Phil Kenneson is a recognized participant in the missional conversation. He serves on the board of the Ekklesia Project,
and has authored books and papers that address the missional philosophy
over against popular church-growth marketing techniques. (Phil has also been a friend of mine since grad school -- and we're both Blue Devil alums.) In this volume, he develops a core piece of his philosophy, that Christian communities, instead of
"selling themselves" in the religious marketplace, should focus on positioning their communal and individual lives so that the Spirit can reproduce the life of Jesus in them. This Christ-likeness is the "fruit of the Spirit", and is the key to the church's authentic witness. In fact, "it is quite possible for the church to be growing and not bearing the fruit of the Spirit" (p. 11). Kenneson suggests that when Christians concentrate on this "life on the vine", a transformation takes place the manifests the kingdom of God on earth. God projects himself in the way that best glorifies him through the spiritual qualities of his followers.
Kenneson has a keen eye for how the church has capitulated to culture, and a penetrating theological grounding to help the church regain its footing. His book is good for those interested in this subject on any level, even those who may wish to use this as a small group Bible study. Here's a list of the main chapters:
- Cultivating Love in the Midst of Market-Style Exchanges
- Cultivating Joy in the Midst of Manufactured Desire
- Cultivating Peace in the Midst of Fragmentation
- Cultivating Patience in the Midst of Productivity
- Cultivating Kindness in the Midst of Self-Sufficiency
- Cultivating Goodness in the Midst of Self-Help
- Cultivating Faithfulness in the Midst of Impermanence
- Cultivating Gentleness in the Midst of Aggression
- Cultivating Self-Control in the Midst of Addiction