The Christian faith always has direct social implications. It is not a privatised religion but overflows into practical action and community transformation. This is seen clearly in the Alpha movement, which has been putting on courses for 45 years. Alpha is a global phenomenon, one of the leading brands in Christian evangelisation, created at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in central London. More than 28 million people have attended the course worldwide, nearly five million in the UK, and many have become Christians as a result. Alpha\u2019s pioneer, the former barrister Nicky Gumbel, has won plaudits as a Billy Graham for the modern age.<\/p>\n
Alpha\u2019s ambition, expressed in its famous catchphrase, is to see not only \u201clives changed\u201d but also \u201csociety transformed\u201d. Alpha has matured over three decades, with frequent revision of Gumbel\u2019s books and films, and this emphasis has become increasingly explicit. For example, he suggests that to pray \u201cYour Kingdom Come\u201d in the Lord\u2019s Prayer is to pray for the nation to be transformed in the areas of politics, economics, social justice, crime and education. Drawing lessons from church history, he praises John Wesley, the father of Methodism, as not only a preacher by also \u201ca prophet of social righteousness\u201d. Gumbel\u2019s other heroes include campaigners such as William Wilberforce, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.<\/span><\/p>\n Questions of Life<\/i>, the core Alpha text, has sold more than 1.7 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 40 languages. Recent editions reveal a great leap forward in the maturing of Gumbel\u2019s social theology. \u201cWe experience the Holy Spirit not just so that we have a warm feeling in our hearts,\u201d he declares, \u201cbut so that we go out and make a difference to our world.\u201d Another of his popular paperbacks, The Heart of Revival<\/i>, was published in the late 1990s, when many churches were excitedly looking for evidence of \u201crevival\u201d. Gumbel wrote: \u201cTrue and lasting revival changes not only human hearts but also communities and institutions. Love for God and love for neighbour go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n Read it all<\/a> (requires subscription).<\/p>\n Well conceived piece by Andrew Atherstone on the maturing of the Alpha Course: "The Christian faith always has direct social implications. It is not a privatised religion but overflows into practical action and community transformation."https:\/\/t.co\/tOZ1h0qOgj<\/a><\/p>\n — Graham Tomlin (@gtomlin) July 16, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n