My latest book, co-authored with Gerardo Marti, The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging Christianity (Oxford 2014) has been reviewed by Jean Hassenforder on the French blog ‘Temoins’ (Witnesses).
The review appears quite comprehensive, providing French-speaking readers a good idea of the content of the book and its main arguments. In a personal email communication with me, Hassenforder wrote:
I appreciated the depth and quality of your research which covers a field which was largely sociologically unexplored. I found the socio cultural analysis of cultural trends very near that of the analysis of French sociologists of religion. Your perspective is useful for the whole western world, even if study of the American emerging church is specific.
I used Google translate to read the review, and while this has its limitations, I was heartened to see that Hassenforder sees the book as a useful, practical resource for Emerging Christians in France. He writes:
The development of the emerging church in the United States is supported by a large number of players as a result of a specific historical context. Obviously the situation is different in France. The initiative in this area is less common and corresponding forces are few. Thus, if the need for emergent church is also felt in France, we will have to respond, probably on a smaller scale and implement appropriate strategies, probably through the use of Internet resources because Emerging Christians elsewhere have found there a favorable climate and an unparalleled means of communication to reach people and gather research spread over an area. This book can serve the French environment by raising awareness of the emerging church and options we might have. Gerardo Marti and Gladys Ganiel’s book awakens echoes for us, raises aspirations, brings visions of what is possible and stimulates our imagination to develop our own paths.