Publications by Chris Baker

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Revd Dr Chris Baker is Research Director, currently working on the third year of the Foundation's research project (Regenerating Communities, A Theological and Strategic Critique) which is exploring the nature of postmodern cities, emerging patterns of civil society and the response of faith based communities to these changes. Chris has written widely in connection with this research, including the publications listed below.

He is also involved with a forthcoming conference, Cities of Culture: Whose vision - which agenda?. Aims and objectives of this conference (Word, 26KB).

Chris Baker's PhD thesis is entitled Towards A Theology of New Towns - The Implications of the New Town Experience for Urban Theology (University of Manchester, 2002). A synopsis is available.

Recent published work includes:

Books

• The Hybrid Church in the City - Third Space Thinking (Ashgate,2007) See image
• Building Utopia?: Seeking the Authentic Church for New Communities (SPCK,2008) co-edited with Laurie Green See image
• Entering the new theological space - blurred encounters in faith, politics and community (Ashgate,2009) co-edited with John Reader See image
• Remoralizing Britain?: Social, Ethical and Theological Perspectives on New Labour, (Continuum,2009) - co-edited with Peter Scott and Elaine Graham See image
• The Hybrid Church in the City - Third Space Thinking 2nd edition (SCM/Canterbury Press - paperback edition - June 2009).See image
• Postsecular Cities - space, theory and practice, (Continuum, 2010) - co-edited with Justin Beaumont

Chapter Contributions

• 'From the Land of the Concrete Cow' in Faithfulness in the City, ed. J.Vincent, (Chester, Monad Press, 2003). Excerpt.
• 'The global and local context of the local church' in Studying Local Churches: A Handbook, ed. H.Cameron et al ( London, SCM Press, 2005)*. Excerpt (Word, 27KB) .
• 'A "Genius of place"? Manchester as a Case Study in Public Theology' (with John Atherton and Elaine Graham) in Pathways to the Public, ed. E.Graham and A. Rowlands (Munster, Lit Verlag, 2005)
• 'Entry to Enterprise: Constructing Local Political Economies in Manchester' in Through the eye of a Needle - theological conversations over political economy ed. John Atherton and Hannah Skinner (Peterborough, Epworth, 2007).
• *both articles/chapter marked thus are reprinted in Theological Reflections: Sources: 2, ed. Elaine Graham, Heather Walton and Frankie Ward (London, SCM Press, 2007).
• 'Contemporary renewal in the centre of the city' in The Church at the Centre of the City ed. Paul Ballard and Noel Davies (Peterborough, Epworth, 2008).
• 'Faith, language and faith literacy' in Faith in the Public Realm: Controversies, Policies and Practices, ed. Adam Dinham, Robert Furbey and Vivien Lowndes (Bristol, Policy Press, Jan 2009)
• 'Social, religious and spiritual capitals: A psychological perspective' in International Handbook of Education for Spirituality, Care and Wellbeing, eds. de Souza, M., Francis, L.J., O'Higgins-Norman, J., Scott, D. (Springer, 2009)
• 'Faiths and Participation: the contribution of religious and spiritual capital to healthy civil society and local democracy' in Steedman, I. Atherton, J. and Graham, E. (eds.) Political Economy, Religion and Wellbeing - The Practices of Happiness (London: Routledge, 2010).

Articles

• 'Hybridity and Practical Theology: In Praise of Blurred Encounters', Contact Journal, 149. Excerpt (Word, 26KB).
• 'Towards Heteropolis - a theological dialogue with urban aesthetics', Modern Believing (Jan 2004). Excerpt (Word, 32KB).
• 'Going with the Flow - can faith communities flourish in non-institutional society?' Political Theology (Mar 2005). Excerpt
• 'Religious Faith in the ex-urban community - a case study of Christian faith-communities in Milton Keynes', City (Vol 9, No.1, April 2005). Excerpt (Word, 24KB).
• Editorial for Crucible Journal (as Guest Editor) Constructing Local Theologies for the 21st Century (October 2005).
• 'Hybridity and Practical Theology: In Praise of Blurred Encounters', Contact Journal, 149 (2005)* (reprinted in Graham, Walton and Ward - see above).
• 'Exploring Secular Spiritual Capital; An Engagement in Religious and Secular Dialogue for a Common Future', International Journal of Public Theology (Vol.2 NO 4, 2008:pp.442-46).
• 'Faith and Traditional capitals: defining the public scope of spiritual and religious capital - a literature review undertaken for the Leverhulme Trust', Implicit Religion, (Vol 13, No 2 2010) - co-authored with Jonathan Miles-Watson

Also book reviews in: Crucible, Modern Believing, City, Political Theology, Journal of Practical Theology.

Reports

• Regenerating Communities: A Theological and Strategic Critique - Mapping the Boundaries. Manchester: William Temple Foundation, 2003.
• Religious Capital in a Regenerating Community Manchester: William Temple Foundation, 2004 (co-edited with Elaine Graham).
• Regenerating Communities: A Theological and Strategic Critique - Telling the Stories; How Churches are contributing to Social Capital. Manchester: William Temple Foundation, 2005 (co-written with Hannah Skinner).
• Faith in Action: The dynamic connection between religious and spiritual capital Manchester: William Temple Foundation 2006 (co-written with Hannah Skinner)