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ThisParadoxy Study
Guide and its accompanying
Paradoxy Facilitators
Guide are intended to pro-
vide additional guidance and
structure that will make itpossible even for groups
with very diverse theological
opinions to explore the im-
plications and possibilities of
Paradoxy together.
TheParadoxy Facilita-
tors Guide provides pro-
spective group discussion
leaders with guidelines,
ground rules, and other prac-
tical information to help
them plan, adapt, and carry
out their groups successfully.
TheParadoxy StudyGuide is designed to help
individual participants more
effectively collect, organize,
and share their thoughts with
the other members of the
group, as well as to reflect
on their learnings and record
their insights between gath-
erings.
I hope you find these ma-
terials helpful to you in put-
ting the concepts ofPara-
doxy to work in your congre-gation, your ecumenical
community, or your denomi-
nation. And I welcome your
feedback at my website:
practicingparadoxy.com.
Ken+
I wroteParadoxy: Creat-
ing Christian Community
Beyond Us and Them to
help individuals, congrega-
tions, and denominations
understand why many of theold familiar ways of being
Church are no longer work-
ing and to join together in
exploring the outlines of a
new way of being Church
that does not require a
Them in order to create an
Us a radical new mid-
dle way that transcends cate-
gories like conservative
and liberal and all the
other divisive labels we have
used to slice and dice the
body of Christ into the manynarcissistic tribal groupings
in which we find ourselves
today.
Changing paradigms is no
picnic. Even in fields like
Science, whose job is to con-
tinually refine our paradigms
about the nature of reality
and the functioning of the
world around us, paradigm
shifts have more often taken
the form of revolutions
against an entrenched statusquo than that of dispassion-
ate consensus building. Is it
any wonder that when major
paradigm shifts have con-
fronted the church, the re-
sulting turmoil has often
been angry, fierce, and
sometimes violent?
Reading a book likePara-
doxy, which describes the
nature of the multiple para-
digm shifts we are currently
experiencing and suggests a
pathway through them, is agood first step toward suc-
cessfully navigating these
turbulent times. But knowl-
edge alone, while necessary,
is not sufficient. Because of
our very human tendency to
react anxiously and defen-
sively to change, most of usneed a bit more guidance and
structure in order to adapt.
Thats why I designed
Paradoxy the way I did: with
structured biblical reflections
and suggested discussion
questions.
Paradoxy: Creating Christian
Community Beyond Us and Them
P a r a d o x y S t u d y M a t e r i a l sE A C H
S E C T I O N
C O N T A I N S :
Purpose of the
Chapter
Bible Readings
Bible Reflection
Questions
Questions for
Group Discussion
Your Notes
S E C T I O N S
Introduction 2
Chapter 1 4
Chapter 2 6
Chapter 3 8
Chapter 4 10
Chapter 5 12
Chapter 6 14
Chapter 7 24
Inventory 26
PRACTICINGPARADOXY.COMParadoxy Study Guide
http://www.practicingparadoxy.com/http://www.practicingparadoxy.com/8/8/2019 Paradoxy Study Guide
2/28
John 17:2223The glory that you have givenme I have given them, so that
they may be one, as we are
one, I in them and you in me,
that they may become com-
pletely one, so that the world
may know that you have sent
me and have loved them
even as you have loved me.
Jesus called us to be one in
the same way that he (God
the Son) and God the Father
are one. In what manner are
God the Father and God the
Son One? What then are the
implications for how we, as
the followers of Christ, are to
be one?
I n t r o d u c t i o n :
M a y Y o u L i v e I n I n t e r e s t i n g T i m e s
P a g e 2
This chapter
is intended to helpparticipants understand
how the dangers facing
Western Christianity
today also present
the Church with
an epochal opportunity.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Reflection Your Notes
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Bible Reading 2 Reflection Your Notes
1 Corinthians 13:12For now we see in a mirror,
dimly, but then we will see
face to face. Now I know only
in part; then I will know fully,
even as I have been fully
known.
How confident can we be
that our knowledge of Gods
will is complete and correct?
What does this say about the
attitude we should hold to-
ward those who disagree
with us?
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Bible Reading 3 Reflection Your Notes
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Luke 24:3033When [Jesus] was at the table
with them, he took bread, blessed
and broke it, and gave it to them.Then their eyes were opened, and
they recognized him; and he van-
ished from their sight. They said
to each other, "Were not our
hearts burning within us while he
was talking to us on the road,
while he was opening the scrip-
tures to us?"
On the road to Emmaus,
Jesus taught the disciples
from the Scriptures, but it
was not until he communed
with them in the breaking of
bread that they recognized
him. What does this say
about the relationship of
doctrine and common wor-
ship to our recognizing that
Christ is among us?
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P a g e 3Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHATWASYOURIMAGEOF GODASACHILD? . . . ASATEEN? . . . ASAYOUNGADULT? ATTHEAGEYOUARENOW? HOWHASYOURIMAGEOF GOD
CHANGED?
INYOUROPINION,WHICHDOYOUBELIEVEISMOREIMPORTANTTOTHECHURCH: CORRECTNESSOFBELIEFORTHEUNITYOFTHEBODY?
HOWARETHEYRELATED?
DIVIDEINTOTWOGROUPS: PEOPLEWHOIDENTIFYTHEMSELVESASTHEOLOGI-CALLYLIBERALANDPEOPLEWHOIDENTIFYTHEMSELVESASTHEOLOGICALLY
CONSERVATIVE. IDENTIFYTHETHINGSUPONWHICHYOUAGREEANDTHETHINGSABOUTWHICHYOUDISAGREE. ARETHEREOTHERCIRCLES?
WHATDIDYOULEARN?
THE
OLOGI C
ALLY
LIB
ER
AL
THEOLOGIC
ALLY
CONSERVATIV
E
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Deuteronomy 8:2Remember the long way that
the Lord your God has led
you these forty years in the
wilderness, in order to hum-
ble you, testing you to know
what was in your heart,
whether or not you would
keep his commandments.
As the old saying goes: it took
God a day to get the Israelites
out of Egypt, but it took God
forty years to get Egypt out of
the Israelites. Why is it so diffi-
cult to leave behind even a
paradigm that has ceased to be
healthy? A whole generation of
Israelites had to pass on before
the Israelites were prepared to
enter the Promised Land. What
has to die before we are able to
enter a new paradigm?
C h a p t e r 1 :
C o l l a p s i n g p a r a d i g m s
P a g e 4
This chapter
is intended to help
participants recognizehow many of the
challenges facing our
churches today are natural
and expected results of the
fact that we are in the
midst of a major
paradigm collapse.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Reflection Your Notes
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Bible Reading 2 Reflection Your Notes
Acts 10:1116[In a dream, Peter] saw the heaven opened and
something like a large sheet coming down, being
lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it
were all kinds of four-footed creatures and rep-
tiles and birds of the air. Then he heard a voice
saying, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat." But Peter
said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten
anything that is profane or unclean." The voicesaid to him again, a second time, "What God has
made clean, you must not call profane." This
happened three times, and the thing was sud-
denly taken up to heaven.
In a dream, God revealed to
Peter a new paradigm for a
community of faith, yet Peter
was resistant to giving up the
old way. If God were to reveal
to us a new way of being a
Christian community, what
might hold us back from liv-
ing into that revelation?
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Bible Reading 3 Reflection Your Notes
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Matthew 7:35Why do you see the speck in your
neighbor's eye, but do not notice
the log in your own eye? Or howcan you say to your neighbor, "Let
me take the speck out of your
eye, while the log is in your own
eye? You hypocrite, first take the
log out of your own eye, and then
you will see clearly to take the
speck out of your neighbor's eye.
Imagine a conflict that you
have experienced in church.
To what extent was each
side criticizing the other for
things they are overlooking
in themselves? In what ways
do we engage in this dy-
namic on a routine basis?
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P a g e 5Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHICHPARTOFYOURCHURCHSLITURGYWOULDYOUBEMOSTRESISTANTTOCHANGING? WHICHITEMOFLITURGICALFURNITURE
(ALTAR, BAPTISMALFONT, ETC.)WOULDYOUBEMOSTRESISTANTTOMOVING?WHATDOESTHISSAYABOUTTHESPIRITUALMEANINGYOUINVESTINTHEAC-
TIONORITEMINQUESTION?
LISTSEVERALTHINGSYOUVALUEABOUTTHENATUREOFSPIRITUALCOMMUNITYINYOURCONGREGATION. WHICHTHINGONYOURLIST
DOYOUCONSIDERTHEMOSTIMPORTANT? THELEASTIMPORTANT?
WHICHOFTHEABOVEWOULDYOUBEWILLINGTOGIVEUPFORTHESAKEOFCHRISTIANUNITY? EXPLAIN. ANSWERTHESAMEQUESTIONFORYOUR
CONGREGATIONAND/ORDENOMINATION.
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Mark 12:17Give to the emperor the
things that are the emperors
and to God the things that
are Gods.
What belongs to the em-
peror? What belongs to God?
How do we discern the differ-
ence?
C h a p t e r 2 :
C h r i s t e n d o m
P a g e 6
In the next three
chapters we explore howthree paradigms of
Christian unity
came to dominate
Western Christianity for
centuries, how they are
failing us now, and what
may rise from their ashes.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Reflection Your Notes
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Bible Reading 2 Reflection Your Notes
John 18:36Jesus answered, "My king-
dom is not from this world. If
my kingdom were from this
world, my followers would be
fighting to keep me from
being handed over to the
Jews. But as it is, my king-
dom is not from here."
Where is our kingdom? How
does this influence our rela-
tionship with this world?
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Bible Reading 3 Reflection Your Notes
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Matthew 5:4345You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy. But I say toyou, love your enemies and pray
for those who persecute you, so
that you may be children of your
Father in heaven; for he makes
his sun rise on the evil and on the
good, and sends rain on the right-
eous and on the unrighteous.
If this is how Jesus asks us
to treat those who are ene-
mies of the gospel, how then
should we deal with brothers
and sisters with whom we
disagree?
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P a g e 7Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
TOWHATDEGREEDOESYOURCHURCHORDENOMINATIONDEMANDUNIFORMITYASTHEPRICEOFADMISSIONINTOITSSPIRITUALCOMMUNITY? LIST
THEAREASOFYOURCHURCHSORDENOMINATIONSCORPORATELIFEINWHICHCOMPLETEAGREEMENTSEEMSIMPORTANT.WHICHDOYOUMOSTWANTTOBE
ENFORCED? LEASTWANTTOBEENFORCED? HOWMUCHUNIFORMITYCANYOUENFORCEWITHOUTPRODUCINGDISUNITY? HOWMUCHUNITYCANYOU
TOLERATEBEFOREYOUSTANDFORNOTHING? WHEREISTHEBALANCEPOINT?
DESCRIBEFORYOURCHURCHORDENOMINATION:WHOISUSANDWHOISTHEM. ISTHEREMORETHANONECATEGORYOFTHEM?
WHICHOFTHESEGROUPSWOULDBETHEHARDESTTOINCLUDE?ISITNECESSARYFORTHERETOBEATHEM FORTHERETOBEANUS?
WHATSOCIALORMORALISSUESDOYOU,YOURCHURCH, ORYOURDENOMINATIONFEELSTRONGLYENOUGHABOUTTHATYOUWANTTO
DIRECTLYEXERTPOWERORINFLUENCEINORDERTOEFFECTCHANGE? INWHATWAYSHAVEYOUATTEMPTEDTOEXERCISETHISKINDOFINFLUENCE?
WHATHAVEBEENTHERESULTS? ISITPOSSIBLETOINFLUENCETHECULTUREWITHOUTRESORTINGTOPOWERANDCOERCIVEMETHODS?
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Exodus 33:1823Moses said, Show me your glory, I pray. And[God] said, I will make all my goodness pass
before you, and will proclaim before you the
name, The Lord [Heb. YHVH (with no vowel
points, making it unpronounceable)]. . . .
But, he said, you cannot see my face; for
no one shall see me and live . . . See, there is
a place by me where you shall stand on the
rock; and while my glory passes by I will put
you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you
with my hand until I have passed by; then I
will take away my hand, and you shall see my
back; but my face shall not be seen.
God tells Moses his name,
which is not humanly pro-
nounceable, and allows
Moses to see only a small
part of Gods glory, because
no human being can see
Gods face and live. To
what extent can finite human
reason comprehend ultimate
reality? How confident can
we be in our certainties
about God?
C h a p t e r 3 :
F o u n d a t i o n a l i s m
P a g e 8
In this chapter
we explore
the rise and fallof a second
paradigm of
Christian unity
and how its loss
may open the
door to
a different way.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Reflection Your Notes
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Bible Reading 2 Reflection Your Notes
John 14:56Thomas said to [Jesus],
Lord, we do not know where
you are going. How can we
know the way? Jesus said to
him, I am the way, and the
truth, and the life. . . .
What does it mean for a per-
son to be the Way, the Truth,
and the Life? How do your
answers to this question
inform and influence the way
you understand truth? The
way you live out your faith?
The way you relate to Christ?
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Bible Reading 3 Reflection Your Notes
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Matthew 18:20Jesus said, For where two or
three are gathered in my
name, I am there amongthem.
What is the significance of
Jesus promising to be pre-
sent AMONG two or more
gathered in his name, as
opposed to being present
WITHIN an individual be-
liever?
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P a g e 9Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
INWHATAREASOFYOURSPIRITUALLIFEDOYOUFEELTHENEEDFORCERTAINTY? HOWDOESTHATNEEDFORCERTAINTYEXPRESSITSELF?WHENDECIDINGWHATISTRUE,TOWHATDOYOUTENDTOGIVETHE
MOSTWEIGHT: SCRIPTURE,TRADITION, REASON, PRAYER, OTHER?
HOWDOESYOURNEEDFORCERTAINTYINTERFEREWITHYOURFAITH?
GIVENTHATTHEBESTWECANHOPEFORISVERISIMILITUDE (ACLOSEAP-PROXIMATIONOFTRUTH), HOWMIGHTINTERACTINGWITHSOMEONEWHOSE
POINTOFVIEWISDIFFERENTFROMOURSHELPUSTOGAINAMORECOMPLETEUNDERSTANDINGOFREALITY?
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Matthew 5:1718Do not think that I havecome to abolish the law or
the prophets; I have come
not to abolish but to fulfill.
For truly I tell you, until
heaven and earth pass away,
not one letter, not one stroke
of a letter, will pass from the
law until all is accom-
plished.
If Jesus never intended to
start a new religion, what
does it mean to follow Jesus
Christ?
C h a p t e r 4 :
C h r i s t i a n i t y A s R e l i g i o n
P a g e 1 0
In this chapter
we explore the third
and perhaps
the oldest paradigm of
Christian unity
organized religion
and how a different
organizing principle
may be arising.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Reflection Your Notes
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Bible Reading 2 Reflection Your Notes
Luke 9:4950John answered, Master, we
saw someone casting out
demons in your name, and
we tried to stop him, be-
cause he does not follow
with us. But Jesus said to
him, Do not stop him; for
whoever is not against you isfor you.
What are the implications of
this text (and others like it)
for defining Christianity?
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Bible Reading 3 Reflection Your Notes
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1 Corinthians 13:13And now faith, hope, and
love abide, these three; and
the greatest of these is love.
In what ways do faith, hope,
and love order your life as an
individual believer? How
would your church be differ-
ent if it ordered its life
around these three atti-
tudes/qualities?
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P a g e 1 1Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
INWHATWAYSISTHESTRUCTUREOFYOURCHURCHMORELIKEANORGANIZATION? INWHATWAYSISITMORELIKEANORGANISM? INWHATWAYS
CANTHESTRUCTUREBEEITHERASTRENGTHORAPOTENTIALWEAKNESS?
ASAGROUP, DECIDEUPONTHETENMOSTIMPORTANTBELIEFSOFYOURFAITH.DIVIDETHEMBETWEENTHETHREECOLUMNSBELOW.
DISCUSSWHYYOUPLACEDTHEBELIEFSWHEREYOUDID. ATTEMPTTOCOMETOACONSENSUSABOUTTHEPLACEMENTS. DISCUSSTHEIMPLICATIONSFOR
YOURSELVES,YOURCONGREGATION,ANDYOURDENOMINATION.
D O G M AThe Churchs Core
Mostly Paradoxical Beliefs
D O C T R I N EThe Churchs Creeds
D I D A C H EThe Churchs Traditions and Teaching
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Philippians 3:10I want to know Christ and thepower of his resurrection and
the sharing of his sufferings
by becoming like him in his
death.
If this were the single most
important and defining char-
acteristic of Christian com-
munity, what difference
would it make?
C h a p t e r 5 :
C h r i s t i a n i t i e s T h a t M i g h t H a v e B e e n
P a g e 1 2
In this chapter
we explore several
flourishing movements inthe Churchs past whose
very vitality led to their
suppression by the
dominant religious
authorities of their day,
and what lessons they
might have for us today.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Reflection Your Notes
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Bible Reading 2 Reflection Your Notes
Galatians 3:28There is no longer Jew or
Greek, there is no longer
slave or free, there is no
longer male and female; for
all of you are one in Christ
Jesus.
If this were the single most
important and defining char-
acteristic of Christian com-
munity, what difference
would it make?
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Bible Reading 3 Reflection Your Notes
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Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumci-
sion counts for anything; theonly thing that counts is faith
working through love.
(The terms circumcision
and uncircumcision refer
not to physical characteris-
tics but to two different ap-
proaches to Christian com-
munity. )
If this were the single most
important and defining char-
acteristic of Christian com-
munity, what difference
would it make?
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P a g e 1 3Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
ONEADVANTAGEOFSTUDYINGTHESEMOVEMENTSISTOOPENOUREYESTOTHEEXTENTTOWHICHOURPRESENTDOCTRINES,THEOLOGY,
ANDPRACTICESARECULTURALLYCONDITIONED.USINGWHATYOUHAVELEARNEDFROMTHISCHAPTER, IDENTIFYONEOR
MOREOFYOUROWNCHURCHSTEACHINGSORPRACTICESTHATSEEMTOBEAPRODUCTOFTHECULTUREINWHICHITDEVELOPED. DISCUSS.
WHATCANWELEARNFROMTHESEMOVEMENTS? WHATISTHEAPPROPRIATEBALANCEBETWEENTHECHURCHASMOVEMENTORORGANISM
ANDTHECHURCHASINSTITUTION/ORGANIZATION?
IFRELATIONSHIPWITH CHRIST (THATIS, BEINGLOVEDBYCHRIST)WERETHESINGLEMOSTIMPORTANTASPECTOF CHRISTIANCOMMUNITY,ANDALLOTHER
ASPECTSWERESECONDARY, HOWWOULD CHRISTIANCOMMUNITYBEDIFFERENT?
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John 6:35I am the bread of life. Who-ever comes to me will never
be hungry, and whoever be-
lieves in me will never be
thirst.
John 8:12I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness but
will have the light of life.
C h a p t e r 6 :
P r i n c i p l e s f o r a n e w w a y o f c h u r c h
P a g e 1 4
In this chapter,
which we will discuss
over several sessions,
we explore a number of
emerging principles
which might form
the boundaries of a
mew paradigm of
Christian unity.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading 1 Bible Reading 2 Bible reading 3
John 10:7, 9bI am the gate for the sheep .. . Whoever enters by me will
be saved, and will come in
and go out and find pasture.
Bible Reading 4 Bible reading 5 Bible reading 6
John 10:11, 1416"I am the good shepherd. The
good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep . . . I am the good
shepherd. I know my own and
my own know me, just as the
Father knows me and I know the
Father. And I lay down my life for
the sheep. I have other sheepthat do not belong to this fold. I
must bring them also, and they
will listen to my voice. So there
will be one flock, one shepherd.
John 11:2526aI am the resurrection
and the life. Those who
believe in me, even
though they die, will live,
and everyone who lives
and believes in me will
never die.
John 14:6-7aI am the way, and the truth,
and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through
me. If you know me, you will
know my Father also.
Reflection Your Notes
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Recalling that I AM (Heb. YHVH), is
the name for God that God told
Moses, consider each of the above I
AM statements of Jesus as a lens
through which to view both Jesus
Christ and the rest of Scripture.
Which of these lenses feel most invit-
ing to you? Which feel most challeng-
ing? Which feel both inviting and
challenging? What tensions do you
experience as you consider these
things? What are the implications?
Bible reading 7
John 15:1, 5bI am the true vine, and my
Father is the vinegrower . . .
Those who abide in me and I
in them bear much fruit, be-
cause apart from me you can
do nothing.
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P a g e 1 5Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHATFORCES/ISSUES/CONSIDERATIONSSUPPORT
CHRISTIANCOMMUNITIESBEINGKNOWNPRIMARILYFORHAVINGLOVEFORONEANOTHER?
WHATFORCES/ISSUES/CONSIDERATIONSHOLDTHEMBACK? LISTTHEMBELOW:
CONSIDERANYCONTROVERSIALISSUEINYOURCHURCH.HOWMIGHTYOURINDIVIDUALAPPROACHTOTHEISSUESHIFT
IFYOUSTARTEDWITHTHEASSUMPTIONTHATBOTHSIDESSHAREDANORGANIC, LIVINGCONNECTIONWITH CHRISTTHATCOULDNOTBESEVERED?
HOWWOULDTHEINTERPERSONALPROCESSSHIFTIFBOTHSIDESSTARTEDWITHTHATASSUMPTION?
Bible reading
John 13:35By this everyone will know that you are
my disciples, if you have love for one
another."
S u p p o r t i n g f o r c e s
R e s t r a i n i n g f o r c e s
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P a g e 1 6Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
IF JESUSCAMETOYOURCHURCH,WHATEVIDENCEWOULDHESEETHATYOULOVEONEANOTHER? WHATEVIDENCEWOULDHESEETHATYOUDONOT?
HOWISHAVINGLOVEFORONEANOTHERMADEMANIFEST? HOWIS GODCALLINGYOUANDYOURCONGREGATIONTOLOVEONEANOTHER
MOREOBVIOUSLY?
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P a g e 1 7Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
THEREARETWOWAYSOFINTERPRETINGTHISTEXT: PAULISWARNINGAGAINSTDOCTRINESDIFFERENTTHANHISOWN. PAULISWARNINGAGAINSTANEXCESSIVEFOCUSONDOCTRINE, BECAUSEITISA
HUMANATTEMPTTODESCRIBEDIVINEREALITY,ANDISTHEREFOREIMPERFECTANDSUBJECTTOCHANGE.
WHATARETHEIMPLICATIONSOFTHESEVERYDIFFERENTINTERPRETATIONS?
E p h e s i a n s 4 : 1 4 a
We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown
about by every wind of doctrine. . . .
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P a g e 1 8Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHATDOYOUFINDATTRACTIVEABOUTTHEIDEAOFCURBINGYOURDOGMA?WHATABOUTITMAKESYOUFEELUNEASY?
WHATATTRACTSYOUTOTHEIDEAOFEMBRACINGTHEMYSTERYANDLIVINGASTHOUGHTHECORE, PARADOXICALBELIEFSOF CHRISTIANITYWERETRUE?
WHATABOUTITMAKESYOUFEELUNEASY?
WHATWOULDBETHEIMPACTOFIMPLEMENTINGTHESEIDEASINYOURLIFE?INTHELIFEOFYOURFAITHCOMMUNITY?
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P a g e 1 9Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
J o h n 1 5 : 7 1 2
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever youwish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, thatyou bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved
me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my command-ments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's com-mandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so
that my joy may be inyou, and that your joy may be complete. This is my
commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
WHATISTHEDIFFERENCEBETWEENBELIEVING (ASINDOCTRINEABOUTCHRIST)ANDABIDING (ASINBEINGINRELATIONSHIPWITH CHRIST)?
WHATDIFFERENCEWOULDTHISDISTINCTIONMAKEINYOURFAITHJOURNEY?INTHELIFEOFYOURCONGREGATION?
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P a g e 2 0Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHATISTHEDIFFERENCEBETWEENBELIEVINGWITHOUTPROOFANDTRUSTINGWITHOUTRESERVATION?
