Scripture & discernment
Book Description
In a world where churches often mirror corporate boardrooms or political arenas, Luke Timothy Johnson presents a compelling alternative for spiritual communities seeking authentic decision-making processes. This thoughtful exploration challenges congregations to align their practices with their deepest beliefs about faith and divine guidance.
Johnson acknowledges a fundamental tension: while churches claim to be communities of faith, they frequently make decisions based on management principles, market analysis, or ideological positions rather than spiritual discernment. He proposes that genuine Christian communities must ground their choices in two interconnected sources of wisdom: the authority of Scripture and the practice of communal discernment.
The author recognizes that simply consulting biblical texts cannot address every contemporary challenge churches face. Many current issues find no direct scriptural parallel, while others emerge from vastly different historical contexts. This reality necessitates a discernment process where community members, guided by the Holy Spirit, reflect on God's past activity in their individual and collective experiences to perceive divine direction for future decisions.
Drawing from the pivotal narrative of Acts 15 and the inclusion of Gentiles into early Christian fellowship, Johnson demonstrates how this pattern of Scripture-informed discernment operated in the foundational Christian community. He then applies these principles to contemporary church dilemmas, offering a framework that honors both biblical authority and the ongoing movement of God's spirit within faith communities seeking authentic spiritual direction.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
📄 Length: 166 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Christianisme
- ✓ Explore Kerk
- ✓ Explore Group decision making
- ✓ Explore Décision de groupe
- ✓ Explore Aspect religieux
- ✓ Explore Group decision-making
- ✓ Explore Bijbel
- ✓ Explore Criticism, interpretation
