Godly Conversation: Rediscovering the Puritan Practice of Conference

by Joanne J. Jung

''With one eye constantly on the needs of the contemporary church, practical theologian Joanne Jung has recovered an important aspect of Christian community from old and neglected Puritan sources. This stimulating and important study examines the gathering of the saints in informal settings, or 'conferences,' where Scripture and sermons were discussed and 'ingested' to nurture the spiritual life. The cumulative effect of Jung's research is to put the topic of conference at the top of the list of important Puritan disciplines, thereby redressing the popular misconception that Puritans were individualists. The book offers us a detailed taxonomy of the types of Puritan conference, and it expounds for the first time the important role that women played in fostering the practice. The study is based on extensive original research in primary sources, and the author's infectious passion for the church and its history clearly demonstrates that the 'old' can illumine the 'new' and inform and guide the church today.'' - James E. Bradley, Geoffrey W. Bromiley Professor of Church History, Fuller Theological Seminary Table of
Foreword, by J. I. Packer
1. In Search of Piety's Forgotten Discipline
2. A Royal Conflict over Prophesyings and the Origins of Puritan Conference
3. Scripture for Puritan The Word Read
4. Scripture for Puritan The Word Heard
5. Holy 'A Kind of Paradise'
6. Holy Categorized and Exercised
7. Puritan Conference for the Contemporary Church

Genres: Christian, Christian Living

224 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2011

About the author

Joanne J. Jung (PhD, Fuller Seminary) is a professor of biblical and theological studies and the associate dean of online education and faculty development at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. She is the author of Knowing Grace; Character Formation in Online Education; and The Lost Discipline of Conversation. She and her husband, Norman, attend Harvest Community Church in Irvine, California.

Reviews

[Scott Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book during the formation of our church and it was a timely and practical help. Jung explores the lost idea of "conferencing," a Puritan practice that developed community and strengthened the applied faith of the church. Conferencing involved groups of church men and women gathering to discuss the important issues of the faith, often inspired by sermons and lessons. The singular goal was to seek wisdom and to confer with one another on how to apply the lessons learned in daily living or in church life. This practice offered congregational unity and fostered a sense of purpose and sobriety concerning doctrine and practice. Conferencing was the means by which the congregation took the lessons of scripture and kneaded them deeply into the matrix of life.

In today's church, conferencing can be recovered as a useful practice to accomplish the same ends. It is not small groups, it isn't a group discussion where one tells "how I feel about it." It can be applied as intentional discussion of substance with regard to a specific topic, doctrine or spiritual need. Our church applied 'conferencing' in its formative days as best we could to foster transparency, to settle doctrinal matters, and most helpfully, to lay out our path regarding matters of practice as we moved ahead in the formation process. Jung's book was very helpful and deserves a more consideration that we were able to give it. The application of conferencing in today's church could provide a very powerful injection of vitality to churches in an era that needs just that.

[John-Jennifer Divito · Rating 5 out of 5]

While they were by no means perfect, I have found the Puritans to be a fount of rich biblical insight and godly wisdom. Yet I was not familiar with their practice of conference and how central conferences were for these pastors and their churches. In Joanne Jung's book Godly Conversation, she seeks to remind us of Puritan conferences and to show us what we can learn today through them. As she states: "To date, there is no work that takes a serious, in-depth look at the Puritan discipline of conference and its application to contemporary spiritual formation. The revisit of Puritan conference found in this treatment seeks to highlight a dormant Puritan practice in hopes that the evangelical public would benefit from its rediscovery and re-incorporation" (8).

Allow me to share a few reasons why I found this book so valuable:

First, I appreciated reading the emphasis of communal Christian living among the Puritans. They rightly recognized that we grow in the faith together, which is why they prioritized the discipline of conferences. In a day in which many Christians understand their church life as largely limited to Sunday worship services, this Puritan practice offers us a biblical correction. It also shows us why they were known for their pursuit of holiness as well as why their influence has lasted through the centuries.

Second, I was glad to see the focus of the centrality of the Word and preaching in Puritan conferences. They trusted that God would speak to His people through Scripture, especially when Scripture is preached. Therefore, conferences often involved sermon discussion and application, and they were devoted to caring for the souls of one another through conversation on God's Word.

Third, I loved many of the Puritan quotes and am grateful for a number of new historical insights which this work revealed. I have notes on almost every page, and I am sure that I will return to Jung's book as a refresher of these things moving forward.

At the same time, Jung's work is a scholarly treatment. Her academic writing prevents this from being a broadly useful resource in church leadership development. I would love to see a simplified version which could be read and discussed by small group leaders and other interested laypeople in the church.

Additionally, her contemporary application was very brief. I believe that the discipline of Puritan conferences could be further explored for more help, and many of her applications could be expanded upon. Such reflection would make this book even more relevant and beneficial.

In any case, I am grateful for this historical study. As a pastor, I found that Jung's book was not only informative, but it was also integral to the development of my church's small group ministries. So I would encourage fellow pastors to pick up Jung's book and read!

[Philip Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent piece of historical/pastoral theology to finish this year's reading off. Joanne Jung scours the depths of Puritan writings to make the case that the contemporary church has overlooked the practice of conferencing, something the Puritans regarded to be an essential means of grace and Christian spiritual growth. The historical contextual work was really great, as was the explanations of why the Puritans themselves viewed this to be a key practice. I thought the final chapter where Jung applies these insights to the contemporary church, specifically to our "small groups" movement was worth the price of the book.

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has much clarity and wisdom to speak into the confusion around the modern form of this practice: small/life/discipleship/family/etc groups. And our churches will benefit greatly if it is heard and followed.

[William Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a thrilling read for sure, but there is a lot of important things to be carefully considered here. Most of the book details the history of the Puritan practice called "conference."