From conformity to transformation: Discipleship and identity in the context of social conflict

Abstract

Around the world social polarization and conflict is being increasingly experienced both in the general society and within church. There is evidence that many Christians are being more influenced by their social affinity groups than by their sense of identity in Christ, contributing to social tensions. This essay addresses the challenge of making disciples who are not conformed to the world but rather transformed (Rom 12:2). An approach is proposed that first defines the nature of discipleship and the importance of fostering a biblical “in Christ” identity among followers of Jesus. Social identity theory is employed both in biblical interpretation and in understanding Christian identity that transcends other identities. Adult learning theories are then used to propose an approach of “disequilibration and reframing” to foster identity formation. Three types of transformative encounters as pedagogical methods are described.

Keywords

discipleship identity social polarization adult learning transformation

Introduction: The challenge

“My congregation is being discipled by cable news.” That was the rather startling comment made to me by a pastor in California whose church had lost about half its members during the controversies surrounding COVID restrictions. The leadership had attempted to take a moderate position on masking and other regulations. But congregants on both the far left and on the far right would have none of it and voted with their feet. The divide followed the news outlets that people were consuming. Younger people are not being discipled by cable news, but rather by social media where extreme opinions are amplified, controversy is stoked, moderation is viewed as betrayal, and genuine dialog is both impossible and unwanted. Pastors are increasingly accused of being either too woke, or too conservative, or even both!¹ We live in what is been called the age of rage and the church is not immune.

For sure, not all the people in our churches are angry and many if not most desire more moderation. However, the pandemic and Trump era politics have only exposed challenges that were just below the surface. Christians too often identify more with socio-political groupings in society than with their identity as members of the body of Christ. Conflicts and tensions of the broader culture are thus imported into the church.² This experience is not unique to the American church but can be observed in churches everywhere in different ways, sometimes with devastating consequences, even to the point of complicity in genocide.³ What I have described are warning signs that something may be amiss in the disciple-making process in our churches.

However, the challenge runs much deeper than merely maintaining church unity or bridling the influence of cable news and social media. Rather it reflects an inadequate understanding of our identity as followers of Jesus and strikes at the fundamental question of the relationship between discipleship and culture. To put it bluntly, in critical aspects of our Christian lives, we are being more shaped by the culture than by the gospel. While socio-political polarization may be compromising discipleship in America, in another culture it may be the harmful influence witchcraft accusations, the treatment of women, ethnic conflict, or some other issue. This article argues that the disciple-making process must address questions of social identity if negative influences of the culture are to be overcome and genuine life transformation is to occur. Thus, the title of this article is “From conformity to transformation: Discipleship and identity in the context of social conflict.”

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Rom 12:2, emphasis added). So, how can we foster discipleship that is transformative in this sense? This article begins with a brief definition of a disciple of Jesus. Then it examines discipleship as a call to a new identity in Christ. Finally, a practical pathway of discipleship that can foster identity transformation is proposed.

Two preliminary comments are necessary. First, we should not deny God the glory for remarkable transformation that has taken place in the lives of many Christians and their communities. But we must confess the frequent failure of the church to transform deeply held convictions and values. Second, this topic must be approached with great humility. I must confess that I myself have many blind spots that need uncovering. To make disciples, I must be a disciple. The journey of transformational discipleship is one that we must travel as learners together. This is one of the great advantages of having such conversations with a diversity of God’s people.

Definition of disciple

We begin by briefly considering inadequate understandings of discipleship, and then look at Jesus’s own definition of a disciple.

Inadequate definitions of discipleship

Negatively, there are plenty of inadequate definitions of discipleship. On the one hand, some define discipleship primarily in terms of acquiring Bible knowledge and theology, attending church regularly, and generally keeping out of trouble. It is assumed that Bible study alone will result in changed lives. While there is no denying the power of the Word of God (e.g., Isa 55:10–11, Heb 4:12, 2Tim 3:16–17), personal change is not automatic. We are exhorted to be doers of the Word and not hearers only (Jas 1:22–25).

On the other hand, there are those who emphasize activism and ethics. This approach is also inadequate when not intimately linked to a relationship to Jesus Christ and his teaching. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Joh 8:32) and “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (Joh 15:5). A balanced understanding of discipleship will involve following Jesus in matters of truth, devotion, and lived life.

