Recently there has been a renewed interest in cultural circles in the Christian faith, whether in terms of the high-profile conversions of people such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, or the renewed recognition of the impact of Christian faith on culture through figures such as Tom Holland. At the same time, our culture is going through huge change with the rise of AI, social media and political populism. How then should the church respond? What kind of witness is called for in this cultural context?

A new generation of theologians and apologists are looking again at the question and nature of Christian witness in this fresh context. No longer can – or indeed ought – we assume a common language or cultural background in order to ‘proclaim the Gospel’. A Christian ‘witness’, rather, can be conceived as more of a whole life vocation, pointing to what the individual has seen in Jesus Christ. The life of the witness, in turn, then, becomes part of the medium of the message – “to the ends of the earth”.

Come and See: Towards a Theology of Cultural Witness is not a book about evangelism. It is a collection of essays from theologians, artists, ethicists, musicians, people working within and outside the church, exploring different facets of what it means to be a witness to Jesus Christ in today’s world. The conversation will be prompted by, and in turn will prompt, explorations in Old and New Testament theology, Christian doctrine, liturgical studies, arts and aesthetics, Continental philosophy, and Christian ethics.

Ultimately, the challenge provoked by this book is not merely to embrace the calling of Christian witness, but to embark on the vocation of witnessing as a vocation to full and flourishing life for our neighbours and for ourselves. The witness, to paraphrase what Karl Rahner once said, does not communicate something but oneself.