Reckoning with Power
Why the Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power
Published on 26. March 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-58743-415-0 (ISBN)
Description
Christianity Today 2025 Book Award Finalist (Church/Pastoral Leadership)
"Masterfully defines and unpacks the concept of power."--Christianity Today
History is clear: Whenever the church has aligned itself with worldly, coercive power, it ends up on the wrong side of important justice issues.
But when the church cooperates with God's power through his presence among the least powerful, its witness for Jesus transforms the world into a better place.
In Reckoning with Power, David Fitch unpacks the difference between worldly power, or power over others, and God's power, which engages not in coercion but in love, reconciliation, grace, forgiveness, and healing.
In a world where we can see the abuses of power everywhere--in our homes, schools, governments, and churches--Fitch teaches readers how to discern power and avoid its abuses and traumas. By learning from the church's historical pitfalls, Fitch empowers Christians to relinquish worldly power and make space for God to disrupt and transform our culture for his kingdom.
"Masterfully defines and unpacks the concept of power."--Christianity Today
History is clear: Whenever the church has aligned itself with worldly, coercive power, it ends up on the wrong side of important justice issues.
But when the church cooperates with God's power through his presence among the least powerful, its witness for Jesus transforms the world into a better place.
In Reckoning with Power, David Fitch unpacks the difference between worldly power, or power over others, and God's power, which engages not in coercion but in love, reconciliation, grace, forgiveness, and healing.
In a world where we can see the abuses of power everywhere--in our homes, schools, governments, and churches--Fitch teaches readers how to discern power and avoid its abuses and traumas. By learning from the church's historical pitfalls, Fitch empowers Christians to relinquish worldly power and make space for God to disrupt and transform our culture for his kingdom.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Ada, MI
United States
Publishing group
Baker Publishing Group
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 217 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
213 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58743-415-0 (9781587434150)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
David E. Fitch (PhD, Northwestern University) is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary and the cofounder of Missio Alliance. He is the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and is currently on the pastoral staff at Peace of Christ Church in Westmont, Illinois. Fitch is the author of six books and writes and speaks frequently on cultural engagement, leadership, and theology. He has also written for Christianity Today, Outreach, and Catalyst.
Content
Contents
Introduction: The American Church on the Wrong Side of Power
1. Defining Power: The Many Versions
2. Worldly Power and God's Power: There Are Two Powers, Not One
3. The Persistent Temptation to Blur the Powers
4. The Lure of Christian Nationalism: The Refusal of God's Power
5. Playing God with Worldly Power: The More Subtle Temptations
6. Living under the Power of Christ: The Church on the Right Side of Power
Epilogue: We Can Be a Different People; Getting Back on the Right Side of History
Index
Introduction: The American Church on the Wrong Side of Power
1. Defining Power: The Many Versions
2. Worldly Power and God's Power: There Are Two Powers, Not One
3. The Persistent Temptation to Blur the Powers
4. The Lure of Christian Nationalism: The Refusal of God's Power
5. Playing God with Worldly Power: The More Subtle Temptations
6. Living under the Power of Christ: The Church on the Right Side of Power
Epilogue: We Can Be a Different People; Getting Back on the Right Side of History
Index