Real Christian Fellowship

NOTE: In troubling contrast to his work, we know that John Howard Yoder’s life was seriously flawed by acts of sexual violence against many women. Although his writings on nonviolence continue to be influential, we acknowledge that Yoder was, ironically and tragically, perpetuating violence, over many decades, in his private life. No reading or interpretation of Yoder can be done faithfully without understanding the extensive harmful legacy he has also left.

For more information, see Rachel Waltner Goossen’s research, published in Mennonite Quarterly Review, entitled “Defanging the Beast”.

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Real Christian Fellowship is about more than socializing with people who share common interests. True fellowship among believers breaks down walls of race, gender, ability, and social status. In this book, John Howard Yoder plums the depths of congregational life as God intended it to be. In doing so, he invites us to turn our world upside down so that we may be right side up in God's upside-down kingdom. For many believers, the practices of the Christian community have become stale.

In this volume, Yoder infuses fresh air into familiar practices neither by retrieving older liturgical forms, which is trendy for some, nor by conforming to the latest cravings of the ever-changing market, which is trendy for others. Rather, Yoder plumbs the Bible to understand church practices in ways that are sure to spur readers on to a more intense search for faithfulness, fellowship, and witness.

(20 sessions)