Foreword by Sara Wenger Shenk     12
Series Editor’s Preface     15
Author’s Preface     17

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW   •  21

Limits of the Study   •  23
Underlying Assumptions   •  24
Organization of the Study   •  26
Notes   •  27

Chapter 2: THE FREE CHURCH AS A COMMUNITY FOR DISCERNMENT   •  28

The Concept of a Free Church   •  28
The Communal Nature of the Free Church   •  32
The Discerning Function of the Free Church Community   •  34
    The Mandate for Discernment
    The Meaning of Discernment
    Barriers to Discernment
Components of Communal Discernment   •  40
    The Matter for Discernment
    The Context for Discernment
    Level of Agreement Sought
    Participants in Discernment
    Interaction between Participants
    Steps or Stages in the Discernment Process
Summary   •  48
Notes   •  49

CHAPTER 3: Biblical Interpretation in the Free Church Tradition   •  55

Anabaptist Hermeneutics in Historical Perspective   •  53
    Anabaptist Hermeneutics in the Context of the Protestant Reformation
    Primary Characteristics of Anabaptist Hermeneutics
        An emphasis on Christ
        An emphasis on the church
        Reliance on the Spirit
        Orientation toward the New Testament
        The church as a hermeneutic community
    Revisionist critiques regarding Anabaptist hermeneutics
Modern Developments Influencing Current Anabaptist Hermeneutics   •  62
    The Socio-Religious Effects of Modernization
    Historical-Critical Study of Scripture
    New Theories of Biblical Translation
    Insights from the Sociology of Knowledge
    The Rhetorical Turn in Hermeneutics
    Contemporary Concepts of Hermeneutic Community
Summary   •  85
Notes   •  86

CHAPTER 4: WORKING WITH DIFFERENCES IN DISCERNMENT PROCESSES   •  90

A Dialectical Approach to Ideological Tensions   •  91
    The Value of a Dialectical Approach
    Theological/Biblical Tensions in Anabaptist Perspective
        Church vs. world
        Church vs. kingdom
        Kingdom future vs. kingdom present
        Discipleship vs. justification
        Word vs. Spirit
        Individual vs. community
        Clergy vs. laity
        Scholarly contributions vs. unlettered contributions
A Polarity Management Approach to Differences thatArise in Group Process   •  109
    The concept of polarities in group process
    Action steps for management of polarities in group process
A Transformational Approach to Church Conflict   •  112
    Types of Church Conflict in Discernment Processes
        Value conflicts
        Systemic conflicts
        Personality clashes
    Levels of Conflict
    The Role of Trained Facilitators
    The Ultimate Goal of Reconciliation
    A Disclaimer Regarding the Limits of Conversation
Summary   •  123
Notes   •  123

CHAPTER 5: CONTEMPORARY HERMENEUTIC COMMUNITIES OF DISCERNMENT   •  132

A Vision for Discerning Hermeneutic Communities   •  132
    Commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord
    Worship
    Community
    Mission
    Summary
Contemporary Networks that Function as Hermeneutic Communities   •  141
    Small Groups
    Area/Denominational Clusters
    Prophetic Communities
    Academic Institutions/Societies
    Virtual Communities
Summary   •  146
Notes   •  147

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION   •  151

Summary   •  149
Recommendations for Further Study   •  151

CHAPTER 7: RESPONSES   •  153

Response by Jan Wood   •  153
Response by Sally Weaver Glick   •  155
Response by David Brubaker   •  157
The Author Engages the Responses   •  159

Sources Cited     161
The Author     171