by Pieter Bos
volume 2 of a planned Trilogy “The City Redeemed.”


SYNOPSIS

0 Foreword and Introduction
The city is a person, a woman, a mother, a harlot or a bride, an impressive Grand Lady ruling nations, God’s designed Power Partner on earth, the main stake of the spiritual battle, the final crown of creation, the Church, the gorgeous eternal Bride. The city has a world-wide and history-wide relevance. The theme of the city is to be found throughout the Bible, and with great excitement and anticipation!
The city may be a spiritual entity, and this volume may present a theology, but the city and therefore this volume, is also very down to earth and realistic and appealing to our senses. Very much so!
A proper understanding of what the City is, has also fundamental implications for the way the Church functions. Nevertheless too many authors, including theologians, too easily have skipped a careful definition.
This Volume resumes where Vol. 1 leaves off; only major topics from Vol. 1 are summarized in the present volume.

1 Looking Forward to The City.
Some key texts show the centrality of the city in God's plans. According to the Bible City building is the designed co-operation of God with Man, that started in Eden. The "creative mandate" then leads to its fulfilment in the New Jerusalem. Both in OT and NT the city is highly appreciated; it is even a royal and a divine gift to a faithful servant!

2 The City, the Absolute Partner of God.
This is the core chapter, developing from the bare facts about the city and the surrounding area to the spiritual entourage and even splendour of the city in God's plans.
This chapter discusses points such as: What is human? What is a city? The humanness of the city and her role in the unseen world; Her humanness at grandest level, and her cooperation with God to rule the nations; The absolute glory of the city, as Partner of God.

This is the positive picture of the city. Then the book discusses the four "pains" of the city:

3 Pain 1: She does not know Who She Is.
The Corporate Identity of the city. Seven monographs on cities are presented, including Amsterdam, Prague and Atlanta, and the many questions raised by city circumstances. The city wonders: who am I?

4 Pain 2: She does Not Know What She Is.
In the Bible we confronted with a tension: building a city or worshipping God. The international strongholds of power, individualism, and materialism, ten altogether, are presented. In their enormous strength, they produce a devastating confusion to urban life; the worst of them may in our time well be technocracy, which has become a spiritual force. Dialoguing with professionals produces interesting insights, but also more questions. The city wonders: what am I?

5 Pain 3: She does not Know Where She is Going.
Sub-urbanization and cultural homogenization in the visible realm seem irresistible trends (leaving the question whether they should be resisted at all). At the same time, we see a global trend towards re-mythologizing of government in the invisible realm. Both dynamics pose fundamental questions to urban society, and place the city in a pressing dilemma. The city wonders: where am I going?

6 Pain 4: Her Greatest Pain: Will I Succeed?.
This chapter is about city restoration and city destruction in the Bible and in modern times. The previous "pains" are bad, but this one is the main problem of the city. The city wonders: will I succeed?

These six chapters deal with the Theology of the city. The final chapter offers its application, with a perspective on nothing less than: redemption!

7 The City Redeemed.
In closing, a chapter on the redemption of the city. (This chapter is Part 3 of the trilogy.) It deals specifically with those aspects that are not being covered in the literature and praxis of the recently fast growing field of "city-reaching": a theology of the city. It offers strategies for and testimonies of City Reaching, based on the understanding of God's city design as worked out in the previous chapters.

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