Believing into Christ: Relational Faith and Human Flourishing

by Natalya A. Cherry

Across lines of tradition and denomination, many Christians express a purely propositional sense of belief, focused primarily on the existence of God and facts about Christ, contributing to a transactional approach to salvation. But belief is about more than the simple fact of God’s existence. Augustine provides a starting point for restoring the relational sense of belief encapsulated in the phrase "believing into Christ." In Believing into Christ , Natalya Cherry explores this unique, grammatically awkward phrase that Augustine recognized and identified in his preaching as describing Christianity’s distinct contribution to human flourishing. Around this idea, Augustine established and systematized a three-part formula for belief, one which his theological successors treated as defining Christian faith. Cherry tracks the origins of "believing into Christ" and its loss in translation. She then crafts a constructive theology that addresses how to restore the phrase and all it entails. Such a view of belief involves transforming catechesis and sacramental practices that can equip believers to overcome oppression and social barriers in contemporary ecclesial communities and the world they inhabit. Questions regularly arise about how one can believe in a loving God while being complicit with, or actively participating in, systems of violence and oppression. Christian faith informs our resistance against those systems when we practice the bold surrender engendered by believing into Christ. In this way, Cherry challenges us to consider the relational sense of belief, clinging to Christ by means of the Holy Spirit in a way that directs every relationship toward human flourishing, as the heart of Christian faith.

212 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Laura Flavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Believing into Christ: Relational Faith and Human Flourishing is a deeply thoughtful, intellectually rigorous, and spiritually compelling exploration of Christian belief that challenges modern reductions of faith to mere intellectual assent or transactional salvation. Natalya A. Cherry offers a rich and nuanced recovery of Augustine’s understanding of ‘believing into Christ’ as an embodied, relational, and transformative mode of faith rooted in participation, surrender, and communion rather than simply agreement with doctrinal propositions. The result is a work that feels both historically grounded and urgently relevant to contemporary Christian life.”

“What stood out most was the book’s ability to connect theological reflection with lived ethical and communal realities. Cherry demonstrates how Augustine’s threefold understanding of belief opens a more expansive vision of Christian faith—one that reshapes relationships, resists systems of oppression, and directs believers toward genuine human flourishing. The exploration of how this relational dimension of belief became diminished through translation and later theological simplification is especially fascinating because it reveals how language itself can shape spiritual imagination and ecclesial practice. Equally compelling is the constructive theological work the book undertakes in response, especially regarding catechesis, sacramental formation, and the role of the Holy Spirit in cultivating communities grounded in love, justice, and mutual transformation. Rather than presenting faith as passive acceptance, the book frames belief as an active movement into Christ that demands vulnerability, relationality, and moral courage. The writing balances scholarly depth with spiritual clarity, making complex theological ideas feel meaningful and accessible without sacrificing intellectual seriousness. Richly theological and deeply humane, Believing into Christ offers an important contribution to contemporary conversations surrounding faith, discipleship, ecclesiology, and human dignity.”

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I consider myself a lifelong learner of Theology and Spirituality. I was surprised I didn't enjoy reading this. I felt like it was going in circles and had a hard time finishing it. This could have easily been more concise had she "gotten to the point". In addition, the author is "very proud" of herself and appears to hold herself as "better" than others. I prefer reading from authors that are humbler. Perhaps you could get this at the library and not have to waste your money on it.