Building Christian Communities was published in 1972, twenty years ago. Much has changed in the world since then. Much has changed in the church as well. The tone of the book already seems outdated to me, although I can still remember all the movements, trends and events that are referred to. The times have changed and consequently much in the circumstances changed. Yet the book is still in demand. It is recommended in several countries by Catholic hierarchies as a basic resource for those trying to develop communities. It is still in demand, because it is still of use, perhaps as much as ever. Therefore, the request was made for a new edition. 1972 is so woven into the book that it is impossible to simply edit out some references and make the book into a 1992 book. A 1992 book would have to be a new book. But the content would not change that much. That is because Building Christian Communities is a book of principles. Plans and programs are outdated rapidly, because the response to the current circumstances has to be built right into them. Principles last much longer and are the basis for many plans and programs. The United States is also woven into this book. It was written from a North American vantage point. Ironically, the book is now used more widely and profitably in countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America than in the United States. Nonetheless, to use a more representative selection of examples would also involve writing a new book. Instead of rewriting the book, we decided to write an update and to expand the appendix with more recent church documents. In the update, I review what has happened with community building since the book was first written. I also give some reflections on the changes since 1972 and how that might modify what we do. And I add some reflections and lessons from experience that I did not have in 1972 |
