Imitating Christ : the disputed character of Christian discipleship (2024) by
BV4501.3 .J65. "Luke Timothy Johnson explores the history and theology of discipleship"-- Provided by publisher."Is discipleship about personal sanctification or social reform? There's a rift among Christians on a question central to our identity: what does it mean to follow Jesus? For centuries, imitating Christ meant the pursuit of holiness, conforming the self to Jesus through self-sacrifice in order to join him in eternal life. But some Christians today consider this model to be self-centered. Instead, true disciples ought to imitate Jesus in confronting corrupt social systems on behalf of the oppressed. In Imitating Christ, esteemed New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson seeks the origin of this fissure. Surveying the New Testament, medieval mysticism, modern theology, and more, Johnson shows how the twentieth-century social gospel and liberation theology created a new model of discipleship. He then evaluates the theological implications of the two models and asks what we can learn from each. Inspired by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Thomas Merton, Johnson puts forward a vision of discipleship that can revitalize Christian witness in the world today. Replete with keen exegesis and devotional classics, Imitating Christ reorients Christian living toward pursuing sainthood. Pastors and interested lay readers alike will rediscover our rich spiritual heritage in these pages"-
Jesus for Everyone : not just Christians by
Why Jesus's historic and cultural influence makes him fascinating, provocative, and relevant for everyone, not only Christians. Two thousand years after his birth and death, Jesus of Nazareth continues to be of vital interest. Yet much of the scholarship around Jesus focuses on his religious significance. Jesus for Everyone examines his most famous teachings from a fresh perspective, exploring how they have continued to shape ethics and civilization in the West for two millennia. Even for those who reject faith, Jesus's life and his philosophy are important to study, writes renowned biblical scholar and author Amy-Jill Levine, because of the insights they hold for us today. Poring through scripture, analyzing what historical scholarship has revealed about Jesus's views on a number of subjects--including women--reveals surprising messages sure to be fascinating to all readers. Placing Jesus of Nazareth within his historical context, Levine brings him vividly into focus and invites everyone from faithful Christians, agnostics, and the most committed nonbelievers to appreciate his lasting impact on the modern world.
Letters to a Future Saint (2024) by
An invitation to the Christian faith for the bored, the distracted, and the spiritually hungry Dear future saint, Why is the gospel worth living for? Why is it worth dying for? In these letters, a fellow pilgrim addresses future saints: the bored and the distracted, the skeptical and the curious, the young and the spiritually hungry. Lively and readable, these bite-sized letters explain the basics of Christian life, including orthodox doctrine, the story of Scripture, the way of discipleship, and more. Interweaving Scripture, poetry, and theological writings, Letters to a Future Saint educates readers in the richness of the Christian tradition. But beyond that, this earnest and approachable volume offers young people-- who may be largely uninformed of the depths of faith despite having been raised in Christian homes --an invitation into the life of the church and into a deeper relationship with God
Another Day: sabbath poems 2013-2023 by
A companion to his beloved volume This Day and Wendell Berry's first new poetry collection since 2016, this new selection of Sabbath Poems are filled with spiritual longing and political extremity, memorials and celebrations, elegies and lyrics, alongside the occasional rants of the Mad Farmer, pushed to the edge yet again by his compatriots and elected officials. With the publication of this new edition, it has become increasingly clear that the Sabbath Poems have become the very heart of Berry's work.
Becoming by Beholding : the power of the imagination in spiritual formation by
Becoming by Beholding restores the imagination to its central role in spiritual formation by recovering key works from the Christian tradition, enabling us to experience the formative power of the imagination for ourselves.
Bob Dylan: Prophet without God by
Throughout his career, Bob Dylan has always been more than a musician. Whether as an icon of the social movements of the 1960s, a convert to evangelical Christianity publicly wrestling with his faith, or simply a poet of genius, Dylan has occupied a position of moral leadership for more than half a century. Examining these roles collectively, the award-winning political philosopher Jeffrey Edward Green offers a vision of Dylan as a modern-day prophet, providing an overarching account of the significance of Dylan's political, religious, and ethical ideas. Green suggests Dylan is not a prophet of salvation, but rather a "prophet of diremption." Dylan speaks to the ideals that have animated earlier prophets--social justice, individual freedom, and adherence to God--but breaks from past tradition by testifying to the conflicts between these ideals. By considering Dylan's work across his career, Green shows how the humble folk singer from Minnesota who went on to win the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature has made novel contributions to the meaning of self-reliance, the quest for rapprochement between the religious and non-religious, and the problem of how ordinary people might operate in a fallen political world.
