A Convergent Model of Renewal
Remixing the Quaker Tradition in a Participatory Culture
Foreword by Pink Dandelion
Imprint: Pickwick Publications
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.
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.
"C. Wess Daniels, in A Convergent Model of Renewal, offers a fresh and creative approach to church transformation that respects both tradition and contemporary culture while charting a clear path forward. Through this highly original proposal, Daniels articulates a brilliant synthesis of old and new by way of remix, resistance, and deep, open participation. Applicable beyond the Quaker tradition, A Convergent Model of Renewal would benefit any faith community that looks to remain rooted in their tradition while dynamically responding to the global media culture of the twenty-first century. Highly recommended."
--Ryan K. Bolger, Associate Professor of Church in Contemporary Culture, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA
"One of Quakers' great contributions to the Christian faith is their historical willingness to challenge tradition when justice is in question. By explaining Quaker reliance on the Holy Spirit and group discernment processes, Daniels details a way forward for any church when culture wars disrupt our unity and tarnish our hopes."
--MaryKate Morse, author of Making Room for Leadership
"In this fine book, C. Wess Daniels locates hope for the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in an open and convergent future, in which the best of its evangelical, liberal, and conservative traditions are blended with new energy and revelation. Daniels offers an impressive number of theories and case studies from 350 years of history that will provide much inspiration for those who are wanting to strengthen their Friends' meetings or churches, or to start new ones. Highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to revitalize their local church!"
--Stephen W. Angell, Leatherock Professor of Quaker Studies, Earlham School of Religion, Richmond, IN
"Both the intellectual insights and Wess Daniels' own 'rare gift of empathy' make A Convergent Model of Renewal an important work by a young academic. The reading of early Friends as examples of remix and participatory community, along with the parallels of Freedom Friends Church as real-life examples of the theory, is deeply resonant with my experience and profoundly inspiring to me as a fellow participant-fan-apprentice within the Quaker tradition. The invitation is here to continue to remix his work, resist the passive culture of consumerism in church and academia, and move toward an inclusive, authentic, and thriving Quakerism in the twenty-first century."
--Robin Mohr, Executive Secretary, Friends World Committee for Consultation Section of the Americas, Philadelphia, PA
"Read it, share it, wrestle with it, remix it--plant our future in the compost of faithfulness and failures past. Become an apprentice to this living tradition. Because the world needs the renewed witness of a people called 'Friends'--of a people who have truly come alive."
--Noah Baker Merrill, Secretary, New England Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), Worcester, MA
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