Dr. Jeremiah Johnston welcomes guest professor and author, Dr. Alister McGrath, to the program. Alister discusses his book, Mere Discipleship: Growing in Wisdom and Hope and how we can continue growing through discipleship. He says of the work,
“I thought it would be very good to lay out some of the reasons that sustained me in my faith and hope, and to begin to engage in some of the questions our culture is asking. I am showing that we can give good answers to those questions. This book is about growing in our faith and engaging with our culture.”
In his own faith, Alister says that he learned and grew as a result of talking with other Christians, reading books, and even memorizing faith creeds.
“It’s like an athlete who’s training for a race or a soldier who’s training – two prominent New Testament metaphors. It’s about developing habits that help you grow. I think it’s about intentional cultivation of certain ways of thinking and acting. It’s about realizing that, while indeed God in His grace helps us to grow, we’ve got a role to play as well.”
The two men discuss ways for reaching those who may be antagonistic toward the Gospel.
“You really need to listen to the questions people are asking. There are real questions beneath the surface of what seems to be hostile questions.”
Ultimately, each believer has the ability to connect with others in a way that is unique to him or her.
“Maybe there is something you can bring to a conversation or a ministry that nobody else could.”
Alister and Jeremiah address several questions from AskJJJ.com about Christianity’s influence for good, faith in God, and faithfulness to biblical truths.
Jeremiah says, “Here are some immediate next steps: Who are you having faith-filled conversations with right now? Also, keep building your Christian library.”
Dr. Alister McGrath is the director of the Ian Ramsey Centre and the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford. Alister converted from atheism to Christianity as a young adult. His book is, Mere Discipleship: Growing in Wisdom and Hope.
Growing through discipleship - Alister McGrath
