Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power

by David E. Fitch

History is Whenever the church has aligned itself with worldly, coercive power, it ends up on the wrong side of important justice issues.

But when the church cooperates with God's power through his presence among the least powerful, its witness for Jesus transforms the world into a better place.

In Reckoning with Power , David Fitch unpacks the difference between worldly power, or power over others, and God's power, which engages not in coercion but in love, reconciliation, grace, forgiveness, and healing.

In a world where we can see the abuses of power everywhere--in our homes, schools, governments, and churches--Fitch teaches readers how to discern power and avoid its abuses and traumas. By learning from the church's historical pitfalls, Fitch empowers Christians to relinquish worldly power and make space for God to disrupt and transform our culture for his kingdom.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Politics, Christian Living, Christianity, Christian, Church

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2024

About the author

David Fitch is B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary Chicago, IL. He's married to Rae Ann and they have one child, a son Max. He's pastored and participated in many church plants including Life on the Vine Christian Community a missional church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Most recently he and his family have joined Peace of Christ Church, Westmont, a church planted from Life on the Vine.

He writes on the issues the local church must face in Mission including cultural engagement, leadership and theology. His theology combines Neo-Anabaptist streams of thought, his commitments to evangelicalism and his love for political theory. He has lectured and presented on these topics at many seminaries, graduate schools, denominational gatherings and conferences. Dr. Fitch is the author of numerous articles in places like Christianity Today, The Other Journal, Missiology Evangelical Missions Quarterly, as well as academic journals. He has been featured in places like OutReach Magazine, Anabaptist Witness, Homebrewed Christianity.

He is the author of The End of Evangelicalism? Discerning a New Faithfulness for Mission (Cascade Books, 2011), The Great Giveaway: Reclaiming the Mission of the Church from American Business, Para-Church Organizations, Psychotherapy, Consumer Capitalism and Other Modern Maladies (Baker Books, 2005) and Prodigal Christianity: 10 Signposts into the Missional Frontier (Jossey-Bass 2013) with co-author Geoff Holsclaw. His latest book is entitled Faithful Presence: How God Shapes the Church for the Sake of the World. It is due Summer of 2016 with InterVarsity books.

Reviews

[Simon Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der „Neoanabaptist“ David E. Fitch unterscheidet zwischen einer „göttlichen“ Macht (godly power) und einer „weltlichen“ Macht (worldy power). Erstere ist eine Macht mit (!) Menschen, zweitere eine Macht über (!) Menschen. Diese Unterscheidung zieht sich durch das gesamte Buch hindurch. Er dekonstruiert dabei die Machtverständnisse vieler Evangelicals, nach der es nur eine allgemeine „Macht“ gibt, die dann auf verschiedene Weise genutzt werden kann (eben Macht ausüben über Menschen oder Macht mit Menschen ausüben). Dabei konzentrieren sich viele Evangelicals auf die „worldly power“ - dies macht er an den politischen Kulturkampf in den Staaten oder auch an Beispielen wie Mark Driscoll innerhalb der Kirchenwelt deutlich.

Insgesamt fand ich die Unterscheidung schon spannend und hilfreich. Problematisch und eisegetisch fand ich dann aber, wie er in all den verschiedenen biblischen und historischen Stimmen immer nur diese zwei Verständnisse sehen will. Konnte das nach einer Zeit echt nicht mehr lesen - das war mir viel zu vereinfachend.

Sehr gut hingegen fand ich dann das letzte Kapitel „Living under the Power of Christ: The Church on the Right Side of Power“. Dort zeigt er die wichtigsten Merkmale der „godly power“ auf: Gemeinsame Unterordnung in Leitung, das Ausleben der vielfältigen Gaben des Geistes Gottes, gemeines Leiten von Männern und Frauen auf Augenhöhe, die Übung der konstruktiven Gesprächsführung, das Fördern von multiethnischen Gemeinschaften und vieles mehr. Sehr spannende und schöne Punkte!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm honestly not sure how to offer an ultimate evaluation of this work. Need to chew on it more. I generally like Fitch's way of thinking with his books.

With this one, I feel that the language of "godly power" vs "worldly" power may be a bit confusing. Perhaps there needs to be more specificity to define what it means and doesn't mean. But, I am in alignment with Fitch's church-centered, Spirit-power emphasis, his suspicion of using coercion, etc.

