Christians Are Called to Pursue the Wholistic Flourishing of a Community
By Anne Kerhoulas
In her new book, Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society, Amy Sherman explores what it means for Christians to be a people of peace in their communities and spheres of influence.
In this talk for Q Ideas, Sherman unpacks the basic premise for her book; that Christians have a rich history of pursuing human flourishing and we must continue to bear the mantle of being people who bring shalom in a weary society, using our capital for the benefit of our communities.
But what does it mean to be agents of shalom? How exactly are we supposed to bring peace to our neighbors and cities? Sherman understands human flourishing through the lens of the human ecology framework.
This framework argues that in order for a community to flourish, it must be strong in the six domains of society: the good, the just, the beautiful, the sustainable, the true, and the prosperous. The good refers to social ethics, the true to human knowledge and learning, the beautiful to the realm of creativity, the just to civic life and politics, the prosperous to economic life, and the sustainable to human and natural health. For a community to flourish, it requires strength in all six domains.
Sherman takes this framework and applies it to the calling of the church. Throughout history, Christians have been thought leaders and pioneers in pursuing the flourishing of their neighbors and cities through these same domains because they are all areas of life that God cares about. He calls us to steward our bodies and natural surroundings well, to give to the poor and work for equitable living, to create as he creates, to fight for the morally right and true, and more.
Christian Union prepares students at some of the most influential universities in the world to work for the flourishing of their neighbors. From robust teaching on faith and work to evangelism training and spiritual disciplines, Christian Union is equipping the next generation to bring about the shalom of the communities they inhabit.
Listen to the full podcast here.
