Discussion Questions

Dean describes learning as a sixth-grader that “strength wins,” and then being publicly defeated by Frankie; how does that childhood “theology of strength” still show up in the way Christians try to handle conflict, criticism, or cultural pressure today? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Dean learned as a kid that “strength wins.” How does that same “strength” mindset show up in how Christians respond to conflict, criticism, or pressure from culture today?

After the fight, Dean says that although he wasn’t a Christian, “something from within me cried to God for defense” and he sensed he needed “an omnipotent defender”; what does that instinct suggest about God’s character and availability even before someone has clear doctrine or conversion language? JumpstartAnother way to ask: After the fight, Dean says something in him cried out to God for protection even before he was a Christian. What might that say about what God is like and how reachable He is before someone understands faith clearly?

In the picnic story, Frankie injures himself by mishandling Ricky’s hidden Mace, and Dean interprets it as “retributive justice…deliverance… the work of an omnipotent defender”; how do you discern the difference between God defending the oppressed and us simply enjoying “poetic justice” when an enemy gets hurt? JumpstartAnother way to ask: When Frankie gets hurt, Dean sees it as God defending him. How can we tell the difference between God protecting the oppressed and us just enjoying it when someone we dislike gets what seems like “payback”?

Mr. Sharps’ wry grin and his decision to send them back to play creates a strange moment of authority, restraint, and implied satisfaction; what does that scene expose about how humans want justice to feel, and how might that desire conflict with the way God says vengeance belongs to Him? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Mr. Sharps seems satisfied but sends the boys back to play. What does that moment show about how we want justice to feel, and how might that clash with God’s teaching that vengeance belongs to Him?

Dean places Romans 12 (“Repay no one evil for evil…do not avenge yourselves…heap coals of fire”) at the center of his shift; what parts of Paul’s commands feel most unrealistic or threatening to obey in your actual relationships, and what would it cost you to practice them without loopholes? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Romans 12 says not to repay evil or take revenge. Which parts of that feel hardest or even risky in your real relationships, and what would it cost to obey them without bending the rules?

When Dean and his wife visit concentration camps and feel indignation—then later mentions Stalin, African massacres, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, and Saddam Hussein—what does the chapter assume Christians should do with outrage at massive evil, and what responses does it rule out? JumpstartAnother way to ask: After seeing huge evils in history, what does the chapter suggest Christians should do with that anger and pain? What kinds of responses does it say are not acceptable?

Dean says Ephesians 6 doesn’t merely say “we wrestle not” but insists “we do indeed wrestle” against spiritual powers; how would early Christians—who lacked political influence and military power—have understood “wrestling,” and what kind of courage would that have required? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Dean says Christians really do “wrestle” against spiritual powers. If early Christians had little political or military power, what do you think “wrestling” meant to them, and what kind of courage did it take?

The chapter insists, “It is not cowardice that God desires. He wants us to fight and do battle… the weapons…have changed”; where do modern evangelical instincts tend to label non-resistance as either weakness or optional, and how does Dean’s framing challenge those labels? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The chapter says God doesn’t want cowardice, but He also says the “weapons” have changed. Where do evangelicals today treat non-resistance as weakness or as optional, and how does Dean challenge that?

Dean imagines a conquering king’s “train of shackled prisoners” and asks whether he can show the Lord “a train of evil…thoughts taken captive”; what would it look like to measure “victory” by captured thoughts and imaginations rather than by winning arguments, protecting reputation, or controlling outcomes? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Dean asks if he can show God a “train” of evil thoughts taken captive. What would it look like to define victory by controlling your thoughts and imagination instead of winning arguments, saving face, or controlling results?

Using Tertullian’s claims about prayer (“arms and missiles…never walk we unarmed”) Dean concludes, “It is not enough to be non-resistant. I must engage in battle…prayer, fasting, and gospel preaching”; which of these “weapons” have you functionally replaced with worldly ones (in tone, tactics, or trust), and what concrete change would demonstrate that “my defender is God” this week? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Dean says our battle tools are prayer, fasting, and preaching the gospel. Which of these have you swapped out for worldly methods (your tone, tactics, or what you trust), and what is one clear change you could make this week to show you trust God as your defender?