I wonder if discussion of the way "godly power" opens us up to the transcendent horizon so that we aren't trapped in a zero-sum immanent world frame could be helpful to add to the conversation to get a better sense of what "worldly power" is, I think, getting at. I also think relying on "cruciformity" more could help us get a thicker sense of what "godly power" looks like in a concrete sense.

This book will definitely spark conversation. It is not afraid to venture into controversial territory.

---

Addendum: Also, I'm surprised to see little to nothing (that I remember? I admit that I read through it pretty fast, and on hoopla digital lending library, not slowly with a pen) about money here. How do we think about godly power vis-a-vis money? Generosity, yes, of course, but how about anti-capitalism? The body of Christ actually living in economic solidarity?
I'd be curious how others whom I have learned a lot from - e.g. people connected to the OTC community (John Behr, Julie Canlis, Brad Jersak, Chris Green, etc.) would relate to this work!

I am grateful to Fitch - I have learned a LOT from his thinking. For this one, I am waiting for more clarity, more followup. The details, I think, is where people will have questions. For those of us who already have Hauerwasian, church-embodying-the-alternative-polis sensibilities, we are already inclined towards Fitch's general thesis. What I want to hear is more scenarios...let's get into more complex missiological territory and chop it up together! Let's get into more complex case studies and scenarios...but maybe that kind of work can't be done well in a book of this scope.

[Debra Slonek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Power…when you hear or read that word, what pops into your mind? What examples have you seen throughout history? In the Bible? As you watch the news? In our churches?

Is all power the same? How does corruption enter in? Is there any way we can protect ourselves and our churches from the toxic effects of power gone wrong?

I encourage you to read this book and spend some time thinking about the words, ideas and truths in it. The author will clearly explain the two different types of power that are very much influencing our churches, our country and the world. You will learn about worldly power and Godly power.

As the lines between the two types of power become blurred and tangled, poor decisions are made and great harm can be done. We see so much of this played out all around us.

As we pursue God’s faithfulness, may we make space for Godly power to work in our lives and in our churches.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Brazos Press. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Wes McAdams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was prepared to enjoy this book. I agree with author on the major premise, Christians should eschew worldly power and embrace the Spirit’s power for accomplishing good works in the world. And I agree that Christians should align ourselves with the poor and oppressed.

However, the author seems to believe that churches holding to a traditional sexual ethic and taking a non-affirming stance is oppressive towards LGBTQ individuals and siding with worldly power. I would agree that we should not try to gain worldly power in order to coerce people into behaving sexually. However, he apparently has a problem with churches even articulating a position against sexual immorality. He seems to believe that we should be in a “discerning” stage as it pertains to gender and sexuality. This, of course, assumes that the truth on these matters has not already been revealed in Scripture and that the church has not already discerned this truth for 2,000 years.

There are certainly issues that arise on which the church should take a discerning approach and I don’t necessarily disagree with the process he proposes. However, this is not a new or unique issue. And the “queer theorists” that he often references do not trump the nearly unanimous position of Christian theologians for the last two millennia on the issue of sexual ethics.

I very rarely leave a negative review and I hate to do so now. My strong agreement with many of the things the author says is in tension with my equally strong disagreement with everything he says on the topic of sexuality.

[Bernard Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really appreciate this book during a time of incredible polarization. Reckoning with Power challenges readers to understand the power at work in society (including the church) and the two different forms of power at play. This is a challenging book that moves readers to practice power differently modelling after the way of Jesus.

[Andrew Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The good: This book caused me to think of power from different directions and how it should be properly used. Is it better to be coercive to cause another to change when you otherwise can encourage them without force? Obviously, the force-free option is preferable but how often do we instinctively use coercion as the first approach. It is worth rethinking the contexts we habitually use the coercion method.

The not so good: I found the main thesis to be unhelpful and maybe even harmful. Designating power that utilizes coercion as "worldy power"  as opposed to "godly power" which influences others through non-coercive means is clunky and undermines the many situations where coercion is the just approach. Coercion--rightly used--has its place throughout scripture (e.g. Romans 13/church discipline process) and history (e.g. the Federal government's enforcement of the racial integration of schools). It should be used with caution and only to the extent necessary, of course, but to designate one form as of God and the other as not, is over the top. Furthermore, it places a stigma on the coercive actions that are sometimes necessary to promote mercy and justice. The author tries to get around the flaws in this dichotomy with many explanations but it would ultimately be easier to just ditch the godly v. worldly power paradigm and just focus developing a framework for how power of all sorts should be rightly wielded. The Christianity Today review of the book is astute and worth a read.  

