TIMESTAMPS:
[00:04:45] Volf’s book explores idea of a worthy life, centered on God’s creation and redemption of the world for its own sake and our delight. Answering question of life’s meaning requires context of larger story.
[00:08:40] The Bible suggests God created the world for His glory to dwell among the people.
[00:11:28] Why have we spiritualized salvation and detached ourselves from earthly matters? Possibly due to the association of Christian tradition with Plato. It betrays the Jewish tradition and materiality of salvation. Luther saw miracles as figures for a spiritual transformation, but early Pentecostalism emphasized the materiality of salvation for both the soul and body.
[00:15:10] Metaphor of home – a place of belonging, mutuality, recognition with personal, social, material aspects. World is home of homes, each home needs relations. Basis for individual homes, cities, nations and the world.
[00:21:32] To align the mission of church with God’s purpose, continue Jesus’ mission in Spirit to make this place God’s home and emphasize the importance of relationships.
[00:25:06] The church must have a clear purpose to avoid conforming to outside forces and losing original witness.
[00:28:48] Leaders must serve people where they are, considering their concerns. We live in an in-between time, and cannot go back to the old ways.
[00:32:07] Encouraging imagination to reimagine the world with courage and faith in Jesus as the ultimate trust. Worldly crutches are not necessary.
[00:34:37] The word dysoikos means “not home” as intended by God. Churches experiencing dysoikos should lean on God and invite all to experience Him as home. Church Leadership Institute provides resources to help navigate these challenges. Sign up for their newsletter at depree.org/church.
Q&A:
1. What is the meaning of “dysoikos”?
Answer: “Dysoikos” is a word coined by Miroslov Volf that describes the experience of not feeling at home in one’s intended sense.
2. How does the idea of home connect to the concept of dysoikos?
Answer: The idea of home is used as a way of describing the experience of being at peace and feeling a sense of belonging in a space or community. Dysoikos, then, represents the opposite experience of feeling alienated or disconnected from that sense of home.
3. What is the purpose of Miroslav’s book, The Home of God?
Answer: The purpose of the guest’s book is to sketch the story of God creating and redeeming the world in order to help people discern the meaning of their lives.
4. What is Miroslav Volf’s view on the detachment from materiality in the Christian tradition?
Answer: Miroslav Volf suggests that the association of the Christian tradition with the Platonic tradition and the transformation of the Christian faith has contributed to the detachment from materiality, which he believes betrays the Jewish tradition of understanding God’s work in the world.
5. What does Miroslav Volf believe is crucial for leaders to do?
Answer: Volf believes it is crucial for leaders to take people’s concerns into account, especially in today’s world where cultural formations are dying and new ones have not yet been born.
6. What is the biggest threat to the Church?
Answer: The biggest threat to the Church is conforming to prevalent cultural ideas and becoming a mere reflection of the world around them instead of holding onto the crucial and central defining characteristics of Jesus, God, and their purpose in the world.
