There has been a growing interest in the rapidly evolving nature of cities in the past 10-15 years, but especially in the last 5 years, and the profound impact this is having upon our understandings of community, belonging and church. This book shows that theology in an urban context has developed way beyond the inner-city nostalgia. Here is a challenging, critical and constructive study of the role of the church in cities where a substantial proportion of the world’s population now live.

Hybrid Church in the City is an affordable paperback edition of a book that will become a standard text in its field. The book was published in April 2007 in hardback by Ashgate at a retail price of £50 which makes it largely in accessible to practitioners and graduate students.

'Christopher Baker offers a refreshing and authoritative look at the opportunities and challenges facing the urban church. This book is a great blend of cultural analysis, local voices and theological reflection. It marks a new wave of thinking about what it means to live as people of faith amidst the complexities of the contemporary city'.
Elaine Graham, University of Manchester

‘In this fascinating and prescient study, Christopher Baker argues for a new kind of engagement and connectedness for theology and the churches. By focussing attention on space, urbanisation and marginalisation, new possibilities for practical theology are opened up that invite a fundamental reconsideration of the churches and their location within post-modern society. This book is essential reading for all those who want to understand the Christianity and culture debate in more depth, and tackle it with imagination, flair and thought'.
Martyn Percy, Ripon College Cuddesdon

Dr Baker is Director of Research of the William Temple Foundation, Manchester.