Engaging Jesus with Our Senses : an embodied approach to the Gospels by
Jesus took on flesh--he was embodied. And the Gospels use multisensory language to reveal that his teaching, ministry, and interactions with people engaged the senses. Consider the raging storm on the Sea of Galilee, the perfume filling the house as Mary anointed Jesus's feet, the significance of touch as Jesus healed people. Jesus even described himself in sensory terms--as the bread of life, the light of the world, the vine to whom his disciples are connected. Our physical senses are crucial to gaining knowledge of the world around us. Yet when it comes to Bible reading, we often reduce it to a mere cognitive experience, ignoring the Psalmist's invitation to "taste and see that the Lord is good." This book offers a fresh way to read the Gospels with an emphasis on embodiment, focused on a life abiding in Christ. The goal is a greater, more tangible knowledge of God. Jeannine Hanger points to the importance of engaging our physical senses in Bible reading, shows an approach to doing so with an emphasis on sparking the imagination, and looks at how utilizing our primary senses plays out in reading the Gospels. Each chapter includes sensory practices and questions for personal reflection. The book includes a foreword by Grant Macaskill.
Enlightened Self-Interest : individualism, community, and the common good by
Insights into a compassionate alternative to a ruthlessly self-interested capitalist culture Societally sanctioned competition for money, power, and fame promotes selfishness, personal alienation, and widespread inequality, especially in market-oriented economies. Yet many of those engaging in this competitive individualism--the competition for rewards and limited resources--yearn to act directly to promote a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society. Enlightened Self-Interest offers evidence-based insights into the societal and individual consequences of this cultural practice and an actionable alternative to it. This meticulously researched and empirically rooted reexamination of hypercompetition and zero-sum thinking presents inspiring examples of people who have reclaimed their own lives by contributing to a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society. They model the vision of enlightened self-interest, merging self-interest with other interests in pursuit of the common good, resulting in widely shared benefits. Enlighted Self Interest provides a compelling case for incremental change and a series of actionable recommendations to jump-start a personal transition and to become part of a collective radical evolution.
Beauty Is Oxygen: finding a faith that breathes (2024) by
"Wesley Vander Lugt shows readers how encountering beauty can revitalize their spiritual lives"-- Provided by publisher."Beauty is oxygen because it comes from the lungs of God. Isolating individualism, rank injustice, and everyday monotony threaten to suffocate our souls. But Wesley Vander Lugt shows how beauty can breathe life back into us. Written in a graceful cadence that invites readers to turn these pages slowly, Beauty Is Oxygen weaves together theological reflection, poetry, cultural criticism, and Scripture. Throughout, Vander Lugt shows how beauty can break us out of self-centered malaise, promote healing and hope for our broken world, and reenchant our lives. Beauty is about more than positive feelings or pleasing aesthetics. Beauty is as essential to our souls as oxygen is to our bodies. As readers encounter these traces of divine glory in Vander Lugt's finely crafted meditations, they will find how Christ will "make all things new.""-
Remaining with Jesus : discipleship in the Gospel of John by
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus today? (And why should you want to be one?) Using the Gospel of John as his roadmap, Father Brice Higginbotham invites you to join him on an inspiring exploration of what Scripture tells us about being a disciple of Jesus and how Christian discipleship brings peace and fulfillment to your daily life. By delving into Jesus' encounters with real people, the author provides practical guidance for healthy spiritual living based on two primary concepts: believing in Jesus and remaining with, or staying true to, Jesus in good times and bad. Father Brice introduces you to Jesus' first disciples, offering a lens through which you can see yourself in the experiences of these men and women. Unpacking these historical encounters, he makes them as relevant to modern life as they were to Christ's first followers. Most practically, he presents a four-part program of discipleship according to the Gospel that can uplift and transform your faith life through fellowship with Jesus. Join Father Brice on a fulfilling journey to true discipleship.
