Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ

Written by Eugene Peterson Reviewed By Andrew M. Hassler

In this fifth and final installment of his “Conversations” series on spiritual theology, Eugene Peterson tells us directly that we need to grow up. He argues that while evangelism remains critical, the American church must treat growth and maturity, what he calls “practicing resurrection,” with equal urgency. Much of the church “runs on the euphoria and adrenaline of new birth-getting people into the church, into the kingdom, into causes, into crusades, into programs,” but, Peterson laments, “I don't find pastors and professors, for the most part, very interested in matters of formation in holiness. They have higher profile things to tend to” (p. 5). With the American church as his conversation partner, Peterson offers a fatherly rebuke of its adolescence and a better way forward.

The book is laid out somewhat like a commentary, with chapter divisions according to pericope that walk the reader through the book of Ephesians. Yet it is different from a commentary. It is Peterson doing what he does best, providing ruminations on texts of Scripture intertwined with story, metaphor, and spiritual direction, only this time through one specific book of the Bible. At times this can give the book a disjointed feel. If it is not really a commentary and not really a topical book, then what is it exactly? Because of this, the exegetical judgments can sometimes feel rushed and left in need of more support. Still, it is hard to read anything Peterson writes without deriving benefit. Not unlike C. S. Lewis, Peterson has the unique ability to transcend simple categories. He is not easily skimmed or read simply to distill the main points and move on. With Peterson, the journey is the point. And this book is no different. At times it meanders, but at the same time, it is filled with many gems for those willing to take the scenic route.

Peterson is at his most prophetic when critiquing the “Americanization” of the church: “America in the twenty-first century does not offer propitious conditions for growing up. Maturity is not the hallmark of our culture” (p. 179). We are more like “children, tossed to and fro by the waves” (Eph 4:14) than mature Christ-followers. This is one of Peterson's most important contributions in all his writing: not to unfairly malign American strengths, but to point out blind spots. A large one of these is the “Americanization of congregation,” which he defines as the turning of “each congregation into a market for religious consumers, an ecclesiastical business run along the lines of advertising techniques and organizational flow charts, and then energized by impressive motivational rhetoric” (pp. 23-24). No church is immune from the temptation to this kind of approach, simply because it surrounds us in culture, and, frankly, it often “works.” But the reality is that this kind of success is not necessarily the same as genuine growth. In fact, it is often growth-stunting, despite appearances to the contrary, because it tends toward a perpetual adolescent obsession with numbers and trends.

No doubt Peterson's words will be a breath of fresh air to many and a thorn in the side to others. Not everyone will love what he says or the positions it takes. Such is the nature of those who offer prophetic rebuke. But the reality is that we need people like Peterson to shine the light in the darkness, to awaken us when we have dozed at the wheel. For decades, Peterson has lamented the consumerization of the church, as well as the idea of church as whatwe do, rather than what God says and does. This is particularly important in Ephesians, where church is not a goal or project, but rather simply is, because God says it is, and because he is the one doing the heavy lifting. Peterson reminds believers of the priority of grace, even as they seek to live in obedience: “Christian maturity is not a matter of doing more for God; it is God doing more in and through us” (pp. 222-23).

This leads to another important thread that runs through the book: a high regard for the ordinary. Again grating against American sentiment, Peterson argues that maturity happens only within the real, often harsh, conditions of life. To be sure, there are moments of great glory. But too often these are overemphasized, and the patient work of God in the present, the broken, the ordinary, and the mess of real life is underestimated and ignored. “The way to maturity is through the commonplace” (p. 182). Further, while the church is proficient in kerygmatic and didactic language (preaching and teaching), it is far less competent with “paracletic” language, the “language of relationship and intimacy” (p. 175). This is the language of community, where believers bear with each other in love and peace. This language cannot be cultivated if we depersonalize or compete with one another, but only as we embrace patience and love within the everyday conditions of life lived together in Christ.

Thus, Practice Resurrection has plenty of depths to be mined for pastor and layperson alike, even if it is not Peterson's best overall work. Within its pages there is much that is well worth reading and digesting. It would be ideal for someone studying Ephesians who wants to balance out more technical commentaries, or anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a unique but grounded perspective on the church's maturation in Christ that will both bless and challenge.


Andrew M. Hassler

Andrew M. Hassler
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

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