the majority of its citizens grew up Protestant or Catholic, and the Church was a central and stable part of life. Encountering few others of a different faith perspective, the message of the Gospel and the various imperatives went largely unquestioned. Today, in a world where pluralism seems to be the primary voice of a postmodern culture, those in the pews-and even in the pulpit-find themselves reluctant to embrace their calling as authorized emissaries of Christ. Can the essential purpose of the Church-to confess that Jesus is Lord-be fulfilled in today's North American culture? Jerome Burce's response is a resounding "Yes," provided that the Church's pastors commit themselves to a "cheerful, vivid, sharp, and unrelenting" iteration of the very Gospel from which their listeners flinch.