Jesus-centered discipleship

This brings us to Jesus’s own teaching on discipleship, which can be summarized in this way:

The cost of discipleship is self-surrender. In all three Synoptics Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mt 16:24, cf. Mk 8:34, Lk 9:23, 14:26.27.33). In these terms discipleship could not be more ultimate, yea, existential.

The mark of discipleship is love, as Jesus described in John 13:35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The result of discipleship is fruitfulness, as Jesus explained in John 15:8: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

The task of discipleship is described in the so-called Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Mat 28:19–20).

What is remarkable, if not stunning, is how unashamedly Jesus places himself at the very center of every aspect of discipleship. In addition to Romans 12:2, the other Pauline text that speaks of life transformation is 2 Corinthians 3:18: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate [or reflect] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Transformative discipleship is about becoming what C.S. Lewis (1960: 169–70) called “little Christs.” Surrendering self-will and becoming like Jesus is at the heart of discipleship, and precisely here comes the most difficult challenge. How can we as disciple-makers lead people to surrender their assumed cultural values, question the cultural narratives that have shaped them, and adopt an utterly alternative lifestyle that is counter to so much that is intuitive?

Surely such change can only be a work of the Holy Spirit. Aaron Kuecker (2011: 219) concludes from his study of social identity in Luke-Acts, “Indeed, Luke’s text indicates that, apart from the Spirit, ethnic barriers are hopelessly intractable.” Furthermore, “The transformation wrought by the Spirit in both persons and groups underscores the fact that, for Luke, the Spirit creates a new way of being human in community—especially as it relates to the ‘other’” (2011: 221 emphasis in original). Yet, we know that the Spirit often works through human means. We are, after all, commanded to make disciples. There are numerous approaches to disciple-making. Not of least importance are prayer, Bible reading, and spiritual disciplines. We might also discuss experiential learning, supportive community, service, and much more. All of these are important and perhaps even more important than what I will present. The focus here is an approach less commonly considered but has potential to address the current divisive atmosphere in which we find ourselves and the challenge of cultural conformity.

First, I will describe the importance of discovering our identity in Christ as essential to discipleship. Biblical theology will be integrated with social identity theory. Second, I will explain a pedagogy of disequilibration and reframing as a means to facilitate identity transformation. This approach can be effective among people of all cultures.

Discipleship as a call to a new identity “in Christ”

Social identity and intergroup relations

Many of the problematic issues related to discipleship and cultural conformity stem from our sense of identity. According to social identity theory our sense of personal identity is largely defined by the social groups to which we belong and how we see ourselves as similar to or different from others.⁴ This involves social categorization, social comparison, and social identification. The theory argues that we tend to view out-group members with negative bias, stereotypically, and prejudicially, and view in-group members more positively. This sense of identity is at the root of so many human conflicts including racism, xenophobia, and much of the political polarization we observe today.

In America, Christ followers may over-identify with polarized social or political affinity groups. For others, it may be overidentification with ethnic or caste identities.⁵ Disciples of Jesus whose identity is too strongly linked to such groups can end up contributing to harmful social conflicts in the general society. That identity can also be brought into the church, leading to tensions and divisions among believers.

For example, based on empirical studies, George A. Yancy and Ashlee Quosigk in their recent book One Faith No Longer (2021) argue that the progressive/conservative divide among Christians in America is largely due to difference in identity formation. Both progressive and conservative Christians are influenced by their socio-political affinity group, which often outweighs theological and other factors in determining who they view as their in-group or out-group.⁶ It in turn biases their reading of scripture.⁷ Botswanan Lovemore Togarasei (2016: 103–6) argues that in Africa, ethnicity and region are more important than religion in defining identity, and this has been at the root of many conflicts on the continent. As the adage goes, “the blood of ethnicity is thicker than the water of baptism.” This challenge must be addressed in the discipleship process!

Social identity research has found that creating a sense of common, superordinate identity can be effective in reducing intergroup bias.⁸ This, however, does not require that individuals abandon their original identities (Dovidio et al., 2006: 83). In fact, it has been argued that preserving the integrity of the subgroup identity is the most effective way to improve relations (Hornsey and Hogg, 2000: 143). If discipleship is to address deep-seated social divisions and worldview orientations, our sense of identity as followers of Jesus must be fundamentally redefined.

