A Convergent Model of Renewal: Remixing the Quaker Tradition in a Participatory Culture - Paperback

by C. Wess Daniels (Author), Pink Dandelion (Foreword by)

A Convergent Model of Renewal addresses a perceived crisis for faith traditions. How do we continue to value tradition while allowing for innovative and contextual expressions of faith to emerge? How do we foster deeper participation and decentralization of power rather than entrenched institutionalism? Drawing on insights from contemporary philosophy, contextual theology, and participatory culture, C. Wess Daniels calls for a revitalization of faith traditions. In A Convergent Model of Renewal he proposes a model that holds together both tradition and innovation in ways that foster participatory change. This convergent model of renewal is then applied to two case studies based in the Quaker tradition: one from the early part of the tradition and the second from an innovative community today. The model, however, is capable of being implemented and adapted by communities with various faith backgrounds.

Author Biography

C. Wess Daniels earned a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. His areas of interest are church renewal, missiology, participatory culture, contextual theology, and the Quaker tradition. He has been the released minister (pastor) at Camas Friends Church, a Quaker meeting in Camas, WA since 2009. Wess has travelled and taught widely among Friends, including courses at George Fox Seminary and Earlham School of Religion. He served as a co-editor for the publication Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices, a book that brought together Young Adult Friends from seventeen countries and the many branches of Friends. Other publications include: "Convergent Friends: The Emergence of Postmodern Quakerism" (2010) in Quaker Studies, "A Faithful Betrayal: The New Quakers" (2010) in Quaker Life, and "I (Hope) I see Dead People" (2012) in Friends Journal. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids.