Alexander Blair Cain

@trusty.bsky.social

What changes turned you off of the updated edition?

This is different from the discipleship that happens organically by being around those further along in their walk with Jesus than you. The organic discipleship isn’t planned and structured; it just happens through conversations and actions

What I meant by “official discipleship” is an explicit relationship with someone who meets with you for the purpose of discipling you in the faith. That can take many forms: books, prayer practices, serving & reflection, etc.

This makes sense to me

Part of my experiential difference is doubtless due to most of my official discipleship groups being from my time in evangelical spaces and my current spiritual direction being in TEC, with a spiritual director who was trained in the contemplative tradition of spiritual direction.

As someone who has been in official discipleship and who is currently in spiritual direction, they do seem distinct from one another, even though they do have overlap. It’s similar to how discipleship and therapy are not the same, but will touch on similar aspects of your life.

shameful and evil

Not the oblique reference to the Übermensch 🙄

In my experience, most students feel like they’re the least theologically educated person in the room. And wanting physical reading materials is simply in line with the best research on learning! Our brains don’t comprehend and retain info as well through the digital medium.

I am so tired of Christians—especially clergy—who justify mistreatment of their neighbors in the name of Jesus

The Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler, in her book Women and the Gender of God, makes the point that to call God Father also honors the fact that Jesus has a mother. It is a title that does not imply gender, but does, among other things, value women in the motherhood of Mary

Are you allowed to share the Table of Contents?

Publix. The Pubsub is undefeated

I read Listening Hearts by Suzanne G. Farnham & Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer as part of my PDC process

They were both helpful

O come, De­sire of na­tions, bind
In one the hearts of all man­kind;
Bid Thou our sad di­vi­sions cease,
And be Thy­self our king of Peace.

The first page of a chapter titled “The Oxford Movement and Anglo-Catholicism” It says: We are approaching the stage in the evolution of Anglican theology when theologians began to recognize that England is only part of the world and to think in terms that are essentially global. It took Anglican theologians, I may say, quite some time to get abreast of that insight. But the evangelicals began to found missionary societies, and out of transcultural mission work came, increasingly, an awareness of the need to express Anglicanism in global terms. In this chapter, however, we are still in England, because we are only at the beginning of the nineteenth century, which is before any sort of creative or critical theology was being done by Anglicans outside England. We have come to the Oxford movement, whose story is set in the milieu of the slow movement of church reform in England. My mission in this chapter is to make sure you are as sympathetic to leaders of the Oxford movement and the Catholic revival within Anglicanism as you are to the evangelicals. I do not mean by "sympathetic" that you should agree with them as robustly. But they were men thoroughly sincere in seeking to please God, serve God, and proclaim what they took to be the truth of God. If you read evangelical writers like J. C. Ryle--good, great, and deservedly famous as he is—you will find that because Ryle is convinced

From Packer’s book The Heritage of Anglican Theology. As a firm Calvinist, he disagrees, but also wants to respect genuine godly motives.

My first ever vestry meeting was partially about whether the rector had duped the church financially and if they could evict him from his home (not a rectory). A high profile bishop was flown in to run the meeting

The Shepherd of Hermas- Wipf and Stock Publishers From its original composition and wide distribution in the early second century, the Shepherd of Hermas has both puzzled and intrigued readers with its stran...

This resource may be helpful!

wipfandstock.com/978149823878...

Was this presentation recorded? And do you have a ballpark idea of when the book will be published?

Ah ok, sorry about that!

Growing Young by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Brad Griffin All churches grow old. Strategic churches grow young.  Across the United States, churches are losing both members and vitality as increasing numbers of yo...

Actually, not sure why I didn’t immediately think of this but Growing Young might be exactly what you’re looking for. shop.fulleryouthinstitute.org/products/gro...

One of the authors of this book is a mainline baptist. Otherwise, i would recommend Andrew Root’s books. zondervanacademic.com/products/the...

⚓️

Results of an Anglican quiz that say “Your Title Is: A Biblically Literate Puseyite”

Late to this but lowkey pleased with the results 🕯️

This is not an uncommon take

Which 19th Century Bishop Are You? It's a Tie! You tied between 3 bishops. Read their profiles and choose the one that best fits you:

William White Pennsylvania, Presiding Bishop Builder of consensus and "Americanization": led the 1785/1789 Prayer Book revisions for a republic, then presided over consecrations that knit a national church; a moderating, Father-quoting latitudinarian who kept Scripture central.

John Henry Hopkins Vermont Beauty-loving, Reformation-loyal polymath: wrote on Gothic architecture, composed church music, defended broad tent within the Formularies (Scripture supreme), and helped modernize episcopal trial procedures.

John Henry Hobart New York High-Church powerhouse: founded and shaped the General Seminary; grew clergy dramatically; pushed visible unity (baptismal grace, apostolic order) and resisted generic ecumenism; evangelized the Oneida.

I’m not up on my Episcopal history, but I think this means I’m conflicted. 📕

www.prolegopress.com/bishops-quiz

Jesus and Jewish Law Christianity Podcast · Updated Biweekly · Two New Testament scholars who specialise in Jewish law explore how Jesus interprets and applies the Mosaic law in the canonical gospels.

You’ll probably love these resources if you haven’t already heard of them:

t.co/wgB5I6QWGI

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/j...

My old parish was exclusively Rite I. It’s where I was introduced to TEC and confirmed, so it was weird for me to move to Rite II.

The parish I’m at now only does Rite I for lent.

Now this is a hot take