"The Dangers of Christian Practice" with Lauren Winner

A reality that the Church has to continue to grapple with is the way that it has inflicted damage upon individual lives in manners that are unfaithful to its calling. Such essential practices of Christianity, such as prayer and the Eucharist, are subject to being tainted by toxic intentions of participants. Responding to this reality can produce two extremes; ignorance and rejection of the Church’s issues out of refusal to accept imperfection or an outright rejection of an institution that is perceived to be irredeemable. How can the Church come to terms with harm inflicted while also recognizing the beauty that remains within God’s gifts of Christian practice?

In this episode, Chris and Eddie are joined by Lauren F. Winner, an Episcopal priest, historian, and scholar of religion who teaches at Duke Divinity School. Lauren is the author of the book “The Dangers of Christian Practice: On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin.” In her work and in this conversation, Winner challenges the assumption that the church possesses a set of immaculate practices that will definitionally train Christians in virtue. She reflects on examples of history where practice failed to produce virtue and what should be learned as the Church pursues a more faithful future.

Resources:

Get to know Rev. Dr. Lauren Winner:

https://divinity.duke.edu/faculty/lauren-winner

Check out Rev. Dr. Winner’s books on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Lauren-F.-Winner/e/B001K892MS%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share