The Great Emergence

Feature Video - The Great Emergence

The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle was published by Baker Book House USA in November 2008 and is our 6015th best seller. The ISBN for The Great Emergence is 9780801013133.

2008 Publishers Weekly Best Religion Book

Rooted in the observation that massive transitions in the church happen about every 500 years, Phyllis Tickle shows readers that we live in such a time right now. She compares the Great Emergence to other "Greats" in the history of Christianity, including the Great Transformation (when God walked among us), the time of Gregory the Great, the Great Schism, and the Great Reformation.

Combining history, a look at the causes of social upheaval, and current events, The Great Emergence shows readers what the Great Emergence in church and culture is, how it came to be, and where it is going. Anyone who is interested in the future of the church in America, no matter what their personal affiliation, will find this book a fascinating exploration.

"North American Christianity is presently undergoing a change every bit as radical as the Protestant Reformation, possibly even as monumental as its natal break with Judaism. And it's right on schedule. Tickle . . . observes that Christianity is holding its semi-millennial rummage sale of ideas. With an elegance of argument and economy of description, Tickle escorts readers through the centuries of church history leading to this moment and persuasively charts the character of and possibilities for the emerging church. Don't let this book's brevity fool you. It is packed with keen insights about what this 'great emergence' is, how it came to be, and where it may be headed. Tickle issues a clear call to acknowledge the inevitability of change, discern the church's new shape, and participate responsibly in the transformation. . . . This is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the face and future of Christianity."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Phyllis Tickle is founding editor of the Religion Department of Publishers Weekly. One of the most respected authorities and popular speakers on religion in America today, she is frequently quoted and interviewed in such media outlets as the New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, Time, CNN, CC-Span and the BBC. A Senior Fellow of Cathedral College at the National Cathedral College, she is the author of more than two dozen books, including God-Talk in America, The Words of Jesus: A Gospel of the Sayings of Our Lord and The Divine Hours, a series of manuals for observing fixed-hour prayer. She is also a lector and lay eucharistic minister in the Episcopalian Church.