Hope Ain't a Hustle : persevering by faith in a wearying world by
Sometimes hope can feel like a scam--a swindle, a hustle. You thought it was real, and you bought into it. But then the tables turn, and you feel like you've been hustled--like you've been had. As Christians, we often respond to the brokenness of life as if we do not actually have hope--as if the promises of God are not really certain. But Pastor Irwyn Ince assures us that not only do we have hope, but that hope cannot disappoint us because it is validated by God himself. Hope Ain't a Hustle is a clear and accessible exploration of the epistle to the Hebrews, urging us to place our confidence in the finished work of our great high priest, Jesus Christ, and showing how that confidence changes the way we live in the here and now. It's not that Christians don't face grief or anger, disappointment or deep sorrow. It's that we don't face them as those "who have no hope."
Unforgivable? : exploring the limits of forgiveness by
Forgiveness is a lovely idea, wrote C. S. Lewis, and in recent decades it has been seen and admired in situations ranging from therapy to politics, and proposed as a constructive pathway in the aftermath of abuse and atrocity. Not everyone is impressed, however, and in parallel with praise and promotion of forgiveness, cries of 'unforgivable' are uttered with increased shrillness and frequency. In this hugely compelling, wide-ranging, and thought-provoking book, Stephen Cherry argues that while forgiveness can be transformative in the aftermath of harm, it can also, if not handled with care, become an additional pressure and anxiety for those who have been harmed. He teases out the way in which Christian understandings often lie behind pressure to forgive, identifying a number of typical mistakes with the Christian approach to forgiveness. Reflecting on many examples from real life as well as literature, and on the insights of psychologists and philosophers, Cherry uses the tension between the desire to forgive and the protest that a person is unforgivable to push towards understandings of forgiveness that avoid the harshness of binary models. Forgiveness is not, he insists, the only good way forward after harm. A positive understanding of non-vengeful unforgiveness is vital if the harmed are to be given the care and support they need and deserve, and if forgiveness itself is to be authentic and liberating. Cherry's challenging book brims with energy and blends human insight with intellectual vision. It argues that if forgiveness is to play a part in the aftermath of harm without inflicting further harm it must be presented in a non-idealized way and only following acknowledgement of the depth of the human impact of the harm done.
Real World Faith by
Real World Faitharticulates a faith that is effectively linked to our real world, the world of our bodies and of the body politic. The real world of our bodies causes us to be largely preoccupied with our health, security, dignity, and sexuality, and causes concern for food and shelter for ourselves and for our neighbors. The real world of the body politic puts us in inescapable touch with issues of money, power, weapons, policies, treaties, taxes, and trade agreements. These are the matters that occupy us most of the time on most of our days. They are the proper agenda of our faith, because our faith consists in trust in the One who governs our bodily life in the world. Our interpretive work is to try to articulate the ways--albeit hidden ways--in which the agency and character of God make effective contact with our world. This is real-life faith.
Alternative to the Bread of Affliction: and other essays (2024) by 
The Spirit of Our Politics: spiritual formation and the renovation of public life by
For those discouraged and exhausted by the bitterness and rage in our politics, Michael Wear offers a new paradigm of political involvement rooted in the teachings of Jesus and drawing insights from Dallas Willard's approach to spiritual formation. When political division shows up not only on the campaign trail but also at our dinner tables, we wonder: Can we be part of a better way The Spirit of Our Politics says "yes," offering a distinctly Christian approach to politics that results in healing rather than division, kindness rather than hatred, and hope rather than despair. In this profound and hope-filled book, Michael Wear--a leading thinker and practitioner at the intersection of faith and politics--applies insights taken from the work of Dallas Willard to argue that by focusing on having the "right" politics, we lose sight of the kind of people we are becoming, to destructive results. This paradigm-shifting book reveals: Why we need to reframe how we view our political involvement as Christians How as Christians we can reorient our politics for the good of others The crucial connection between discipleship to Jesus and political involvement A different way of talking about politics that is edifying, not stomach-turning How to navigate political strife in churches and small groups Why who we are in our political life is not quarantined from who we are in "real life" Why gentleness is entirely possible in our political discourse The Spirit of Our Politics is for readers of any political perspective who long for a new way to think about and engage in politics. That new approach begins with a simple question: What kind of person would I like to be
Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself by 
Judaism Is about Love: recovering the heart of Jewish life, by Shai Held (2024) by 
A Quilted Life : reflections of a sharecropper's daughter by
"The autobiography of Catherine Meeks, describing her journey from the sharecropping fields of her father to the academy and beyond
Reformation and Everyday Life by
The European reformations meant major changes in theology, religion, and everyday life. Some changes were immediate and visible in a number of countries: monasteries were dissolved, new liturgies were introduced, and married pastors were ordained, other more hidden. Theologically, as well as practically the position of the church in the society changed dramatically, but differently according to confession and political differences. This volume addresses the question of how the theological, liturgical, and organizational changes changes brought by the reformation within different confessional cultures throughout Europe influenced the everyday life of ordinary people within the church and within society. The different contributions in the book ask how lived religion, space, and everyday life were formed in the aftermath of the reformation, and how we can trace changes in material culture, in emotions, in social structures, in culture, which may be linked to the reformation and the development of confessional cultures.