HOWDOBELIEFANDTRUSTINFLUENCEEACHOTHERINYOURFAITHJOURNEY?HOWDOESBELIEFMOVEYOUFORWARDONYOURJOURNEY? HOWDOESFAITH
MOVEYOUFORWARDONYOURJOURNEY?
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P a g e 2 1Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
C o r i n t h i a n s 1 2 : 2 2 2 5 , n i v
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker areindispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treatwith special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated
with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no specialtreatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has
given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,so that there should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
HOWISYOURCHRISTIANCOMMUNITYLIVINGINTOTHESPIRITOFTHIS SCRIPTURE?
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P a g e 2 2Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHATPRINCIPLESANDCONSIDERATIONSHAVEGUIDEDYOURCONGREGATIONSORGANIZATION? WHICH, IFANY, OFTHESEPRINCIPLESANDCONSIDERATIONS
WOULDYOUCONSIDERTHEPRIMARYORGANIZATIONALPRINCIPLE?
IFTHEGIFTSANDCALLINGSOFTHEMEMBERSOFYOURCONGREGATIONWEREELEVATEDTOBEITSPRIMARYORGANIZATIONALPRINCIPLE, HOWMIGHTTHATCHANGEYOURORGANIZATION?
WHATISYOURCONGREGATIONSVISION? HOWDIDITEMERGE? HOWDOESITINFLUENCEYOURCONGREGATIONSDIRECTION?
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P a g e 2 3Q u e s t i o n s f o r G r o u p D i s c u s s i o n
WHATRULESORTRADITIONSCREATEDISTINCTIONSBETWEENINSIDERSANDOUTSIDERSINYOURCONGREGATION? INYOURDENOMINATION?
WHATBELIEFSORATTITUDES?
WHATWOULDHAVETOCHANGEINORDERTOELIMINATETHEDISTINCTIONSBETWEENINSIDERSANDOUTSIDERSINYOURDENOMINATION?
INYOURCONGREGATION? INYOUROWNLIFE?
IFTHISCHANGEHAPPENS,WHATWOULDYOUAPPRECIATEABOUTIT?
WHATABOUTITWOULDBEHARDFORYOU?
Bible Reading
John 12:32And I, when I am lifted up
from the earth, will draw all
people to myself.
Reflection
Consider the implications of
Jesus use of the word all.
Your Notes
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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John 16:1213(The Message)I still have many things to tell
you, but you cannot handle them
now. But when the Friend
comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he
will take you by the hand and
guide you into all the truth there
is. He won't draw attention to
himself, but will make sense out
of what is about to happen and,
indeed, out of all that I have
done and said.
Might Christ have some-
thing to say to your
church that he has not
already said? In what
ways can the Spirit of
Truth be your friend as
you explore the difficult
or unfamiliar?
C h a p t e r 7 :
A N e w M i d d l e W a y
P a g e 2 4
In this chapter
we take the next stepin our journey:
exploring the
implications of this
New Middle Way
on how we carry out
our day-to-day lives as
communities of faith.
P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Bible Reading Reflection
GROUPDISCUSSIONACTIVITY
REVIEWTHESUMMARYTABLEONTHEFOLLOWINGPAGE,ANDTHENCOMPLETETHE CHURCH PARADIGM INVENTORYTHATFOLLOWS. DISCUSSITSIMPLICATIONSFORYOU,YOURCHURCH,
YOURDENOMINATION,ANDTHECHURCHATLARGE.
CHOOSEANITEMFROMTHEINVENTORYONWHICHYOUWOULDLIKETOSEEYOURCHURCHCHANGEFROMWHEREITCURRENTLYIS. CONSIDERWHATMIGHTHAVETOCHANGEFORYOURCHURCH
TOMOVEINTHATDIRECTION. DISCUSSTHISWITHTHERESTOFTHEGROUP.
Your Notes
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Key differences in theology, ecclessiology, and missional strategyCharacteristic Propositional Orthodoxy (Orthoproxy) Incarnational Orthodoxy (Paradoxy) Ethical Orthodoxy (Orthopr
View of
Religion Ultimate Truth is found in one
religion.