[Jake Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agreed with a lot. Some stuff I wish he would’ve elaborated on more is really my only complaint. Read this book if you want to have a good conversation on leadership within church and how the church should function in relation to the world.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we look out over the Christian landscape we see many folks grasping for power to control the political, social, and cultural dynamics of nations and the world itself. Some will turn to a passage in Genesis that speaks of God granting dominion over the earth and will use that passage as the foundation for seeking to control everything from school boards to the presidency of the United States. What many in this camp seek is power over others. It's quite enticing, but is this the way of Jesus?

David Fitch, the B.R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary, takes up this question of power and its use by Christians, especially White evangelical Christians who seem at this moment quite open to embracing the use of power over others, in his book "Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power." Fitch addresses the question of whether there is but one kind of power, and that good people should take upon themselves that power and use it for righteous ends. Fitch, however, suggests there are two kinds of power, worldly power, which is coercive, and godly power, which is noncoercive and relationally defined. He suggests that the church and Christians get into trouble when we turn to worldly power to achieve our ends. In this book, Fitch argues that when we seek to gain worldly power for Christian ends, we end up on the wrong side of power.

While Fitch has as his primary focus evangelical Christians who seek to gain wordly power and have experienced corruption, including morally failed leadership and sexual abuse, as well as attraction to Christian nationalism. Indeed, the fact that some 80% of white evangelicals have voted for Donald Trump and hail him as a hero, suggests that some Christians have lost their bearings. But one needn't be evangelicals to covet power over others. Historically, the churches known as the mainline sought important seats among the powerful in society. Whatever our starting point theologically (and I'm politically liberal, left of center theologically, Mainline Christian who has befriended local political leaders) I find Fitch's warnings and words of guidance quite appropriate for this moment in time. As he does so throughout the book, Fitch comes back to Jesus' own vision of power, a vision that is expressed in passages of scripture such as Mark 10:35-45, where Jesus declared that he came not to be served but to serve. Thus, he writes in his introduction that "According to Jesus, the use of worldly 'power over' is not just a problem for the church of Jesus Christ; it is a heresy for this church, and it impedes the church's calling to be the center of Christ's healing power at work in the world" (p. 15).

The first of six chapters is devoted to defining the many versions of power. He makes it clear that power is everywhere and it takes many forms, not all of which are problematic. But some forms are problematic. So, we must define power so we can study it and discover why it can go bad, but also how it works in the church. So, he speaks of "power over," which is the definition of worldly power. There is also power within, which involves social systems. There is power to, that is empowerment or the ability to do something. Of course, this can involve power over. From there Fitch turns to "Power with," which is a power of relationship that refuses to engage in power over. It generally embraces a posture of nonviolence. This kind of power can get things done, it just gets things done differently. Nevertheless, there is, Fitch believes, a temptation to turn to power over, a form of power that is prone to abuse and violence. The question he asks here is whether "power with" ultimately will devolve into "power over."

In Chapter Two, titled "Worldly Power and God's Power," Fitch extends the conversation as to the possibility of a "power with" reality. Recognizing the possibility that "power with" can turn into power over, Fitch suggests that Christians embrace "power under," That is, there is no "power with" unless it is submitted to God's power. He writes that "submitting to God's power among a people, via the posture of being 'under' His reign, I am able to enter a space of God's power working among us, and then cooperate" (p. 44). He suggests that the Scriptures speak of these two forms of power, power over and power with, the latter working when it is power under. He points to Jesus, who strongly declared that one should not lord it over others. If we start with Jesus' vision of power, then we can interpret the rest of Scripture as it speaks of power. Thus, we view this word about dominion in Genesis through that lens. That is, it should be exercised in relationality. When it comes to the monarchy, we see power over gone bad, for the people chose a king and things did not go well. Yes, he addresses the violence attributed to God's power. He explores the servant songs of Isaiah and the words of Paul, who addresses the Corinthians for embracing power over. There is a section of Revelation. He takes notice of two Greek words for power, exousia and dynamis. The former is most often translated as authority. It's important that we understand how they are used and the way they apply to our experiences.