Living Christ : a spiritual reading of the gospels by
In Living Christ, Peter Feldmeier explores the Gospels as the premier revelation of the person, ministry, and salvation of Jesus Christ. Uniting biblical scholarship with a deep spiritual engagement with the Gospels, Feldmeier shows how the biblical word can access the prophetic words and saving work of Jesus to make them one's own. Each Gospel provides a unique interpretation of Christ and a distinctive expression of Christian discipleship. Feldmeier takes the reader slowly through each text so that they may richly engage the truths witnessed by the evangelists and become opportunities for interior transformation. Drawing on traditional and modern commentaries, as well as his own reflections, Feldmeier shows how the Gospels are essential in their own ways in coming to an intimate relationship with Christ and an authentic appropriation of biblical discipleship.
The Spiritual Soul : new Pentecostal insights on the human being by
What is the human soul? What does it do? How does it relate to the brain and body? What is happening in the soul when a person encounters the Holy Spirit? These are some of the questions addressed in The Spiritual Soul as it advances towards its overall goal of proposing a (re)new(ed) Pentecostal/Charismatic understanding of what constitutes a human being. In pursuing this overarching intention, Churchouse responds to the anthropology of two leading Pentecostal scholars, Amos Yong and Veli-Matti Karkkainen--specifically their theological models concerning what a human is constituted / essentially "made up" of--to offer an enhanced Pentecostal model in preference to their monistic view. Drawing upon the sources of biblical studies, the philosophy of mind, and upon the pneumatology that flows from Pentecostal spirituality, Churchouse advances a renewed understanding of the human soul--one illumined by the spirit and the Spirit--to engender his distinctive Pentecostal model of human constitution.
Follow Your Bliss and Other Lies about Calling by
What does it mean to pursue a calling? According to Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, it may mean ambiguity, uncertainty, and even suffering--but that's what makes it worthwhile. The common understanding of calling is often simplistic. You simply need to follow your bliss, or God's will. Miller-McLemore dives into the complex reality of what it means to pursue a calling, challenging the deceptive and destructive idea that a well-lived life is simple, with one perfect career, partner, or summons from God. Instead, she argues, to truly grapple with calling, we must consider how it evolves amid the constraints of life. Callings are often accompanied by loss, regret, failure, impediments, frustration, overload, and conflict, challenges that are an important part of a balanced life. Grounding her argument in stories from memoirs and biographies, fiction, and the people she has encountered in her thirty years of teaching and research, Miller-McLemore guides the reader through six dilemmas one may face throughout life, from missed or conflicted callings to unexpected or relinquished passions. Each chapter explores the pain and hardships around these complicated experiences and the enhanced insight and vitality that arises from enduring them. Intertwining faith, philosophy, and pragmatism, Miller-McLemore engages unflinchingly with the ways we find purpose in our lives, and how we make meaning of the search for a calling, no matter how rough the road it leads us down.
Living prayer : a book of hours for renewing creation by 
The Blurred Cross : a writer's difficult journey with God by
"Esteemed New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham offers profound theological reflection on Gods providence amid lifes difficulties"--
The God in us : how African spirituality ignited world religion and global civilisation by
This book traces the unitary source of all of the world's major religions. The book underscores the fact that there are many ways in which humanity has sought revelation of God, yet there is a common inspiration behind humanity's God concept. The author's analysis of world religions or faiths adopts a multi-interdisciplinary approach taking the reader through historical, anthropological, archaeological, and theological viewpoints to make juxtapositions. God in us is a rich resource that helps the readers understand the origins of human civilisation and how humans began to worship God, domesticate animals like sheep, invent astrology and create languages. Biko's research also delves deeper into unveiling African indigenous knowledge systems and science that predate the arrival of the colonisers on the African soil. Print edition not for sale in Sub Saharan Africa.