Identity formation in the New Testament

Our identity as disciples of Jesus should not only transcend other social identities but transform them. Togarasei (2016: 102) suggests “Christian identity as found in the writings of Paul as possible solution to resolve Africa’s problems caused by issues of identity.” This insight could be applied in every context. A strong sense of our identity in Christ should give us the vision and strength to, on the one hand, resist the negative influences of other groups with which we identify, and on the other hand, to powerfully live out the love of Christ counterculturally.

Numerous New Testament scholars have employed social identity theory to describe the formation of a distinct group identity in the early Jesus movement.⁹ Aaron Kuecker employs social identity theory to describe how in Luke-Acts the Spirit creates a new inclusive social community of reconciliation.¹⁰ F. Manjewa Mbwangi (2020: 2) argues, “that Paul employs his letters to construct a superordinate identity for his community which embraces not only political perspectives but also has a religious and economic trajectory.” Paul himself was an example of this (Kok, 2014: 8). Negatively, Brian Tucker (2010) attributes problems in the church of Corinth to their over identification with Roman identity and a misunderstanding of the significance of their “in Christ” identity. Transformation by the renewing of the mind as described in Romans 12:2 describes, at least in part, identity transformation.

The churches that the Apostle Paul addressed were a mix of Jewish and Pagan background believers, from various social classes and diverse backgrounds. Their unifying and transcendent identity can be best encapsulated in the term “in Christ.” Approximately 40 times Paul describes believers using the phrase ἐν Χριστῷ.¹¹ We can say the that transformed identity of a disciple of Jesus is an “in Christ” identity.

Transformative “in Christ” identity

The New Testament describes at least four ways that being “in Christ” transforms our identity:

We have become a new creation that transcends the fallen old creation:¹² “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17). In Christ we ourselves become new creations and we are moreover an anticipation of the eschatological new creation that has broken into history with Christ’s resurrection and will come in fullness with his return. In Galatians 6:15, Paul puts forth the category of “new creation” as superseding circumcision, which was such a powerful social identity marker for Jews.

We are adopted into a new family that transcends kinship identity: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith” (Gal 3:26). In the New Testament, the term αδελφοί (“brothers and sisters”) is used 271 times referring to believers. Larry Hurtado (2017: 456) concludes, “So, clearly, αδελφοί both reflects (and promotes) the sense of being a specific group with family-type relationships and a distinctive group identity, and also serves as a verbal boundary marker distinguishing the group from outsiders. . .”¹³ Furthermore, the familial term “children of God” (or similar) describes believers 17 times, and the language of adoption five times.

We are ingrafted into a new community, the church, that transcends affinity group identity: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). In Ephesians 2:15, Paul describes this new identity that transcends Jew and Gentile categories as ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, “one new humanity.”

We are granted a new citizenship that transcends national identity. Paul writes in Philippians 3:20, “our citizenship is in heaven.”¹⁴ It is significant that Philippi was a Roman colony, with Latin as the official language and exempt from Roman taxes. Twenty to forty percent of its residents were retired soldiers and officers who were rewarded for their service with land and citizenship (Oakes, 2001: 61). They would have been patriots loyal to Rome (Tsalampouni, 2018: 131), and proud of their Roman citizenship that gave them numerous privileges (Hellerman, 2005). Roman citizenship, characterized by privilege, pride, and power, is contrasted with heavenly citizenship characterized by sacrifice, service, and even suffering. The model citizen in God’s kingdom is not the victorious general, but Jesus, the suffering servant, described in Philippians 2:3–11, who surrendered his rights even unto death to serve others.¹⁵ In Philippians 1:27, Paul exhorts the believers: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The term “conduct” is not the usual Greek term (περιπατεῖτε), but is πολιτεύεσθε, related to the word in 3:20 for “citizenship” (πολίτευμα). It could be translated “live out your citizenship in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Peterson, 2008: 176).

Thus, new identity in Christ entails a new creation, a new family, a new community and a new citizenship. As New Testament scholars have recently pointed out, this “in Christ” identity does not replace other identities but transcends all other identities and places them under the Lordship of Christ.¹⁶ “In Christ” identity tears down the idolatry of cultural pride and superiority, and casts a vision for a new humanity where diverse people are part of the same family of God through Christ. Diversity can be celebrated, not vilified or feared. “In Christ” is the ultimate superordinate group identity that God grants disciples of Jesus. This does not entail a glossing over of theological or ethical convictions over which believers may differ. On the contrary, it can open the way to non-reactive, civil dialog on controversial issues as sisters and brothers seeking to travel together on the path of discipleship.

