By Rev. Dr. Mark Doerksen
This review of How the Body of Christ Talks: Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church by C. Christopher Smith originally appeared as part of CBWC’s Theology for the Ordinary initiative. Learn more here.
What might how we communicate within the church have to do with a healthy church culture and the promotion of healthy environments for our leaders? ~ Cailey
C. Christopher Smith has written a helpful book entitled, How the Body of Christ Talks:
Recovering the Practice of Conversation in the Church. Smith attempts to address the
question, “How can our churches initiate and sustain practices of conversation?” (p. 12) He then attempts to answer the question in three parts; Part 1 is entitled Setting Out on the Journey, Part 2 is A Spirituality for the Journey, and Part 3 is Sustaining for the Journey.
In Part 1, Smith writes about the dynamics of conversation, topics to talk about, and the healing potential of conversational methods. Smith writes well about topics such as group size, homogeneity, as well as formal and informal conversations. Wisely, he suggests it is especially important not to talk about abstract matters and highly charged topics if a congregation is only beginning to have conversations together. Rather, he offers some practical resources on what to talk about, such as ground rules, the identity and mission of the church, sermons, and working together as a congregation. Once a community of faith has had some practice at conversations such as these, more potentially divisive topics could be addressed. Smith goes on to describe different conversational techniques, suggesting that different techniques can be employed, given the conversation topic.
In part 2, another section comprised of 3 chapters, Smith writes about spirituality for the journey, and here he discusses prayer, abiding, and preparation. He relies on people like Henri Nouwen to suggest that patience is a very important aspect of conversations, especially around controversial topics. He reminds the reader that conversations in community are not known to comply with the virtues of our culture such as efficiency, predictability, quantifiability and control.
Instead, abiding in relationship, even when we disagree, roots us in the hope of mutual giving
and receiving. Our faith communities, Smith argues, need to change from catering to
consumption to centering on participatory life, which includes the practice of preparedness. He
writes about preparing our minds and bodies for conversation in community.
In the final section of the book, Smith writes about sustaining the journey, and for him that
includes cultivating a sense of mission and identity, sustaining conversation through conflict,
and enmeshing ourselves in community. He urges churches to own the story of the
congregation, which can lead us to sustained habits of conversation, and this includes the
faithful and unfaithful stories of the congregation. Inevitably, we will face conflict, and Smith
helpfully details that conflict is different than disagreement, in that conflict ensues when we layer all sorts of sin and distrust on top of our disagreements.
In his final chapter, congregations are urged to move from religious communities to real communities, where real communities are intimately engaged in the health, housing, education, employment, diets, and recreation of their members.
I think Smith has succeeded at answering the main question he proposes at the beginning of
the book. He offers philosophical, sociological, theological, and practical insights as he attempts to answer the question. I appreciate that he understands that not all churches are accustomed to conversations as he describes them here, and thus begins at foundational levels in terms of describing the trajectory of what conversations could look like in a community of faith. The scope of the book is for a local congregation, and if your church hasn’t had conversations outside of regularly scheduled meetings, this book can serve as both an impetus and a guide for you. It may also offer your congregation different tools if yours already practices conversations, but needs a new format.
Although Smith has succeeded in answering the question he poses, there are some questions
that I would have for Smith after a reading of his book. First, I would ask about the importance of consensus. Many folks believe that consensus is the better route to go in church conversations and meetings, as opposed to majority votes, and I would explore this further with Smith. I would also ask about the limits of conversation; how diverse can the opinions be while seeking unity?
Finally, there is plenty to like about this book. Smith draws on his own experience, and has read
widely, which makes his case compelling. Certainly he has his own presuppositions in terms of
what a faith community ought to look like, and what embodiment in a community looks like, but I do think he offers valuable ideas for churches to pursue. I have a hunch, too, that as we can no longer anticipate that folks in our churches have any sort of historical Christian experience or
grammar, that these sorts of conversations will become more important in our communities of
faith and serve to experience a deeper sense of community.
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