Anabapt-ish Theology Book Club discussion

After reading the book, did your views on the topic change at all? What is your final impression of the book? What are your key takeaways?

I think one question I would pose to McKnight is, "What does a response to the gospel look like?" He makes a great argument for the gospel being more than just penal substitutionary atonement but I think he lacked clarity on what the call to "repent and believe" consists of. I'm glad to see that his work is regularly paired with the work of Matthew Bates because Bates gets more into our response to the gospel in his books like Salvation by Alligience Alone.

Bates has a new book that I have on my Amazon Wish List. The Gospel Precisely. That would be a nice follow up to McKnight.

Having grown up in the church (primarily Baptist and Bible churches), I agree that there were events created, especially kids and teens, that were "persuasion to salvation experience" focused, but without discipleship follow up. I appreciated McKnight's attention to the creeds as I have been going back to them frequently to remind myself what the main thing is, to avoid quibbling over the things that don't matter. I know there are those who cringe at the mention of "the sinner's prayer", but without it, what does salvation look like; or as Caleb put it "repent and believe." I get that the Gospel is bigger, more encompassing than salvation, but does that mean we should not be concerned with salvation? Overall, really good book and definitely some things to keep in mind when I take my Discipleship Ministries class in January.

Jenny wrote: "Having grown up in the church (primarily Baptist and Bible churches), I agree that there were events created, especially kids and teens, that were "persuasion to salvation experience" focused, but ..."

Encouraged that we're coming away with similar questions. I'm not alone! Haha.

I think my takeaway was that discipleship should be primary and salvation (as we understand it - a personal decision to follow Jesus and place your trust in him) will come.

I'm reminded of a devout catholic friend who asked me one day, "What does it mean to get saved? I hear you guys talk about that a lot ," I responded with the ABCs of salvation (which I'm assuming we all know - admit, believe, confess). His response was, "Oh. Okay. No biggie. I do that everyday." I have no doubt about this guy's salvation, not because I heard him pray the sinners prayer but because I see the fruit in his life and know him to be a disciple of Jesus.