A New Book Discussion: That We May Be One

In about a week to ten days I will begin discussing That We May Be One: Practicing Unity in a Divided Church by Gary B. Agee (Eerdmans, 2022). Be careful because there are other books with the same basic title (That We May Be One). Buy the right one. It is available for Kindle.

I am attracted to this book because I am a masochist. I have written two “Against” books—Against Calvinism and Against Liberal Theology. Agee mounts a biblical argument for unity among Christians regardless of race, sexual orientation, theology, income, education, etc. I feel the sting of his argument. And yet, in spite of my two “Against” books I have organized and engaged in friendly dialogues with Calvinists and liberal theologians.

Agee is a Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) minister. My grandparents were Church of God. My father was baptized in a Church of God. Many of my aunts and uncles and cousins were/are Church of God. One of the distinctives, perhaps the only one, really, is its historical belief that there should not be denominations of Christians but that all true Christians belong simply to The Church of God which is centered in a special way in their movement and fellowship. (The Church of God claims it is not a denomination.)

In a week to ten days I will the book’s Preface and Introduction. I will raise questions that perhaps will be answered in later chapters. I have already begun a dialogue with Agee himself by email. It will be up to him whether to jump into the conversations here.

I admit that I am conflicted about Christian unity. I have long taught students and others that its visible manifestation is open communion but I have valued denominations. I have not been attracted to calls for a visible and institutional unity of the churches into one Great Church.

So, I invite you to get the book and begin reading it with the Preface and Introduction.

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