Thrift, Richard A.

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 27
Issue 1 Martin and Modernity Article 14
5-1-2001
Stumbling in the light: New Testament images for a
changing church
Richard A. Thrift
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Thrift, Richard A. (2001) "Stumbling in the light: New Testament images for a changing church," Consensus: Vol. 27 : Iss. 1 , Article 14.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol27/iss1/14
Book Reviews 123 
Stumbling in the Light: New Testament Images for a Changing 
Church 
Robert Kysar 
St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999 
158 pages, $24.00 Softcover 
Most of us preachers really enjoy a how-to book on preaching. If you are one 
of them, get Kysar's Stumbling in the Light. On just about every page, Robert 
Kysar, who is Bandy Professor of Preaching and New Testament, emeritus, at 
Candler School of Theology, pulls back the curtain to give us a new view on the 
gospel. Through the power of metaphors, Kysar constructs a system for change 
(the "c" word) in the church that does not involve church growth methods or 
evangelism programs. 
In the first two chapters, Kysar discusses the impact of post-modernism on 
self-understanding and the importance of metaphors as means of manoeuvring 
through these times. Kysar argues that we define ourselves through metaphors, 
but in time metaphors lose their power and die. Once that happens, we flounder 
though lack of vision and a sense of mission. Corporations understand the 
impact of metaphors. The reason they spend thousands of dollars on changing 
company logos is that they might effectively represent the company's vision and 
mission to the consumer. 
Of course, the early church used metaphors in its effort to define its vision 
and mission: the rock, the anchor, the fortress, the body of church, a flock, the 
vine, the Kingdom of God and more. Kysar does not deny the value of these 
metaphors, but insists that they have lost their effectiveness resulting in the 
church losing its sense of calling. 
For the next three chapters he offers a renewed self-understanding for the 
church under the metaphors: (1) "on the way," (2) "home and homing," and (3) 
"stumbling in the light." Clustered together, he offers a new image of the church: 
''The church is a community of faith on the way home, stumbling in the light." 
The synoptic stories of Jesus and Book of Acts are stories with movement: 
pilgrims on the journey of life failing and struggling, but nevertheless, surprised 
by God's grace. Next he pulls from Pauline and deuteropauline literature, I Peter, 
Revelation, and the Gospel of John, the concept of home. To avoid stagnation, 
however, Kysar describes it in the active voice, "homing," that is, between two 
homes, the one here and the one hereafter. While we are here "on the way, 
homing" we are stumbling - not just in the dark- but also in the light. We are 
always "becoming," always progressing. We stumble but God's grace (light) 
picks us up again and again and again. 
For the preacher this clustered metaphor can offer many points of 
124 Consensus 
connecting with our post-modern culture. To assist, Kysar's final chapter 
"Sowing the Seeds" provides application and stimulation for preaching, teaching 
and visioning. Through paradoxes and tensions, Kysar shows us a way to help 
the person in the pew hear the gospel and, in hearing the gospel, hear the call. 
Stumbling in the Light will be a valuable addition to an advanced homiletics 
course reading list, but its true benefit will be discovered in the pulpit as we image 
the old, old story in a new, new way. Get it, savour it, use it- it's that kind of book. 
Richard A. Thrift 
Hope Lutheran Church, 
Kitchener, Ontario (LCMS, English District) 
The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom 
Alan Kreider 
Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1999 
126 pages, $16.95 Softcover 
As one fascinated by the patristical period of Church history, I was 
immediately pleased to discover Alan Kreider's compact volume. Kreider lays out 
an ambitious thematic study of the early church fathers focusing on the subject 
of conversion as an activity of the Christian community. His thesis takes a 
different spin on the controversial topic of "Christendom": unlike many scholars 
who place the sole blame upon the "Constantinian Revolution" for the 
"degradation" of Christianity into "Christendom" (generally understood as 
caesaropapism - the church and state become one), Kreider traces the 
development of the "Christendom" socio-political reality through changes in how 
the church has gone about converting people. 
Kreider briefly considers writings by such fathers as Justin Martyr, Cyprian of 
Carthage, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, as well as Augustine, Volusian, 
and Caesarius of Aries. He focuses on writings in which these fathers discuss their 
own "conversion" experiences, as well as catechetical and homiletical writings 
that deal with the problem of converting the masses (or of converting those 
already nominally Christian to a higher morality). His historical consideration of 
the "conversion of Constantine" and the subsequent favouring of the church in 
early Byzantine society is fair-minded, but contains no particular surprises in its 
analyses (Kreider holds to the current critical hypothesis of the "Constantinian 
Revolution," for the most part, at least as being the beginning of the problem, if 
not its ultimate cause). Kreider's concern is that the new status of Christianity 


