No evangelism program has enjoyed the success of Alpha with one in six British churches and thousands more worldwide adopting the program. In 1998 it carried its own near-saturation advertising campaign on British television. Alpha is now a highly commercialized international industry providing products from videotapes to cookbooks. Some have heralded it as God’s instrument for revival. It has been the subject of numerous articles, doctorates and books, including “Anyone for Alpha? Evangelism in a post-Christian Society” by sociologist Stephen Hunt.
The question of how we can account for, understand and learn from this success is the subject of this interesting study. The book makes no pretense of offering a theological assessment of the course but provides a sociological perspective on the attraction, growth, popularity and effectiveness of Alpha.
The charismatic roots of Alpha are explored to help account for its theological emphasis, spread and popularity. From a sociological perspective Alpha grew on the back of the Toronto Blessing phenomenon. Holy Trinity, Brompton, the home of Alpha, is said to have been one of the principle ‘carriers’ of ‘The Blessing’. After ‘The Blessing’ had ‘run its course’ a vacuum was created that Alpha was able to fill. The Toronto Blessing networks also provided the initial means of transmitting the course through Britain and to the United States.
The author provides some assessment of the content of the course. He argues that the content ‘appears to be fairly selective and subjective in what it includes’ (37), neither representing ‘basic Christianity’ nor addressing the most popular questions that people ask. Rather than being broad and inclusive, the course reflects a particular theological position without adequate missiological justification.
Many evangelists have recognised that the genius of Alpha lies not with the course content, but the social context generated around a meal. Having attended many of these meals himself Stephen Hunt notes that ‘More often than not the meal comes across as a middle-class dinner party and does not always appear to be a suitable setting for the presentation of the gospel’ (41). He also makes the point that ‘in the contemporary world people are not always familiar with eating in company…for those preferring a television supper without company, the Alpha meal can be rather intimidating’ (42).
The ultimate question, at least for sociologists and pragmatists, is - is Alpha working? Stephen Hunt reveals some surprising statistics, including the finding that some eighty percent of course participants were among the already converted. The percentage of course attendees becoming Christians is reported to be around four percent. While this is significant it suggests that the course is no quick fix.
Those already using the course will find this to be a balanced account that will help them understand the cultural assumptions embedded in the course so that they can contextualise it for their own situation. For those with an interest in the theory and practice this is a brief but stimulating study. While not being as comprehensive as its sub-title may suggest, Anyone for Alpha provides some valuable insights, not only into Alpha, but into reaching people in our post-Christian context with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
