Discussion Questions

Dean Taylor warns against the “starting over” impulse—“It’s me and my thought and my mind and my Bible…”—and says “there’s something lacking in it”; what do you think is spiritually missing in that posture, and what does it assume about the Holy Spirit’s work in the church across time? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Dean warns against the “starting over” mindset of “just me and my Bible.” What spiritual piece is missing in that approach, and what does it assume about how the Holy Spirit has been working in the church through history?

Dean says, “Somehow the Church of Jesus Christ lives through all these…there’s a sense of ownership”; what does it look like to “own” the church’s story (Crusades, Constantine, etc.) without either excusing it or distancing ourselves from it, and what does that ownership reveal about God’s patience and purposes? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it look like to “own” the church’s history (Crusades, Constantine, etc.) without making excuses or pretending it isn’t ours? What does that kind of honesty show about God’s patience and plans?

He describes the “lagoon” (warm, cozy local world) versus the “whoa” moment of seeing the whole church; where have you seen people (or yourself) either idolize the lagoon or despise it, and how would “embrace our communities but appreciate we’re part of this bigger giant thing” change concrete church decisions? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where have you seen people (or yourself) either treat the local church like it’s everything or look down on it? How would remembering we’re part of the worldwide church change real choices your church makes?

Dean quotes Froude about using history like a “child’s box of letters” to spell any word we please; what are the most common ways modern Christians curate early church history to prove their movement is “the one true church,” and how does that temptation show up even in groups that claim to reject sectarianism? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What are some common ways Christians cherry-pick early church history to “prove” their group is the one true church? How can that same habit show up even in groups that say they aren’t sectarian?

Dean’s summary—“congregational yet Catholic (small c), autonomous yet accountable”—comes from his reading of the New Testament and early church diversity (Galatia vs. Jerusalem); what kinds of accountability do you think early Christians would have expected between congregations, and what would they find strange about today’s denominational or independent-church models? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What kind of accountability do you think early churches expected from each other? What would seem odd to them about today’s denominations or totally independent churches?

John Fea’s “hermeneutic of love” says we should meet the past like Jesus met people, even “a 19th-century slave owner or Hitler”; what does it mean to “relinquish power” over the past, and how can a commitment to truth-telling coexist with Dean’s call to explain opponents (Calvin, Augustine) in ways they “would appreciate”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it mean to “give up power” over the past instead of using it to win arguments? How can we tell the truth about people like Calvin or Augustine while also describing them in a way they would say is fair?

Dean asks, “Is your fellowship a church or a debate?” and critiques “coffee table revivals” and argument-driven communities; where do you see your church life drifting toward being a debate society, and what practices would make theology “real” in the everyday mistakes, conflicts, and service of a congregation? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you see your church life turning into a debate club instead of a real church? What habits would help theology show up in everyday life—mistakes, conflict, and serving others?

Kevin Vanhooser’s “free-range theologian” warning compares traditions to “dwelling places” in the Father’s house: not consumer choice, but inhabiting a room while building up the whole house; what tradition or “room” have you inherited or chosen, what are its “500 years of mistakes” you most want to disown, and what would it look like to build up the whole house while staying honest about those failures? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What church tradition (or “room”) have you grown up in or chosen, and what parts of its past do you most want to distance yourself from? How could you help build up the wider church while still being honest about those failures?

Dean’s guiding verse, Mark 9:50—“Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another”—is applied to disputes about who is “with us”; what would it mean in your current theological or church conflicts to be genuinely “salty” (convicted, non-compromising) while also pursuing peace, and where do you personally tend to sacrifice one for the other? JumpstartAnother way to ask: In your current church or theology conflicts, what would it look like to be firm in your convictions while still working for peace? Where do you tend to choose peace over truth, or truth over peace?

Vincent of Lérins’ rule—“everywhere, always, and by all”—and his warnings about Origen’s genius “despising the traditions of the church” confront novelty and celebrity teachers; how does this challenge modern evangelical instincts to chase the newest book/podcast “prophet,” and what criteria would you use (in practice) to discern when development is faithful growth versus a “novel way” that abandons the “ancient simplicity” of following Jesus? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How do Vincent’s warnings challenge the habit of chasing the newest famous teacher or podcast? What practical tests would you use to tell the difference between healthy growth and a “new” idea that pulls away from simple faithfulness to Jesus?