In Chapter 3, Fitch addresses the "persistent temptation to blur the powers." He suggests that the blurring of worldly and godly power stands at the heart of "man of the church's most egregious sins down through history, including its alignment with (or assimilation of ) racism, slavery, Euro colonialism, White supremacy, and various forms of sexual and spiritual abuse. Whenever the church blurs wordly 'power over' with the name of God, abuse regularly follows" (p. 72). While Jesus didn't embrace power over, the same is not true for many in the church from the first century to the present. He points to Reinhold Niebuhr's Christian Realism as an expression of this blurring. Now, I must admit, I like Niebuhr because of his realism, but it is worth considering that there are dangers here, especially if we are all Niebuhrians. Thus, this effect is in evidence "when a social activist limits God's work of justice to only what can be accomplished through the government or capitalist funding ventures. It is evident when churches seek to impact culture for God's morality by getting a Christian elected to Congress or putting Christians in positions of power at influential cultural institutions" (pp. 84-85).

While part of me is attracted to the Niebuhrian vision of power, I'm also aware of its abuse. Thus, we have the problem of Christian nationalism. He speaks of this vision of power as being a "refusal of God's power." He addresses the Trumpian message that Christianity is under siege and he can overcome this challenge. Just give him power. Fitch speaks here of that attraction of worldly power to accomplish a particular group's vision of God's purposes. It often leads to abuse, no matter our starting point -- conservative or liberal. Now, Fitch understands there is a place for worldly power, but we need to keep it in its proper lane. We need to avoid blurring the two such that we use God as a cover for our power trips. When it comes to Christian nationalism, he suggests that "using worldly power to force upon people a culture of Christianity in the name of God can only end up in the worst of toxicity, evil, and destruction. Racism, misogyny, and sexual abuse are the result of being filled with the powers gone demonic" (p. 103).

In Chapter 5, Fitch speaks of "Polying God with Wordly Power," by which he means the more subtle and mundane uses of power over, even with the best of intentions. It is, he suggests, the temptation to play God. This involves attempts to tame worldly power for godly ends, and Fitcht doesn't believe this is possible. Indeed, even trying to "leverage privilege" can be a problem. Thus, he suggests that we leave room for the Holy Spirit to work. So, he advises us to put Jesus at the center of things, and then "make space for the Spirit to work." (p. 131).

This leads to the final chapter, the call to "Living under the Power of Christ," and in so doing allowing the church to find itself on the right side of power. This requires a new imagination that begins with a commitment to mutual submission and the recognition that there is a plurality of gifts. Thus, leadership is a function of giftedness. When we operate this way then the question of women in ministry is not an issue. It undercuts patriarchy. He does warn women to be wary of the attraction to traditional hierarchical structures. He also speaks of the importance of listening to one another, so we can discern together God's direction. He takes note of the segregated church but warns that multiethnic churches can easily devolve into reflecting the culture of the largest ethnic communities. So, he offers as an alternative what he calls "IGTHSUS meetings. Note that it's a G and not a C. So this isn't a fish meeting. Rather it reflects a statement from Acts 15, where the Jerusalem leaders responded to Paul and Barnabas' ministry by declaring "It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us" (p. 152). The goal here is to listen to the Holy Spirit before acting, and in doing so acting under the power of Christ rather than operating on a top-down basis, even if this takes longer than would like. Here he uses as an example the discussion of LGBTQ inclusion. There is much more to this discussion, but Fitch offers us a compelling vision for letting go of worldly power and embracing godly power.

I will admit that at points I had questions about the feasibility of this process. There are times when it seems as if urgency requires embracing worldly power to achieve righteous ends. But he helps us understand that when we choose this path we face the temptation to go further and seek to dominate others. This is a book for this time and even if we struggle to embrace the principles espoused here, he does make a compelling argument for making space for putting Jesus at the center and making space for the Spirit to work!

[Gino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitch bravely opens a much needed conversation around power: its use, abuse, and a hopeful way of defining it. In so doing, Fitch challenges us to interrogate worldly power, make space for the power of God, and see healing and transformation through practices.

This book is sure to provoke thought and stir conversations. And that’s a good thing the Church needs to do around the concept of power.