The frequent failure of the church to instill such a sense of identity in Christ needs no documentation. However, Samuel Jayakumar (2016: 243) gives a positive example from India in an article “Towards a theology of human identity: Competing identities: Imagining and inventing new identities”:

Missionaries taught their Dalit converts, who practised [sic] mutual untouchability and were hostile towards each other, to love one another by acknowledging the biblical truth that they were all the children of the one living God and saved by his only Son the Lord Jesus Christ. They taught their upper-caste converts, who were the traditional oppressors of the Dalits to comprehend the core of the gospel which says that, “what God has cleansed you call not unclean.”¹⁷

If social identity is part of the core problem of culture and discipleship, then a major question we must ask is, how we can help people grasp their identity in Christ in a way that leads to genuine transformation. I will offer just one approach that I believe has potential.

Disequilibration and reframing as a pathway to identity transformation

It has been said that “learning is the antithesis of comfort.”¹⁸ We naturally resist change of deeply held convictions, values, and attitudes because these are linked to our identity, our feelings of security, and help us make sense of a complex world. These convictions do not normally change unless there is discomfort and they fail to make sense of new experiences. Our mental and emotional equilibrium must be upset in order to consider change. In other words, we must be disequilibrated. True discipleship is precisely about such deep-level change. But information alone, even from the Bible, is rarely enough to create change at that level. Neuroscience supports the adage that emotion is the gatekeeper of learning.¹⁹ Indeed, one of the reasons that cable TV and social media are so effective in “discipling” us is that programmers have learned how to impact us emotionally, in particular, evoking fear and anger.

The concept of disequilibration was used by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget to describe the cognitive development of children. According to Piaget, we normally assimilate new information into our existing interpretive scheme. Cognitive growth occurs when we encounter new information that does not fit the existing scheme, we experience mental disequilibrium, and are forced to adopt or create a new mental scheme. This approach has also been used to describe adult learning (e.g., Bourgeois, 2011; Knight and Sutton, 2004). Jack Mezirow (1991) developed a similar idea of “transformative learning” for adults, whereby the learner faces a disorienting dilemma, then through critical reflection or self-examination fundamentally changes her perceptions and meaning schemes.²⁰ The term “reframing” is used in this article because the learner not only adopts a new interpretive scheme, but in discipleship one’s whole life orientation is to be reframed.

These theories have, of course, been critiqued and expanded.²¹ Still, it remains true that most learning that fosters deep-level personal change will involve cognitive dissonance at some level. For the purpose of this article, these approaches can be simplified as follows:

1. Expose the learners to new information or an experience that touches them personally and yet presents a dilemma that cannot be easily resolved by their present interpretive scheme. This is disequilibration.

2. Foster critical reflection on the information or experience that encourages a reexamination of the information and a willingness to question assumptions. This might be stimulated through dialog, journaling, role playing, thought experiments, readings, and other reflective activities. It must be added here that a non-threatening and safe environment is a necessary condition. If the disorientation is experienced as too stressful or threatening, negative emotion can block learning, triggering the fight or flight response (Wolfe, 2006: 40).²²

3. Reestablish mental equilibrium by guiding learners to alternative interpretive schemes; that is, a reframing in light of biblical truth that helps resolve the dilemma at both a cognitive and personal level.

Regarding the goal of identity transformation, a fourth step must be added:

4. Provide a supportive community that will help the learner live out that new identity and reinforce the change.

This process is what I am calling disequilibration and reframing. Disequilibrating, disorienting dilemmas can also occur serendipitously or in unstructured situations. These can be teachable moments if we have an eye to identify them and help learners process them (Herbers and Mullins Nelson, 2009). Mezirow (2000: 21) also notes that a “habit of mind” transformation may be incremental as a culmination of smaller transformations. This is surely the case regarding transformation as profound as identity redefinition.

Three close encounters of the transformational kind

Three specific avenues are proposed here to foster “in Christ” identity formation by way of disequilibration and reframing:

Disequilibration and reframing through power encounters.