Discipleship for Every Stage of Life: understanding Christian formation in light of human development by
The field of life span development in psychology has much to offer those engaged in making disciples, and Chris Kiesling brings those insights to bear in this volume. He appropriates the most useful observations from this discipline in light of biblical teaching. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of experience teaching faith development topics in academic and local church settings, Kiesling assembles a toolkit that will help those in ministry think comprehensively about discipleship at every stage of life. Taking into account physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of human development from infancy through older adulthood, Kiesling guides readers in making practical use of these insights in churches and educational settings. Pastors, ministry leaders, and educators will benefit from this treatment, which brings cutting-edge findings from the social sciences into dialogue with Scripture, theology, and practical ministry.
Deep Reading : practices to subvert the vices of our distracted, hostile, and consumeristic age by
This book helps readers develop practices that will result in deep, formative, and faithful reading so they can contribute to the flourishing of their communities and cultivate their own spiritual and intellectual depth. The authors present reading as a remedy for three prevalent cultural vices--distraction, hostility, and consumerism--that impact the possibility of formative reading. Informed by James K. A. Smith's work on "the spiritual power of habit," Deep Reading provides resources for engaging in formative and culturally subversive reading practices that teach readers how to resist vices, love virtue, and desire the good. Rather than emphasizing the spiritual benefits of reading specific texts such as Dante's Divine Comedy or Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the authors focus on the practice of reading itself. They examine practices many teachers, students, and avid readers employ--such as reading lists, reading logs, and discussion--and demonstrate how such practices can be more effectively and intentionally harnessed to result in deep reading. The practices apply to any work that is meant to be read deeply.
Wayfaring : a Christian approach to mental health care by
A theologically and scientifically engaged exploration of modern mental health care The current model of mental health care doesn't see people: it sees sets of symptoms that need fixing. While modern psychiatry has improved many patients' quality of life, it falls short in addressing their relational and spiritual needs. As a theologian and practicing psychiatrist, Warren Kinghorn shares a Christian vision of accompanying those facing mental health challenges. Kinghorn reviews the successes and limitations of modern mental health care before offering an alternative paradigm of healing. Based in the theology of Thomas Aquinas, this model of personhood affirms four truths: We are known and loved by God. We are creatures made of earth who are formed in community. We are wayfarers on a journey. We are called not to control, but to wonder, love, praise, and rest. Drawing on theological wisdom and scientific evidence, Kinghorn reframes our understanding of mental health care from fixing machines to attending fellow wayfarers on the way to the Lord's feast. With gentle guidance and practical suggestions, Wayfaring is an essential resource for pastors and practitioners as well as for Christians who seek mental health care.
A Philosophy of Prayer: nothingness, language, and hope by
Exploring the silence of prayer in Post-Kantian philosophy and traditional spirituality A Philosophy of Prayer explores prayer within the perspective of post-Kantian philosophy. Against a background of traditional sources, including Augustine, The Cloud of Unknowing, and the seventeenth-century French school of spirituality, the book uses Schleiermacher, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Heidegger, Berdyaev, Tillich, Marcel, Simone Weil, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jean- Louis Chrétien to provide an interpretation of what is meant by the passivity and self-annihilation of the praying self, suggesting an "apophatics of the personality." Pattison pays particular attention to the question of language and the implications of the role given to silence in traditional texts, arguing that language remains a defining element of the human-God relationship and that silence is not to be construed as the negation of language but as the revelation of the depth of language itself. The basic structure of prayer is shown to be implicitly eschatological, oriented toward a coming kingdom of justice and peace while, at the same time, expressing a deep desire for ontological homecoming, a tension manifest in, respectively, Levinas and Heidegger. On Pattison's reading, prayer calls for and develops a particular orientation of the self toward existence, corresponding to the virtue of humility, long understood as the basic Christian virtue. This is shown to be in tension with modernity's commitment to strong versions of autonomy. However, the choice of humility is not presented as the reinstatement of religious heteronomy but as a free choice of the praying self.