Stumbling in the light: New Testament images for a changing church

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 27Issue 1 Martin and Modernity Article 145-1-2001Stumbling in the light: New Testament images for achanging churchRichard A. ThriftFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationThrift, Richard A. (2001) "Stumbling in the light: New Testament images for a changing church," Consensus: Vol. 27 : Iss. 1 , Article 14.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol27/iss1/14Book Reviews 123 Stumbling in the Light: New Testament Images for a Changing Church Robert Kysar St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1999 158 pages, $24.00 Softcover Most of us preachers really enjoy a how-to book on preaching. If you are one of them, get Kysar's Stumbling in the Light. On just about every page, Robert Kysar, who is Bandy Professor of Preaching and New Testament, emeritus, at Candler School of Theology, pulls back the curtain to give us a new view on the gospel. Through the power of metaphors, Kysar constructs a system for change (the "c" word) in the church that does not involve church growth methods or evangelism programs. In the first two chapters, Kysar discusses the impact of post-modernism on self-understanding and the importance of metaphors as means of manoeuvring through these times. Kysar argues that we define ourselves through metaphors, but in time metaphors lose their power and die. Once that happens, we flounder though lack of vision and a sense of mission. Corporations understand the impact of metaphors. The reason they spend thousands of dollars on changing company logos is that they might effectively represent the company's vision and mission to the consumer. Of course, the early church used metaphors in its effort to define its vision and mission: the rock, the anchor, the fortress, the body of church, a flock, the vine, the Kingdom of God and more. Kysar does not deny the value of these metaphors, but insists that they have lost their effectiveness resulting in the church losing its sense of calling. For the next three chapters he offers a renewed self-understanding for the church under the metaphors: (1) "on the way," (2) "home and homing," and (3) "stumbling in the light." Clustered together, he offers a new image of the church: ''The church is a community of faith on the way home, stumbling in the light." The synoptic stories of Jesus and Book of Acts are stories with movement: pilgrims on the journey of life failing and struggling, but nevertheless, surprised by God's grace. Next he pulls from Pauline and deuteropauline literature, I Peter, Revelation, and the Gospel of John, the concept of home. To avoid stagnation, however, Kysar describes it in the active voice, "homing," that is, between two homes, the one here and the one hereafter. While we are here "on the way, homing" we are stumbling - not just in the dark- but also in the light. We are always "becoming," always progressing. We stumble but God's grace (light) picks us up again and again and again. For the preacher this clustered metaphor can offer many points of 124 Consensus connecting with our post-modern culture. To assist, Kysar's final chapter "Sowing the Seeds" provides application and stimulation for preaching, teaching and visioning. Through paradoxes and tensions, Kysar shows us a way to help the person in the pew hear the gospel and, in hearing the gospel, hear the call. Stumbling in the Light will be a valuable addition to an advanced homiletics course reading list, but its true benefit will be discovered in the pulpit as we image the old, old story in a new, new way. Get it, savour it, use it- it's that kind of book. Richard A. Thrift Hope Lutheran Church, Kitchener, Ontario (LCMS, English District) The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom Alan Kreider Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1999 126 pages, $16.95 Softcover As one fascinated by the patristical period of Church history, I was immediately pleased to discover Alan Kreider's compact volume. Kreider lays out an ambitious thematic study of the early church fathers focusing on the subject of conversion as an activity of the Christian community. His thesis takes a different spin on the controversial topic of "Christendom": unlike many scholars who place the sole blame upon the "Constantinian Revolution" for the "degradation" of Christianity into "Christendom" (generally understood as caesaropapism - the church and state become one), Kreider traces the development of the "Christendom" socio-political reality through changes in how the church has gone about converting people. Kreider briefly considers writings by such fathers as Justin Martyr, Cyprian of Carthage, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, as well as Augustine, Volusian, and Caesarius of Aries. He focuses on writings in which these fathers discuss their own "conversion" experiences, as well as catechetical and homiletical writings that deal with the problem of converting the masses (or of converting those already nominally Christian to a higher morality). His historical consideration of the "conversion of Constantine" and the subsequent favouring of the church in early Byzantine society is fair-minded, but contains no particular surprises in its analyses (Kreider holds to the current critical hypothesis of the "Constantinian Revolution," for the most part, at least as being the beginning of the problem, if not its ultimate cause). Kreider's concern is that the new status of Christianity 

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