Raymond J. Bakke

A discussion of the work of the authors with their university in facilitating cooperation among various organizations and churches working within urban areas with some analysis of urban ministry.

There are some tidbits of benefit-- discussions of the place of cities both in modern life and in the Bible, the difficulties resulting from an overly rural emphasis in light of the above, the value of a theology of place, and the ways that cities "work."

Much of the book, however, is really a promotional for the lives of the two men, the organization with which they work, and the type of efforts in which they engage. For one who has deep skepticism about the value of hierarchical spiritual organizations beyond what is established for the church in Scripture, and even greater skepticism about automatically assuming that the models of the marketplace are the ways that the church should function, such material was interesting at times but ultimately of little value.… (mais)