Many church leaders feel caught between uncomfortable extremes when it comes to how to evangelize - either instrumental strategies that feel manipulative or avoiding evangelism altogether out of fear it will drive people away. In this episode, Luther Seminary professor Andy Root offers a third way through his new book "Evangelism in an Age of Despair." Andy shows how to evangelize through what he calls "a theology of consolation" - recognizing that the caring relationships churches naturally build actually constitute authentic evangelism when grounded in the conviction that Jesus Christ is present in our shared sorrows.

Rather than learning new programs or strategies, Andy helps church leaders recognize the evangelism they're already doing. When congregations sit with people going through cancer treatment, help neighbors clean out a deceased parent's home, or simply take walks with those who are grieving, they're practicing presence-based evangelism. This conversation will transform how you think about how to evangelize by moving from strategy-based approaches to authentic ministry that flows naturally from Christian care and consolation.

ABOUT ANDY ROOT:

Andrew Root, PhD (Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is most recently the author of Evangelism in an Age of Despair and the six volume Ministry in a Secular Age series.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Book: Evangelism in an Age of Despair (Andy Root, 2025):
• Book: The Promise of Despair (Andy Root, 2010)
• Book: The Gospel of Wellness (Rina Raphael, 2022)
• Book: The Ethics of Authenticity (Charles Taylor, 2018)
• Book: Cosmopolis (Stephen Toulmin, 1992)