Phil Kenneson, Life on the Vine: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Christian Community. IVP Books, 1999.
Referenced in: Missional Lifestyle, Discipleship, Spirituality
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Phil Kenneson is a recognized participant in the missional conversation and has authored books and papers that address the missional philosophy over against popular church-growth marketing techniques.
In this volume, he develops a core piece of his philosophy, that Christian communities, instead of “selling themselves” in the religious marketplace, should focus on positioning their communal and individual lives so that the Spirit can reproduce the life of Jesus in them. This Christ-likeness is the “fruit of the Spirit,” and is the key to the church’s authentic witness. In fact, “it is quite possible for the church to be growing and not bearing the fruit of the Spirit.” (11) Kenneson suggests that when Christians concentrate on this “life on the vine,” a transformation takes place the manifests the kingdom of God on earth. God projects himself in the way that best glorifies him through the spiritual qualities of his followers.
Kenneson has a keen eye for how the church has capitulated to culture, and a penetrating theological grounding to help the church regain its footing. His book is good for those interested in this subject on any level, even those who may wish to use this as a small group Bible study. Below is a list of the main chapters.
- Cultivating Love in the Midst of Market-Style Exchanges
- Cultivating Joy in the Midst of Manufactured Desire
- Cultivating Peace in the Midst of Fragmentation
- Cultivating Patience in the Midst of Productivity
- Cultivating Kindness in the Midst of Self-Sufficiency
- Cultivating Goodness in the Midst of Self-Help
- Cultivating Faithfulness in the Midst of Impermanence
- Cultivating Gentleness in the Midst of Aggression
- Cultivating Self-Control in the Midst of Addiction
From the Publisher
Many books—many fine books—have been published on the fruits of the Spirit. But none are quite like Life on the Vine.
Philip Kenneson combines in this book rich, theologically grounded reflection on Christian life and practice with stunning analysis of contemporary culture. After a probing introductory chapter on the necessity and complexity of cultural analysis, Kenneson takes up each of the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. He explores what each fruit means in its biblical context, then investigates how key traits of late modern Western culture inhibit the development and ripening of each fruit.
Life on the Vine is that rare book that will reward the reader on many levels. It may be read as a biblical and theological study, as an inspirational work on spirituality, as incisive cultural criticism and as a practical guide to Christian discipleship.
About the Author
Philip Kenneson is professor of theology and philosophy at Milligan College. He is the coauthor, with James L. Street, of Selling Out the Church and has contributed to Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World and The Nature of Confession (both IVP).
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership