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James, Christopher B. 2018.

Church Planting in Post-Christian 
Soil: Theology and Practice.
New York: Oxford University Press.

ISBN: 978-0-19-067364-2

Reviewed by Kristine Stache
Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA 
kstache@wartburgseminary.edu

Christopher James, Associate Professor of Evangelism and 
Missional Christianity at the University of Dubuque Theological 
School, embarked on what some may call an impossible endeavor, 
to search for the future of the church in one of the least likely 
places, Seattle, Washington—epicenter for the religiously unaffili-
ated (1). The result of his quest is perhaps even more surprising. 
The churches he researched (new churches) is this none-zone of 
the Pacific Northwest were found to be “relatively small and in-
stitutionally weak by comparison to their Christendom predeces-
sors, but they are also a vital, diverse, and engaged cohort” (241). 
Furthermore, this “future trending city of Seattle” (237), and the 
new churches located there and examined in this study, have 
something to teach the established church about being the church 
in all its ecclesial forms. 



Kristine Stache—Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil

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Church Planting in Post-Christian Soil: Theology and Practice, 
is a missiological journey to explore the relationship between a 
church and its neighborhood—how a new church understands 
its identity within, and relationship to, its context. After making a 
case for his project in the Introduction, James introduces his read-
ers to the city of Seattle in chapter 1 and proposes that it can serve 
as “a serviceable proxy for the urban US context in the coming 
years” (13). Seattle it seems, is “a harbinger of urban religion in 
the future” (13). James then lays out his methodology, data, and 
survey results in chapter 2, describing the “religious ecology” of 
the Seattle area through multiple demographic details, patterns, 
and currents (chapter 2).

In chapter 3 James makes the case for his use of modeling 
to analyze these new churches individually and to compare them 
to one another. An overview of the ways modeling typology has 
helped the church study and understand congregations sets the 
stage for chapter 4 of Church Planting, where James lays out four 
new models of practical ecclesiology that emerged from his re-
search: Church as Great Commission Team, Church as Household 
of the Spirit, Church as New Community, and Church as Neigh-
borhood Incarnation. James differentiates between each of the 
four models by analyzing them with the three same characteristics: 
mission, spirituality, and identity. 

Chapter 5 explores the four models through a missional 
theological lens to discern “the strengths and weaknesses inherent 
in each in order to promote increasingly faithful ecclesial forms 
of Christian witness” (139). This lens is particularly important to 
the project as it makes the case for studying churches in context. 
He states (quoting missiologist David Bosch) “Thus the church-
in-mission is, primarily the local church everywhere in the world” 
(147). James spends chapter 6 analyzing the models in light of 
what he calls renewing practice to provide “concrete steps that 
practitioners in each of the four models can take to minimize the 
characteristic weaknesses of their models and amplify their unique 
strengths” (184), with an eye for “increasing its potency for faithful 
and vital Christian witness” (183).



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James wraps up his thorough work in the final chapter where 
he shares with readers his own practical wisdom for the whole 
church that emerged from his work “in the field” (206). These five 
gems—embracing one’s local identity, cultivating spiritualties, wit-
ness and formation, hospitality, and discovering vitality in a di-
verse ecclesial ecology—are explored and critiqued across the four 
models with the goal to deepen each model’s impact and presence 
as church. He ends each section with a summary titled “Implica-
tions for Leaders,” containing insights for both theologians and 
practitioners. 

James does not hold back in his preference for the Neigh-
borhood Incarnation model in the Seattle area (and by extension 
other comparable post-Christian contexts), while at the same 
time does not reject the others. He calls for a “‘mixed economy’ of 
ecclesial expressions” (183) to witness to the many and “multiple 
dimensions of the nature of the church” (183). While all models 
are needed for a diverse church witness, the Neighborhood Incar-
nation model’s priority on community, inclusivity, and hospitality 
is “especially well suited” (182) for the Seattle context and other 
urban areas like it. 

Church Planting is not what one would call a light read, but 
well worth the time in whole or in part, with a little something for 
everyone. Data, process, and research specifics are clearly laid out 
for those interested in formal inquiry, including three appendi-
ces with research methodology, survey parameters, and interview 
protocols. For Seattle fans the book provides a peek into the gifts 
of this city as a predictor of urban life in other areas and its impli-
cations for learning from a context’s religious ecology. As a mis-
siologist, James’s chapter on missional theological assessment was 
particularly engaging, exploring the nature of church itself, start-
ing with an overview of missional theology and its implications 
for the four new church models. And finally, for those readers that 
like to jump straight to learnings and application, well, chapter 7 
might just be for you.

However, the contributions this book makes to the field is not 
limited to the summary of James’s findings, or even its implications 



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for starting and forming new churches. While the results and learn-
ings are interesting in and of themselves, the value comes from the 
interpretation James offers and its implications for the church at 
large. There is no perfect model, or even one preferred model for 
true witness of the Gospel. The church needs a diversity of ecclesial 
forms and interpretations. The hope for the future of the church 
does not reside in finding the one way of being church, but rec-
ognizing that all church forms have a place and responsibility to 
engage in ongoing theological reflection and evaluation grounded 
in its nature, context, purpose and gifts. “Inasmuch as Seattle of-
fers the US church a glimpse into its future, there are grounds not 
only for hope but also enthusiasm,” James offers (240). In Church 
Planting in Post-Christian Soil, Christopher James fulfils his goal 
to teach the established church what it means to be church, learn 
as church, and live as church as the church moves into the future 
in all its locals.


