Jim Wilder

An appeal to consider "right brain" Christianity.

The primary voice is Hendricks, although the book would have been better if had been just straight up from Wilder, since all the insights really come from Wilder et al. The book is an application of the present condition of brain science: the belief that there are two hemispheres at work, that all input begins in the right brain, the seat of the emotions, impulse, and connection, and eventually get processed in the left brain, the seat of analysis, etc. Much of church work ends up focusing on left brain things: the acquisition and distribution of knowledge.

The author makes appeal for use of the right brain, and does so through three constructs: joy, relational unity and group cohesion. His association between hesed and relational unity is creative even if lexically suspicious. He speaks of the importance of correction to reinforce the value of community boundaries but doing so by reminding people that their transgression is not who they are in Christ. He warns about narcissism and makes his appeal that a more full brained church would resist it.

There's a lot that makes sense here: relational unity is a main theological theme in Scripture, and belonging a powerful drive. Yet some warnings are in order. First of all, as said above - why didn't Wilder just write the information? Secondly, the author pointed out how the way a lot of us think the brain works is inaccurate, based on older information proved to be inaccurate, and so it must be asked: how sound is the information on which this analysis is built? Will it need significant correction from a later generation who understands that much more about the brain?

Regardless, envisioning the life of a congregation in terms of more than information distribution is a definite positive.

**--galley received as part of early review program… (altro)