A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
Ebook
“Scot and Laura do an amazing job of teaching us what a good church looks like.” —Beth Moore
What is the way forward for the church?
Tragically, in recent years, Christians have gotten used to revelations of abuses of many kinds in our most respected churches—from Willow Creek to Harvest, from Southern Baptist pastors to Sovereign Grace churches. Respected author and theologian Scot McKnight and former Willow Creek member Laura Barringer wrote this book to paint a pathway forward for the church.
We need a better way. The sad truth is that churches of all shapes and sizes are susceptible to abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse. Abuses occur most frequently when Christians neglect to create a culture that resists abuse and promotes healing, safety, and spiritual growth.
How do we keep these devastating events from repeating themselves? We need a map to get us from where we are today to where we ought to be as the body of Christ. That map is in a mysterious and beautiful little Hebrew word in Scripture that we translate “good,” the word tov.
In this book, McKnight and Barringer explore the concept of tov—unpacking its richness and how it can help Christians and churches rise up to fulfill their true calling as imitators of Jesus.
Top Highlights
“The mark of empathy is to feel another’s pain; the mark of compassion is ‘having the desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another’ and to do something about it.” (Page 102)
“Culture speaks to the underlying tenor of relationships within the church, as well. It is seen in the values and priorities that govern day-to-day life. A church culture isn’t formed by someone launching a program—for compassion or justice or kindness or goodness—however noble the cause may be. Volunteerism does not make a culture. Programs may enlist volunteers, who may be changed by such programs, but programs alone do not establish a culture. Neither do the persuasive powers of a program leader. Culture formation requires time; it requires relationships that evolve over time, it requires mutual interaction over time.” (Page 19)
“Each aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is also an act of resistance. To do tov requires us to resist what is not tov, what is bad and evil and corrupt. To live in the Spirit is to resist the works or acts of the flesh.” (Page 92)
“Grace-filled goodness begins in forgiveness, forms into freedom, and resists fear—all because it knows that God’s design for the church is love.” (Page 116)
“Seventh, the Holy Spirit is the active agent who turns us from enemies and strangers into friends and family.” (Page 118)
One of the questions I’m frequently asked is how to find a good church. I appreciate the inquiry every time because I believe strongly in the church. I’m so grateful to God for Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer because they do an amazing job of teaching us what a good one looks like in A Church Called Tov.
What a theologically savvy and empathy-embracing book for today’s church! Reading A Church Called Tov reminded me of why I love the church, and how that affection can also mean telling the truth about her missteps and broken pieces. In a world of high profile failures and scandals, this book offers a prophetic reimagining of the Acts 2 church. It is hopeful, relevant, and encouraging.
It is tragic that a book like this has to be written. However, if good can come of tragedy, this book is a testimony to that. In this volume, Scot and Laura have given the church a way of identifying, naming, and addressing toxic church cultures with a view to retraining our thinking to create cultures of goodness and healthy churches. It is full of wisdom, insight, and truthful exegesis which brings its own light. It is a gift to leaders, pastors in training, and importantly, victims of abuse who desperately need champions. In my view, this should be essential reading for anyone who has any leadership responsibility in a church.
This profoundly important book addresses the problem of toxic church culture and shows how we change it. It is brave, thoughtful, and transformational. The answers it offers are woven around the key Hebrew word tov, which means good—and so much more. If you have been wounded by your experience of church, you should read this book. If you cannot imagine how church wounds people, you should read this book. It is profound, compassionate, and—sadly—timely.
If the church is going to become what she was designed to be, women must be at equal places of responsibility, authority, and influence in all spaces. If there has ever been a time to write a better story—a tov story—it is now! The broken stories in this book offer a beautiful transformational pathway forward. I wish this book weren’t necessary, but it is imperative for leaders committed to integrity and creating a better future.
A Church Called Tov is a desperately needed book, full of eye-opening truths. The church is supposed to be, and can be, a place of goodness, not toxicity. Scot and Laura help us discern the difference. It is clear they have seen and understand both sides and therefore can serve as guides to help us see what is good and avoid what is evil. I hope this work spreads through every church.
In a time when scores of people who grew up in the church are walking away wounded, disillusioned, and understandably cynical about a culture that seldom reflects the Jesus it claims to love and follow, Scot McKnight brings us much-needed hope. He does this by helping the reader diagnose and explain what creates and fosters the toxicity that is so pervasive within our modern Christian culture. Fortunately, Scot doesn’t stop there. He follows up his diagnosis with an informed and practical wisdom that empowers and equips us cynics to understand how the church can actually become what it was created to be . . . the community of true health, safe refuge, and genuine hope for the weary and the wounded. In other words, the reflection of the Jesus. I’m grateful that A Church Called Tov helped me begin deconstructing my own cynicism about the church. Baby steps forward. Thanks, Scot!
- Title: A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
- Authors: Scot McKnight, Laura Barringer, Tish Harrison Warren
- Publisher: Tyndale Elevate
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781496446022, 9781496446008, 1496446003, 149644602X
- Resource ID: LLS:9781496446022
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-08-10T00:01:09Z
Reviews
2 ratings
James Hatch
11/28/2023
It is a great book on how leadership affects the culture of the church. I am using it in a class I teach.
GregW
7/10/2023
This is an excellent book because it is looking to create positive cultures in churches while not being shy about facing up to, and tackling, spiritual, sexual, and other forms of abuse in churches. It should be read by every church leader. It is a shame that, as an ebook, the formatting leaves a lot to be desired at times. In particular, quotations are frequently not formatted as quotations.
