C. Christopher Smith wants to get the church talking to one another–even if the conversation is a bit difficult. In his book How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church, Smith lays out what he believes to be the best practices to get the church talking. Even though I appreciated the sentiment, I found his theological grounding and methodology to be problematic, to say the least, and was left unconvinced of his tactics. You can read my full book review by following the link below.
Here’s an excerpt:
His statements here in the opening chapter seem to communicate that the unity of the Godhead—and through Smith’s application, the unity of the church—is of secondary importance when it comes to having constructive conversations. He doesn’t outright reject classical Trinitarianism, but he so emphasizes the fundamental conversational diversity of the Trinity that the impression with which the reader is left is that unity in diversity is found in the way the Trinity communes among itself rather than the church’s union with Christ, her indwelling by the Spirit, and her adoption into the family of the Father.
The article is behind a pay wall, but with a subscription you can read the whole Modern Reformation Magazine Book Review here: “How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church” by C. Christopher Smith
Soli Deo Gloria
The Drawing Board 