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Radical Reformation History  /  Lecture 22: Be History Makers!  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
Using Kennegy’s language, Dean contrasted “history makers” on the margins with “history stoppers” in the comfortable middle, and paired it with Dante’s warning about neutrality in moral crisis; where have you chosen the “middle road” to avoid losing status, control, or affluence, and what concrete step would move you from “not losing our skin over the deal” to living a “costly gospel” that could actually change your community?
Another way to ask: Where have you taken the “middle road” to avoid losing comfort, status, or control when something morally serious was happening? What one clear step could you take toward a “costly gospel” that could truly help your community?

Direct Answer Dean’s closing challenge is that the “middle road” often protects comfort and status but kills prophetic witness; moving toward a “costly gospel” means stepping away from safety so your life visibly contrasts with the larger culture and speaks “the whole truth about Christ.”

Support from Transcript:

  • Kennegy (quoted by Dean) says prophetic witness comes from lives that “contrast with the values and lifestyles of the larger culture,” often “from the margins.”
  • He says many Mennonites are “more like the broader culture… than ever before,” and unwilling to “step away from the comfortable middle.”
  • Result: the church “has lost its prophetic voice” and “stopped speaking the whole truth about Christ.”
  • He warns about softened language so “we and our potential converts won't lose our skin over the deal,” and “nothing too radical will become of” following Jesus.
  • Dean adds Dante’s line: “darkest parts of hell… for those who… maintain their neutrality” in “moral crisis,” then asks: “Are you a history maker… or a history stopper?”
Discussion Follow-ups What is one area where you are “neutral” to stay comfortable—money, career, entertainment, evangelism, obedience? What specific change would make your discipleship noticeably costly, not just privately sincere?

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