[Vincent Waldron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it is because this is an election year, but I have read a bunch of book on the subject of power -- political and otherwise. David Fitch's book is a somewhat interesting addition to the list, although it has some deficiencies that make it difficult for me to recommend.

Fitch comes at the subject of power from the idea that there are two kinds of power -- God's power and worldly power. He believes that worldly power is always bad and tends to corrupt and so when churches incorporate earthly power and structures, bad things tend to happen. He thinks that church abuse situations happen as the result of hierarchical and patriarchal church organizations and even when churches incorporate women into leadership, they tend to continue to have the same church structure which is the underlying problem.

I don't totally disagree with Fitch on all of this. I just think the nuances are tough to figure out and to an outsider, these two kinds of power don't look that different.

So, for Fitch, the Jerusalem Council is the ultimate in the example of God's power at work. He sees this as some sort of idealized situation where ordinary people from churches around the Roman empire came together and sat down to hammer out what should be required of Gentile Christians. However, when I read Acts 15, I see a group of male apostles, elders, and church leaders coming together to make a decision. If there are ordinary church members present with a strong voice, it isn't really mentioned, nor are any women mentioned at this meeting.

Fitch sets this in contrast to the Council of Nicaea, which was called for by the Roman emperor Constantine. He implies that Constantine ended up making the decision as to whether the church followed Arianism or trinitarian view of the nature of God. I am no historical scholar, but my understanding is that Constantine simply wanted there to be a unanimity of thought on the subject in the church and summoned the bishops to try to gain that. He did not make a decision on the subject, nor did he care much which way the decision went. I suppose the problem was that Constantine exiled the bishops who disagreed with the Nicene Creed.

Regardless, I cannot see a huge difference in the "process" of the Jerusalem and Nicaean Councils -- only in the enforcement of their edicts.

Fitch also is overly emphatic when he states a particular interpretation of a Scripture. For instance, he is certain that the God pictured in Revelation is not truly coming to inflict judgment on the earth. It seems that God is all love and would never dream of doing something like this. Instead, Jesus' garments are dipped in His own blood (I was pretty sure the reference in Revelation was to Isaiah 63, where the winepress is spilling out the blood of the nations). He makes much of the fact that the sword is in Jesus' mouth, not His hand and that He is not pictured as killing a single person.

Now, I freely admit that I am an Anabaptist and a proponent of nonviolence and yet, this interpretation doesn't make any sense to me. Revelation is a book written by and for a church that is under severe persecution and contains within it the message that God is coming to judge the persecutors.

Fitch is unable to give any space for Complementarians. They are wrong and abusers of power and that's the end of that story. The idea that someone could read the Bible and not feel that women are to have certain leadership responsibilities is not something that he can wrap his mind around. Those folks are to be dropped in the same categories with those who favored slavery or segregation in another era. I feel like in taking such a hard stance, he probably turns off a large section of possible readership. As does his continued reference to the Holy Spirit using feminine pronouns.

Beyond all this, the book is repetitious, uses virtually the same words over and over to refer to good and bad power, both inside the church and in the political sphere.

Maybe a last issue that I have is that while Fitch seems to imply that political power should be declined, like Gandalf did the Ring of Power (he brought up Gandalf), by the end of the book he seems to have come about to say that political power is limited, but should be used in gentle, Christ honoring ways. Using power to encourage social justice, care for folks struggling with addictions, and women without resources to deal with a pregnancy are all reasonable uses of that power, just so you don't call the people on the other side names and get angry with them. I guess I struggle with this because if the Ring of Power (political power) is that dangerous to use, then it shouldn't be used, even for "good" things. Over time, it will tend to corrupt and is dangerous for Christians -- even if they are only supporting good causes.

I like what Gandalf told Frodo when he was offered the ring.

"No!" cried Gandalf, springing to his feet. "With that power I should have power too great and terrible. And over me the Ring would gain a power still greater and more deadly." His eyes flashed and his face was lit as by a fire within. "Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good. Do not tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused. The wish to wield it would be too great for my strength. I shall have such need of it. Great perils lie before me.”

If political power is a Ring of Power that eventually corrupts all that use it then Gandalf's response is the only valid one for someone who desires to remain uncorrupted.

