Truly the Community: Romans 12 and How to Be the Church

by Marva J. Dawn

Originally published in 1992 as  The Hilarity of Community , this edition includes a new title, preface, and entirely new cover design.  Truly the Community  continues to be one of the best sources for understanding what it means to live together as the church of Christ.

Many writers, both secular and religious, have decried the lack of intimacy and community in our contemporary culture. Few of them, however, offer practical suggestions for counteracting the isolation and alienation felt by so many people today. But Marva Dawn does this--and more--in  Truly the Community . Through an intensive study of Romans 12, Dawn offers specific guidance for building vital Christian community life.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian, Religion, Church

319 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 1992

About the author

Marva J. Dawn is an American Christian theologian, author, musician and educator, associated with the parachurch organization "Christians Equipped for Ministry" in Vancouver, Washington. She also serves as Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dawn is generally perceived as a Lutheran evangelical.

Reviews

[Cameron Barham]

“Paul models the unity he envisions by being affectionate and on an equal level with those whom he is encouraging and thereby shows us the way in which we can best encourage each other. We cannot effectively tell one another from the outside or from above that the Christian life should be lived in such a way. The Christian community has no hierarchy. We struggle together, as brothers and sisters, to apply the challenges of the Scriptures to our lives.”, p. 17

[Jon Anderson]

The best resource for mining the depths of Romans 12. Dawn's meditations on almost every phrase of this chapter will enrich not only your understanding but also your life. Take your time with this one. READ SLOWLY!! Read for preaching Romans 12 during Eastertide 2022

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and impractical meditations on living out Romans 12 in community.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read most of this book awhile back, but seem to have misplaced the book, so am moving it to my "read" shelf (although if I found it, I'd finish it up). I thought the book was a wonderful close read of Romans 12, and appreciated lots of Marva Dawn's insights. My only concern about the book was that her perspectives are rather luddite; technology is quite villianized, and I would have rather seen a more nuanced discussion of how to engage in community in the modern world that didn't simply suggest eschewing technology altogether. Lynne Baab's book about friendships in the Facebook era is an interesting example of thinking about what this engagement looks like (although one book is about community and the other about friendship - two related but unique things).

[Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 300 page book on Romans 12. It is very solid and very readable. Romans 12 is one of the great chapters in the Bible about what true Christian community looks like. A great book on the subject.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most fantastic books I've read on community, and by far one of the most practical. Dawn has a fantastic grasp on the Greek grammar, language, and context, but still makes the Scripture immediately practical.

[Dwayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Marva Dawn wrote it... I want to read it this one is no exception to that