William Stringfellow and “What befits Christian witness?”

William Stringfellow asks at the end of his essay on 'Discernment', "What befits Christian witness?" In a world as dangerously broken as the one we now inhabit, sense-surrounded by the life denying noise of Babel, how is Christian witness to be evidenced? Here's his answer:

" In the face of death, live humanly. In the middle of chaos, celebrate the Word. Amidst babel, speak the truth. Confront the noise and verbiage and falsehood of death with truth and potency and the efficacy of the Word of God. Know the Word, teach the Word, nurture the Word, preach the Word, define the Word, incarnate the Word, do the Word, live the Word. And more than that, in the Word of God, expose death and all death's works and wiles, rebuke lies, cast out demons, exorcise, cleanse the possessed, raise those who are dead in mind and conscience."  (A Keeper of the Word, page 305)

Comments

4 responses to “William Stringfellow and “What befits Christian witness?””

  1. gavin hunter avatar
    gavin hunter

    What a great quote Jim. I have been pondering buying the book from which its quoted as i have read excerpts from it quite a lot recently. Would you recommend it?

  2. gavin hunter avatar
    gavin hunter

    What a great quote Jim. I have been pondering buying the book from which its quoted as i have read excerpts from it quite a lot recently. Would you recommend it?

  3. Jim Gordon avatar

    yes I would Gavin. The excerpts are short enough to read and ponder but long enough to give you something worth pondering! And Stringfellow represents theology of a layman, a radical social activist rooted in biblical convictions, and one whose political comment amounts to a critique of power from the standpoint of the Kingdom of God. Go buy and ponder – and great to hear from you.

  4. Jim Gordon avatar

    yes I would Gavin. The excerpts are short enough to read and ponder but long enough to give you something worth pondering! And Stringfellow represents theology of a layman, a radical social activist rooted in biblical convictions, and one whose political comment amounts to a critique of power from the standpoint of the Kingdom of God. Go buy and ponder – and great to hear from you.

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