I decided to give the book three stars. I think two and a half stars is closer to where I would be at, but I think it contains a useful idea. The church doesn't do well with power. Emperor Constantine harmed the church greatly when he chose to make Christianity a state religion. This is true when the church attempts to use the political tools around them to make decisions and it is true when the church creates political structures that mirror those structures in the world.

Even wonderful, godly pastors need accountability and input into their lives. I am not sure that all abusive situations can be prevented -- even with healthy accountability -- but certainly they would be dealt with faster and with less harm to the victims if there is openness in the church and less power vested in an individual or small group of individuals.

The church doesn't deal well with power and narcissists have a tendency to abuse what power they can gain -- even (especially?) in a church setting.

Edit: As a point of clarification, I have recently listened to David Fitch's interview with Preston Sprinkle on Theology in the Raw podcast. I think that he intended his book to be a serious critique of any involvement of Christians with political power, both on the left and the right. Since a lot of his stories in the book focused on Donald Trump and January 6th and he seemed to be uncertain on abortion, I was left with the impression that he was mostly against the Christian Nationalism on the right, but I think he is against both. I still don't think that is clear in the book, but I thought I would add it as a caveat here.

[Jon Nip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reckoning With Power: Why the Church Fails When It's on the Wrong Side of Power is a timely and much needed call to reflectively critique and reorient our perspectives and practices of power. David Fitch’s prophetic, cautionary, and imaginative voice speaks surgically into the heart of this important matter, bringing to light the reasons why our use of power has failed to produce transformation, healing, and flourishing, but led to abuse, brokenness, and destruction.

Fitch begins by challenging the perception that there is only one form of power at work; but rather, he helpfully differentiates between “power over” ideology inherent in the defaults and systems of the world and the distinctly different “power with”, which is released in the mutuality of relationships. These two forms contrast as the former is coercive and violent; while the latter stems from embodied presence with one another. A space can be made for “power with” when a people are under His authority, open themselves to His saving and transforming power, and resist the dehumanizing work of using bodies for agendas.

The chapters that follow provide insights through: examining the way that the two powers have been existed throughout the Scriptural narrative; the temptation and consequences of blurring the two powers; and the progression throughout church history (including Constantine, Augustine, Luther, and Niebuhr) which have formed contemporary conceptions of power.

Bringing the focus into the present, Fitch points out how distortions of power can manifest into Christian Nationalism, justice through worldly power, and leveraging privilege as a form of “power over” others. He contends that focusing on the character of a leader and cultivating an accountable culture falls short if the way that power is used is not reoriented toward a “power with” mentality and practice.

It is appreciated that Fitch realistically addresses that “power over” occasionally is needed, but that it has to be viewed as limited in effectiveness and should only be utilized within “power with” boundaries for preventative means. It is incapable of bringing about lasting transformation, restoration, and healing, but it can serve a purpose when sparingly exercised in a temporary and specific way.

The final chapters provide practical pathways for “power with” to be embedded within churches and communities. The disciplines of mutual submission, the plurality of gifts, parrehsia (speaking the truth in relationships), discerning with the Holy Spirit, advocacy, and vitally addressing the disparities among genders, ethnicity, and sexuality are all expounded on as on ramps for“power with” to become a reality.

As the book notably concludes, when we are on the wrong side of power, we will be destined to be on the wrong side of history. Would we all find ourselves challenged and encouraged to be a people of difference, practicing “power with” and among our communities and churches and giving way for the power of God to do more than we can possibly imagine.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because this book was recognized as a 2025 Book Award Finalist in the Church/Pastoral Leadership category by Christianity Today, I began reading with positive expectations for it. Indeed, the beginning of the book where the author considers different “kinds” of power was helpful although the reader might wonder whether there are really two different kinds of power. However, as I moved through the bookI found myself in growing disagreement with some of the author’s arguments. By the time I finished, I was wondering why the book received the recognition that it did from Christianity Today. It would take too long to carefully indicate my concerns with this book and I must admit that I was not listening with complete attention at the beginning (much of it I did as an audiobook), but here are some of my areas of concern.
1, Much of the argument of this book seems to be based on the premise that God does not act by “coercion” but allows people to choose freely working loving through Christ by the Spirit. But does that argument do justice to all that the Bible teaches about how God works in relation to human beings? Because much of the argument of the book seems to be based on this foundation, the failure to adequately account for the entire teaching of the Scripture on this subject is a major weakness.
2, I was very surprised to hear the author refer to the Holy Spirit with the feminine pronoun “she.” The first time I came across this reference I was listening to the audiobook and I was not quite sure I had heard correctly. Later, as I read, he does in fact appear to use the feminine pronoun in reference to the Holy Spirit and that without an explanation or defense of his reason. This surely is a major problem with the book. In so doing the author appears to set aside not only the way in which the Spirit is referred to in Scripture but (almost) the entirety of church history.
3. In the last chapter where the author presents how “power under” can work in the life of the church, in both the sections on the church and LBGT and the role of women the author has (almost) no reference to Scripture in terms of how Scripture guides the church in these areas. It is not as if he is unaware of the need for Scripture to speak in the life of the church but in these areas where he holds a position that many would question in terms of the faithfulness to Scripture, he does not make reference to it.
Although this book is worth reading for its reflection on power in the life of Christians and the ministry of churches, there are significant weaknesses with it.

