Discerning God's Will Together: Biblical Interpretation in the Free Church Tradition

This book invites congregations to learn communal forms of biblical interpretation through which to implement discernment practices guiding us through today's challenging ethical and theological riddles. "How timely it is in the hurly burly fractiousness of our times for Ervin Stutzman . . . to lift up the core practice of discernment for all to consider afresh." --Sara Wenger Shenk, President, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, in the Foreword. "Stutzman proposes that the contemporary church, faced with difficult decisions about moral and practical issues, can learn from the long tradition of communal discernment and biblical interpretation that goes hand-in-hand with the Anabaptist understanding of the congregation as a voluntary community of believers. . . ." --Sally Weaver Glick, Author, In Tune with God: The Art of Congregational Discernment. "Stutzman envisions an increased role of congregational discernment as one of the tools of faithful hermeneutics in the Anabaptist tradition. He explicates the role and complexities of group discernment well and provides a rich treasure trove of insights and information." --Jan Wood, Author (with Lon Fendall and Bruce Bishop) of Practicing Discernment Together: Finding God's Way Forward in Decision Making. "Discernment in the future will require not only the theology and tools Stutzman carefully develops but also a firm rejection of Constantinian models of monolithic decision-making." --David Brubaker, Associate Professor of Organizational Studies at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University