Super, Natural Vancouver: An Urban Missiological Study of Canada’s Preeminent West Coast City
Considering the lack of research regarding Christianity in Canada’s third largest city, the aim of this dissertation is to contribute much needed insight into the current and future trends of Christian witness in Vancouver. While the majority of Vancouverites report to Statistics Canada that they have “no religion,” there is little research available regarding Christian activity and response to this increasingly secular context. This dissertation engages the question of what a thick description of missional interaction with the city of Vancouver might teach us about the motivating beliefs and spiritualities of Christian communities with the aim of contributing to the larger North American discourse on missional theology. The research uses a mixed-methods approach in the field of congregational studies including survey and interviews. Significant findings from the research include a focus of Christians on befriending a “spiritual not religious” culture, affordable housing as a missional connection, specific models of Christian witness, the challenge of sharing the gospel in light of colonialism and Residential Schools, the impact of immigration upon the church in Vancouver, scarce sacred space for churches to worship and serve in light of Vancouver’s expensive housing market, and possible missional connections given Vancouverites’ high value placed on the environment and Indigenous culture. The main conclusions and implications from this research include the emphasis upon mission through relationships, mission and creation care, mission through walking worthily, and mission attending to the future church God that is bringing.
https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/173156261/R%20A%20%20Lockhart%20-%20thesis.pdf
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https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/173156265/R%20A%20%20Lockhart%20-%20toc.pdf
https://research.vu.nl/ws/files/173156267/R%20A%20%20Lockhart%20-%20title_page.pdf
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/004cfe87-31a4-48ac-876a-a909a3fd23e1