[Kara Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power by David E. Fitch
This book was thought-provoking, challenging, well-written, controversial, and at times difficult to wrestle with. David does not hold back in addressing the current societal challenges that Christians deal with today, willingly (or willfully?) opposing the worldly conception of power pervasive in our time. Fitch used labels for individuals or groups that triggered me, and could cause some people to disregard or discredit his work. However, I am so glad I was committed to reading it through to the end, because I would have missed out on valuable insights if I had rejected his work. It was a true rollercoaster experience. I am currently teaching a graduate level course on leadership, and I think it would be a wonderful text to work through with my students, but I am afraid that David’s boldness in addressing issues may make it difficult to get the text approved. Regardless, I highly recommend this book. It really does get to the heart of the problem with “power over” and our great need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit in order to have the same heart for marginalized people that Jesus had. Only by walking in step with the Spirit and constantly seeking to have God’s heart for people will we stay on the right side of power. Intentionally seeking God’s wisdom to engage the culture through relationships is the best way to avoid the temptation to wield power over others. When we are able to empathetically listen to people we disagree with, doors of communication will be opened for people to discover the freedom that can only be found in relationship with Jesus Christ.

[Jesse Perl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I so rarely read a book which is so thoroughly rubbish. Setting aside any theological disagreements I might have, Fitch ignores most of the impactful uses of power in the OT: Moses, Daniel, David. He offers one throwaway line how Joseph's use of power is what enslaved Israel. Fitch is astonished by some of the claims of his conversation partners like Andy Crouch, saying he'll address the shortcoming of their arguments, then never doing so. Fitch also makes a few incomprehensible arguments, like Jonathan Edwards' son was less racist because he spent time with Native American, while conveniently ignoring the years the father spent as a missionary in the frontier to them. A debatable stylistic choice I found annoying was Fitch constantly putting his arguments in the footnotes rather than the prose of his text. Overall l strongly encourage you to find a better author writing about power like Yoder or Hauerwas

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, and I especially love how conversant Fitch is with recent critical and cultural theorists (something that sets him apart from much similar writing in evangelical publications). I'm still not sure I grasped the central conceit of "two powers," or perhaps I'm not sure I grasp the distinction between them, and how to leverage "power with" without slipping into "power over," but there is something to the idea that I can't shake.

I especially appreciated the later chapter in which Fitch works to set his argument apart from the likes of others who have written on power like Andy Crouch, Diane Langberg and Dominique Gilliard.

In general, this is a well-read and passionately-argued account from a strong Anabaptist perspective that deserves to be read alongside the voices mentioned above.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

There’s still a lot I want to chew on in this book, and I think it would be great for discussion with others. There are a few points that I wish had been fleshed out a bit more or ones that I’m still thinking through. But I think his overall assessment of power gone wrong in the church is spot-on.

“Since you cannot put limits on God, when you align worldly power with God’s name, it can become unhinged from any limits. Violence is sure to follow. And abuse is sure to follow the violence. The church is prone to this mistake more than any other place, because everything we do in the church is in the name of God. So when we take up worldly power in the church, it can go off the rails like nowhere else.”

I especially liked the section on mutual submission in the last chapter.