A godly contemplation : prayers and meditations by 
Irreverent Prayers: talking to God when you're seriously sick by
Two pastors share their experiences with serious illness--and their candid, darkly humorous prayers for making it through. Samantha Vincent-Alexander almost died from a septic leg infection. Elizabeth Felicetti underwent aggressive treatment for both breast and lung cancer in the space of a few months--and then the cancer came back. As Episcopal priests, they know well the typical prayers offered in times like these. But when you're seriously sick, you need more than psalms and sentimentality. You need to tell God how you really feel. With vulnerability and wry humor, Felicetti and Vincent-Alexander share the prayers they wish they had when they were ill: thanksgiving for one-size-fits-all hospital underwear, curses against Tylenol, frustrated appeals when well-wishers call you brave or inspiring. At once faithful and brutally honest, these prayers offer readers a more candid way of communicating with the God who understands human suffering with an incarnational intimacy. Talking to God when you're fighting serious illness can feel impossible. But God can bear our doubt, anger, anxiety, and grief. This unconventional prayerbook helps readers access a deeper relationship with God in raw times--and offers them a place of solidarity and spiritual rest.
Humility: rediscovering the way of love and life in Christ by 
Eight Million Exiles : missional action research and the crisis of forced migration by 
Called to discipleship : reflections on the Gospel of Mark by
Drawing on Jesus's example in the Gospel of Mark, this book offers an in-depth exploration of the nature of discipleship. A tool to help readers draw close to Jesus, it presents discipleship as a way of life centred on the journey back to God - a journey that integrates the quest for salvation, wholeness, and human fulfilment. Ultimately, the invitation to discipleship is an invitation to live in obedience to God and commitment to our fellow human beings, as Christ calls his followers not only to their own transformation but to participate in the transformation of others. At a time when secular culture is rediscovering the benefits of discipleship, this book invites readers into a powerful experience of identity formation based on the values of Christ and his kingdom.
Falling Upward : a spirituality for the two halves of life (Revised and Updated) by 
Meaning in the Moment: how rituals help us move through joy, pain, and everything in between by
Life has its ups and downs, and it can feel like we're always in the middle of a transition. Whether it's a painful end, an uncertain middle, or a joyful beginning, Amy Davis Abdullah has found something that helps: rituals. In Meaning in the Moment, she shows why we need rituals to survive and even thrive through various seasons of life. She also provides practical guidance for creating our own meaningful rituals.
Unexpected Abundance : the fruitful lives of women without children by
Meet 25 women who generated life without giving birth In many Christian communities today, women are expected to have children--to "be fruitful and multiply." To be childless is to be less of a woman, less of a Christian, or so it can feel. Elizabeth Felicetti is deeply familiar with this pressure as an Episcopal priest who never had the children she imagined would be part of her life. But in the landscape of her childhood in Arizona Felicetti found fresh eyes. If she's "barren," so is the desert--and if you look closely, the desert teems with unexpected life. This is also true of women throughout history. Biblical women like Mary Magdalene, medieval mystics like Julian of Norwich, and modern activists like Rosa Parks did not have children, yet their lives bore fruit in their communities and in the church at large. In reflecting on her own experience alongside those of these remarkable women, Felicetti deepens our understanding of the many ways to be fruitful. Women without children--by choice or chance--who have felt frustrated or voiceless in the church will find solidarity and inspiration in the pages of Unexpected Abundance.
Leading Faithful Innovation: following God into a hopeful future by 
Belonging: five keys to unlock your potential as a disciple by
Ministry leaders and other Christians find a deeply personal pathway to discern what discipleship means for them in Belonging by Karoline Lewis.What does it look like for you to belong to Jesus Christ? Not your colleague, or your professor, or your neighbor, or the leaders of your denomination, but you? How might your one-and-only life be patterned differently, to more truly align you with Christ? What pretense might you give up? What potential might open up for you as a leader and disciple?Belonging:5 keys to Unlock Your Potential as a Disciple helps readers to understand and live out Christian discipleship in a way that is most deeply authentic for themselves. It's for the leader who is exhausted from trying to live by other people's templates, who wants to figure out what it looks like to live & lead as only they can. It's for the student or layperson desiring to follow Christ with integrity, to be themselves fully as a disciple.This book is scholarly but accessible for pastors, students, ministry leaders, and laypersons. Karoline Lewis structures it around the story of the Samaritan woman and guides the reader to discover deep connection with biblical characters who lead to self-discovery. Questions for reflection throughout the book evoke deep insights about self, theology, and discipleship.Belonging is excellent for clergy development and ministry leader development in any setting and can be read and studied alone or in groups. Pastors and other congregational leaders can work their way through the book together, in order to lead the church with greater integrity.