Disequilibration and reframing through people encounters.

Disequilibration and reframing through parable encounters.

Disequilibration and reframing through power encounters

This refers to supernatural encounters with God’s power that disrupt our interpretive schemes regarding God’s reality and how that impinges on our human identity in relation to him and others. Initially, we might think of power encounters such as the confronting of false gods, as exemplified in Elijah challenging the prophets of Baal, Boniface cutting down the Oak of Thor, or Alan Tippett’s (1967: 100–18) classic study of Solomon Islands Christianity. But there are also many other forms of disequilibrating power encounters. We may encounter the power of the Gospel itself, that can cut to the heart, convict of sin, and lead to repentance and regeneration (e.g., Joh 8:32, Acts 2:37–41, Rom 1:16, 1 Peter 1:23). Many have experienced the power of deliverance from addictions, from sickness, from prejudice, and from the demonic. Even if we have not experienced such miraculous power encounters ourselves, the testimony and example of others can be transformative. As a young university student, my encounters with people whose lives were dramatically changed by Jesus disequilibrated the atheism that I was raised in. This forced me to reconceptualize the world as a place in which God not only exists but is active in changing lives, which in turn led me to embrace faith in Christ. My identity and my life were transformed.

With respect to the challenge of addressing social conflict and Christian identity, the power encounter of experiencing forgiveness and reconciliation can be disequilibrating, leading us to reframe our self-understanding and to view the “other” through the eyes of grace. One might risk extending hospitality to a stranger and encounter the power of God’s love and discover the humanity of the “other” in an unexpected way.

As disciple-makers, we must ask: how can we structure the discipleship process so as to foster such power encounters? Do we pray for works of the Spirit? Do we help disciples take steps of faith so as to experience God’s presence and power? How can such power encounters be processed in a manner that enhances our sense of our identity in Christ?

Disequilibration and reframing through people encounters

Engaging personally with people who are not part of my “in group” can be disequilibrating, especially when encountering those whom I view with prejudice or perceive as a threat to my well-being. This happens when I discover that members of the “out group” do not conform to my stereotypes, that we have more in common than expected, or when I begin to see the world more through their eyes. Research has demonstrated that counter-stereotypical contact and social recategorization can reduce prejudice, “re-humanize” outgroup members, fostering more positive intergroup social relations (Prati et al., 2021).

The “contact hypothesis”²³ argues that under certain conditions prejudice can be reduced when two social groups interact with one another. The concept has been applied with positive results in both laboratory and field research in race and ethnic relations, as well as with other categories of social groupings and other in cultures. It has thus been considered to be “one of the most successful ideas in the history of social psychology” (Dixon et al., 2005: 698). Decategorization and recategorization can further improve relationships and reduce intergroup bias (Dovido et al., 2006: 67).²⁴ However, contact in itself does not necessarily reduce prejudice and can even reinforce stereotypes (McKeown and Dixon, 2017). Extensive research has produced various lists of the necessary conditions for positive results of intergroup contact. These include factors such as equal status, cooperation and non-competition, “acquaintance potential,” contact with a counter-stereotypical member of another group, and so on (Dixon et al., 2005: 699). Unfortunately, the ideal conditions for reducing prejudice rarely occur in everyday life (Dixon et al., 2005).

This raises the question: how can we as a part of the discipleship process facilitate such “people encounters” so as to disrupt bias or hostility linked to other identities, and reconceptualize a common superordinate identity as members of the “in Christ” community of faith? Common suggestions include bringing together people from various groups for joint service projects, shared meals, charitable dialog, listening sessions, and the like.

When the ideal of direct face-to-face encounters is not possible, videos or interviews can be effective. For example, before discussing Dalit theology, I have shown a brief heart-wrenching documentary video showing discrimination and suffering experienced by Dalits in India. Students are visibly moved. This makes them more understanding of the concerns behind Dalit theology, even if they do not ultimately agree with it. During controversies over Black Lives Matter (BLM), the lead pastor of a predominantly white, politically conservative church interviewed a beloved African American pastor from the church staff. Congregants heard personal stories of discrimination that he had experienced. This disequilibrated many who had felt that concerns of BLM were exaggerated. Comments were heard such as, “I never thought things were still that bad,” and, “I think I now better understand where they are coming from.”

