The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church

Although first published in 1927, this challenging study still dares todayís reader to re-assess all-too-easily made assumptions about the relation between churches and missions. If it were once believed that the freedom of churches should be restricted to bring greater control to missions, Roland Allen sets out to overturn this conception. Warning against the danger of imposing greater limits on churches, the author advocates that all members of the church, natives and foreign leaders alike, take an active role in its establishment and daily life. The study divides itself into nine chapters. The first, introducing Allenís standpoint, and the second as an opening into the nature and character of Spontaneous Expression. The third chapter deals with modern attempts by natives towards the liberty of their churches. The fear of the doctrine becoming weakened by natives taking it into their own hands is addressed in chapter four. This fear is widened into the realm of the Christian standard of morals in chapter five. Civilisation and enlightenment form the central themes of the sixth chapter. Chapters seven and eight tackle the distinction between the Church and missionary societies. It is in the final chapter that the future of Spontaneous Expansion is investigated and Allen puts forward his timeless ideas.