Communal Dimension
Discussion Questions, Chapters 9 & 10
If you are discussing these questions in a group, you may want to refer to the Discussion Ground Rules for guidance.
1. How do you think you’ve been affected by what the author describes as “the myth of individualism” or what Robert Putnam describes as “the loss of social capital”[see pp. 184–87]?
2. What opportunities do you see in your own life to participate more meaningfully in the communal dimension of spirituality?
3. What one thing about the church (your own, those you know of, or your impression of the church at large) would you change to make it more in keeping with the spirituality of Jesus as you understand it?
4. Do you see any difference between saying, “God is loving” and “God is love”?
5. What differences do you see between a spirituality that seeks understanding and one that seeks mastery? Have you ever felt that your approach to spirituality was more about seeking mastery than understanding? Describe what that was like.
Download a PDF of these Discussion questions here.