However, whether in person or indirectly, to be effective these encounters must be processed in a way that fosters transformative reflection. Ideally, opportunities to live out that transformation can also be offered to implement and reinforce the change.

Disequilibration and reframing through parable encounters

Years ago, James D. Foster and Glenn T. Moran (1985) wrote a fascinating article, “Piaget and parables: The convergence of secular and scriptural views of learning.” Parables formed about one-third of Jesus’s teaching record in the Synoptic Gospels. He often told them when he faced opposition. Foster and Moran argued that many of Jesus’s parables disequilibrated the listeners, forcing them to rethink their assumptions. For example, it is a Samaritan who loves his neighbor, not the pious priest (Luke 10:25–37); or, laborers who worked fewer hours were paid the same as those who worked all day (Mat 20:1–16). These were not merely simple illustrative stories, rather they profoundly challenged the logic and conceptual world of the listeners. Of course, some refused to reframe and rejected Jesus’s teaching. Others were perplexed and asked Jesus for clarification to make sense of them: new theological wineskins were necessary.

Jesus’s example demonstrates that the use of parables has potential to challenge assumed values and beliefs, and lead to a reconceptualization of our identity as identity in Christ. Such parables not only challenge former interpretive schemes, but also touch the emotions. They can confuse, frustrate, or even anger us, provoking a response. John Dirkx (2006) emphasizes the importance of “emotion-laden images” for transformative learning. Parables, stories, and proverbs are particularly powerful when teaching across cultures (Moon, 2017; Ott, 2021). We have made very little use of modern parables in western teaching. But, especially for learners with a more concrete cognitive style, parables, riddles, and stories can be powerful teaching tools.

How can we formulate such parables for contemporary audiences? One option is to reformulate Jesus’s parables with modern elements, such as a business manager in place of a steward (Luke 12:42–48). I have used modern, disequilibrating parables in the classroom and in workshops to introduce ideas or methods that may challenge learner assumptions. Well-told stories in books or films, such as Shūsaku Endō’s Silence (1980), can be similarly disequilibrating. Case studies, role plays, and artistic encounters can have the same effect. We need creative new parables with the power to disequilibrate beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes that are being molded more by culture than by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Perhaps the opening statement of this article, “My congregation is being discipled by cable news,” slightly disequilibrated some readers prompting the need to reframe the task of discipleship in the present hour. This article has argued that a key task of discipleship in any culture involves redefining our identity as “in Christ.” That identity must supersede all other identities and transform the way we relate to one another. A method was presented to foster identity formation as part of the discipleship process by way of disequilibration and reframing. This must be accompanied by other measures, such as prayer, Bible reading, the fostering of spiritual disciplines, supportive community, and service. But this proposal addresses specifically the challenge of polarization and social conflict, offering a pedagogical pathway to resist social conformity and experience transformation. In light of the tragic human conflicts we see around the world today, the task could not be more urgent.

Our ability by God’s grace to foster countercultural, transformative discipleship that transcends our preferred identities is not only of importance for the individual believer, the health of the church, and our role in the broader society. It is a living testimony to the love of the Father, the reconciling gospel of the Son, and the power of Holy Spirit. We become before God and the world the embodiment of the mystery “that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Eph 3:6, emphases added). Thus, “through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Eph 3:10).

Might the words of Justin Martyr (n.d.) be a description of the church today:

[W]e who hated and destroyed one another, and on account of their different manners would not live with men of a different tribe, now, since the coming of Christ, live familiarly with them, and pray for our enemies, and endeavour to persuade those who hate us unjustly . . ., to the end that they may become partakers with us of the same joyful hope of a reward from God the ruler of all.

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

This article was delivered as the keynote address at the Association of Professors of Mission annual meeting in Notre Dame, Indiana on June 15, 2023. I wish to express my appreciation for helpful feedback on earlier drafts of the article received from Steve Bryan, John Cheong, William Green, David Gustafson, Donald Guthrie, Tobias Menges, David Ngaruiya, Greg Strand, and Richard Trca.

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Craig Ott

Notes

Author biography

Craig Ott is professor of mission and intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL, USA). He previously served over 20 years in Germany. He has authored and edited numerous books, including most recently Teaching and Learning across Cultures: A Guide to Theory and Practice (Baker Academic) and The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation among All People (Baker Academic).

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