Christianity is THE WAY to that
Truth
Religion is Irrelevant
Christ IS Way and Truth and Life
Deepest Truth is shared by a
religions
Christianity is THE BEST W
to that Truth
Approach to
Orthodoxy Assent to broad spectrum of doctrine
Kerygma / Didache given equal
weight
Individually confessional Truth is propositional and exclusive
(The Truth ON Jesus Christ)
Kerygmatic (core paradoxical
dogmas)
Kerygma overDidache
Communally creedal Truth is relational and collective
(The Truth IS Jesus Christ)
Ethical action
Acting in love
Communally creedal
Truth is universal and inclus(The Truth OF Jesus Christ)
Theological
Basis for
Christian
Community
Doctrinal agreement/uniformity of
belief
Conformity to Churchs teachings
Bound by Christs Love in common
worship
Being transformed by Gods power/
mystery
Ethical agreement / uniform
purpose
Conformity to Jesus Christ
of love
Approach to
Conflict Conflict is evidence of dysfunction
One side must be wrong
No compromise
Resolve by conversion or exclusion
Conflict is natural result of
authenticity
All of us are a little wrong
Resolve by prayerful engagement
and openness to transformation by
Christs love
Conflict is evidence of
dysfunction
At the deepest level were sa
If possible, change the subje
Focus on agreement, ignoredisagreement
Understanding
of Conversion
Proseleo / aparche (externally encouraged
change of allegiance)
Metamorphoo (transformation brought
about by relationship with Christ) Metanoeo (change of mind /
direction)
Aversion to conversion, per
Relationship of
Conversion to
Community
(koinonia)
FirstProseleo / aparche, then koinonia(full fellowship)
First koinonia (full fellowship)
Then fellowship catalyzes
metamorphoo
Koinonia offered w/out con
Inner faith experience leads
metanoeo
Evangelism
Approach Conversional / Proselytizing (inviting
to convert to Christianity or
orthodoxy)
Making converts
Relational (inviting to relationship
with Christ and the Body of Christ)
Making (and being) disciples (lit.
learners)
Conversational (inviting to
conversation about the spirit
life)
Making friends
Evangelists
Role Tell the story
Require a Yes/No Decision
Tell the story
Invite into community
Tell the story
Call to repentance from inju
Approach to
Relevance
Worship is bait; teaching is hook Neither bait nor hook; make friends with
the fish
Teaching is bait; worship is hook
Ecumenical
Stance
Opportunity to defend/convert Opportunity to engage in relationship Opportunity to seek common gro
Leadership
Approach
Keeping people doctrinally unified Keeping the people engaged in
discernment
Keeping people engaged in servi
God
Discipleship
Approach
Obedience Call Service
Role of Leader Authority Visionary Catalyst
Exegetical
Approach Seeking answers from the text
What does the Bible say about _____?
What does it tell me to do?
In dialogue with the text (like
Midrash)
What questions do I have of the
text?
What questions does it ask of me?
Seeking the universal meani
the text
What questions do I have of
text?
How is it relevant to my life
Bible Emphasis Pastoral Epistles (to learn the doctrines) Gospels (to tell the story) Gospels (learn from Jesus exam
Dominant Mode
of Preaching/
Teaching
Deductive (outside-in)
1. Identify principles in Scripture/
Tradition
2. How do these principles apply to ourlives?
Narrative / Transformative (two-way)
1. Identify common issues: Salvation
Story / us
2. What is God calling us to be/become?
Inductive (inside-out)
1. Identify our deepest needs
2. How do Bible/Church teach
meet them?
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C h a p t e r 8 :
C h u r c h P a r a d i g m I n v e n t o r y
P a g e 2 6 P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
Instructions:Step 1: For each of the fourteen questions below, circle the
response that best describes your church. Give your first glance
response (do not think too long about any question).
Step 2: Transfer your answers to the scoring guide and tally the
number of answers in each column.
Step 3: Respond to the Scripture Reflection and Discussion
Questions at the end of Chapter 5.
1. Which statement best describes your churchs view of religion? A. Ultimate truth is found in one religion
(Christianity is the only way).
B. Deepest truth is shared by all religions(Christianity is the only way for me).
C. Religion is irrelevant for following Christ(Christ is the way, the truth, and the life).
2. Which statement best describes your churchs understandingof truth? A. Truth is universal and inclusive.
B. Truth is relational and collective.
C. Truth is propositional and exclusive.
3. Which statement best describes your churchs approach toorthodoxy? A. Orthodoxy is right opinion: of Christ, of God,
of the churchs traditional teachings.
B. Orthodoxy is right response: appropriate tothe incarnation of Christ.
C. Orthodoxy is right practice: of the love ethicof Christ.
4. Which statement best describes your churchs understandingof the theological basis for Christian community? A. Christian community is grounded on the experience of
Christs love in common worship and the experience ofmutual transformation brought about by that love.
B. Christian community is grounded on ethical agreement,uniformity of purpose, and obedience/conformity to
Jesus Christs ethic of love.
C. Christian community is grounded on doctrinal agreement,uniformity of belief, and obedience/conformity to the
churchs teachings.
5. How does your church interpret the existence of conflictwithin a congregation? A. Conflict is the result of error
(one side must be wrong).
B. Conflict is the result of human nature(we are all a little bit wrong).
C. Conflict is the result of misperception(at the deepest level we all are the same).
6. When conflict exists, how does your church respond to it? A. Change the subject: downplay disagreement,
focus on areas of agreement, agree to disagree,
exclude the conflict from conversation.
B. Change the person (or the venue): correct the errant
party (or parties), if the person wont change,exclude them from fellowship.
C. Change the context: correct the interpretation of conflict,explore areas of agreement and disagreement,
exclude exclusion as an option for resolution.
7. Which statement best describes your churchsunderstanding of conversion? A. Conversion is an internal change of heart and mind,
that catalyzes profound changes of the direction in
the persons life.