[Jared Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough to rate this one. Going with a 3.5 rounded up. Lots of really helpful and important information here. It’s a needed caution against the allure of worldly power that corrupts and threatens abuse. I would eagerly recommend it to discerning readers. Nevertheless, Fitch leaves many questions unanswered (e.g., how could Pauline church discipline work in Fitch’s framework?), and he quickly dismisses biblical data that challenges his thesis (e.g., he gets around OT violence with nothing more than a quick gesture to Greg Boyd’s [controversial] work on the subject). Fitch expertly diagnoses several major issues in the church; but I didn’t walk away fully convinced of his solutions. I am still mulling over the work. My feelings might change as I continue to reflect.

[Jennifer Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I wanted to love this book. And ultimately, I think it has really good suggestions for the way that the church engages with power. My primary hesitation is that it does not handle the biblical text, as well as I would hope, especially the Old Testament. In defending what godly power is and is not, the book glosses over much of the Old Testament testimony that could be used to argue against its position. The argument would have benefited from engaging with strong Old Testament scholarship instead of relying, primarily on the work of Greg Boyd. Overall, with these limitations, I think that the book provides helpful insight and perspectives that need to be considered by the church today.

[Andrew M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my particular church tradition, we have done a lot of work on the character of the leader through practices of spiritual formation and soul care. We have worked hard to be more transparent and understand cycles of abuse background check leaders and more. However, we have not considered that the very foundation of how we think about power and apply it may be flawed. Fitch helps us recognize the nuances of a complicated subject drawing from theology, philosophy, sociology and more to help us grasp the difference between worldly power, God's power, and how leaders should use power in the Church and in the world.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically 4.5 stars. Speaking from and into the evangelical tradition, Fitch convincingly contrasts two sides of worldly power with making space for the power of God (right power) to work.

As someone from the mainline tradition, this work is still an important read, particularly the analysis of how popular notions of empowerment and redistribution of worldly power conflate two powers rather than help us differentiate, discern, choose and live under right power.

An important read for the church as we heal from ideological and culture wars and seek to be not on the right side of history, but the right side of power.

May it be so.

[Jason Holliday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reckoning With Power is a very practical, yet challenging book for Christians who want to take following in Jesus’ footsteps seriously. David Fitch explores how worldly power has shaped the modern-day evangelical church and then contrasts that with the kind of power Jesus taught and modeled. It’s a much needed reminder for the church today on how God rules over his creation, how his Kingdom advances in our world and the posture required for his Kingdom citizens.

[Dorothy Greco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right book at the right time. Fitch defines worldly v godly power and how we so often default to the former. As a long-time pastor, he writes with clarity, authority, and understanding. As we move into the 2024 election, this is a book that many (all?) folks who claim allegiance with Christ need to read. Jesus always subverted worldly power. Fitch helps us see why we need to follow him here and what happens when we don't.

[Staci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that I feel like I need to read a couple times to digest. It calls into question frameworks that I have taken for granted. David Fitch has put a voice and explanation to things that have niggled and concerned me (and many others) that we might not have been able to fully understand. I'm not sure that I'm wholly on board with all of this book, but the vast majority of what he says is worth a good, hard, honest look.

[Brandon Stiver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book and pertinent, theological undertaking. I appreciate that in the conversation on something as ubiquitous as power, Dr Fitch isn’t afraid to just upend the whole apparatus by questioning the mode of operation rather than just who is right and who is wrong. I’m a world of the ends justify the means, we need more Christian critique and thought development like this that says the means always matter and followers of Jesus are supposed to be different.

[Justin Swanson]

👀Read with eyes
Great stuff from Pastor Fitch!

[Dwayne Shugert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read for all who want the church to be a force for love and grace and the work of God.

[Andy Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every pastor and lay leader within the church knows something about power in and out fthe church. We also know something about the abuse of power on both sides of the pulpit, and in homes and in society. Is it time for all of us to have a "reckoning with power?" I propose that we do, and the lens that we need for this reckoning, is the aptly titled book of David Fitch, Reckoning with Power, just released by Brazos Press.

Fitch provides us in his well-written and accessible book the means to examine power as it touches our lives within in the church and within our culture. Fitch not only helps us define power, and he helps us to see whether we are on the wrong side of power, entered into worldly power games or on the right side of power, part the relatioanal power of God to change the world.

This is a powerful book that should be read and reread without delay for those who lead the church.

[Ryan Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fitch was a significant reason I went to Northern. Studying under him was a wild but wonderful experience. This book does well in encapsulating so much of why he always said "IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO POWER".