B. Conversion is a process of change that works fromthe outside in and from the inside out transforming
the whole person.
C. Conversion is an externally encouraged commitmentof life and belief that catalyzes profound changes
of heart and mind.
8. Which statement best describes your churchsunderstanding of the process of including newcomers? A. First conversion, then fellowship.
B. First full fellowship, then fellowship catalyzestransformation.
C. Community offered with few conditions, then the innerfaith experience leads to the persons change of heart.
9. Which statement best describes your churchs approach torelevance? A. Teaching is bait, worship is hook
B. Worship is bait, teaching is hook.
C. Neither worship nor teaching are bait or hook.
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C h a p t e r 8 : C h u r c h P a r a d i g m I n v e n t o r y
P a g e 2 7 P a r a d o x y S t u d y G u i d e
10. Which statement best describes your churchsecumenical/interfaith stance? A. Ecumenical/interfaith relationships are an opportunity
to engage in relationship.
B. Ecumenical/interfaith relationships are an opportunity
to seek common ground.
C. Ecumenical/interfaith relationships are an opportunityto defend orthodoxy.
11. Which statement best describes your churchs approach toleadership? A. Leader as catalyst: engage people in serving God.
B. Leader as authority: keep people doctrinally unified.
C. Leader as midwife: engage people in discerning/following
a shared vision.
12. Which statement best describes your churchs understandingof the goal of discipleship? A. The goal of discipleship is learning to obey.
B. The goal of discipleship is learning to hear and obeyones unique call to serve.
C. The goal of discipleship is learning to serve.
13. Which statement best describes your churchs understandingof biblical exegesis? A. Seeking to search and be searched by the text.
B. Seeking the deeper, universal meaning of the text.
C. Seeking answers from the text.
14. What statement best describes the questions your churchbrings to the Scripture? A. What issues are present both in the salvation story
and in us? What is God calling us to be/become through
our interaction with the salvation story?
B. What principles are established by the Scripture,as understood by the churchs traditional teaching?
And how do these principles apply to life?
C. What are our deepest needs? How does our understandingof the Scriptures help us to meet them?
SCORING GUIDE
Total the number circled in each column. Use these numbers to
answer the questions below.
1. Write your column 1 score here: _____
(This is your preference for Orthopraxy)
2. Write your column 2 score here: _____
(This is your preference for Paradoxy)
3. Write your column 3 score here: _____
(This is your preference for Orthopraxy)
REFLECT ON YOURRESULTS_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Question Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
1 A C B
2 C B A
3 A B C
4 C A B
5 A B C
6 B C A
7 C B A
8 A B C
9 B C A
10 C A B
11 B C A
12 A B C
13 C A B
14 B A C
TOTAL
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groups with opposing theologicaland political views, Ken has been
called upon to facilitate dialogs
on issues ranging from human
sexuality to interfaith relations.
When not occupied with the busi-
ness of pastoring and growing the
theologically diverse congregation
he helped plant, Ken is available
for presentations, workshops,
and coaching on the concepts
outlined in Paradoxy: Creating
Christian Community beyond Us
and Them.
A Christian of Jewish origins, KenHoward has been an ordained
priest in the Episcopal Church
since 1993, focusing on church
planting and congregational vital-
ity. Prior to ordination Ken was a
consultant in organizational
development, strategic planning,
and conflict resolution. Ken holds
a Master of Divinity degree from
Virginia Theological Seminary,
with honors in Church History forhis ground-breaking research into
the Jewish origins of early Christi-
anity, published in Jewish Christi-
anity in the Early Church.
Respected and trusted for his
expertise in conflict resolution
and consensus building among
Thank you for consideringParadoxy: Creating
Christian Community Beyond Us and Them
for your study group!
Paradoxyis intentionally structured to beused in this type of group, and were happy to
be able to provide you with this study guide.
When purchasingParadoxyfor your group,
bulk discounts are available through the
books publisher, Paraclete Press.
A b o u t T h e A u t h o r
P a r a d o x y
Rev. Ken Howard
Author ofParadoxy: Creating Christian Community
Beyond Us and Them
Ken Howard is current the rector of Saint
Nicholas Episcopal Church in Darnestown, MD,
a suburb of Washington, DC.
To find out more about his home church, visit
www.saintnicks.com.
Visitwww.paracletepress.com
for bulk discounts!
For more information or
to order the book
visitwww.practicingparadoxy.com
PUBLICATION DETAILS
TITLE: Paradoxy: Creating Christian CommunityBeyond Us and Them
AUTHOR: Ken HowardFOREWORD: Brian McLaren
AFTERWORD: The Very Rev. Dr. Paul ZahlPUBLISHER: Paraclete Press, Boston, MA
PUBLICATION DATE: September 1, 2010PAGES: 180 (Paperback)LIST PRICE: $16.99 (USA)ISBN: 978-1-55725-775-8
S T U D Y G U I D E D E S I G N B Y
M A R Y B E T H H O W A R D