pat loughery

Transforming Power
by Robert Linthicum
InterVarsity Press (2003)
216 pages

Description of the Book
Power – the ability, capacity and willingness of a person, church, group or community to act – is always present. Power can be used to benefit or to harm others. When it is wielded through healthy relationships and for the purpose of the common good, power is at its most beneficial. This model of the user of power is thoroughly Biblical and thoroughly practical.

Interpretation of the Book
The book is divided into two main sections. The first section builds a foundation for a Biblical theology of power and its use. In this section, the author describes a just society as it is envisioned by God – a shalom community. He uses the book of Deuteronomy as God’s blueprint for this ideal society. He then compares that society to society as it actually exists, emphasizing that evil isn’t just personal, but is systematic. On this foundation, he examines Jesus’ use of power to proclaim jubilee – redistribution of power and wealth, which was the impact of the Kingdom of God. He next describes the church’s role as a community that is intended to bring shalom to its community by just use of power. Next, he describes Nehemiah as the story of “The Iron Rule”, or “Don’t do for others what they can do for themselves”, setting up the Nehemiah story as a story of relational leadership which accomplished a social good. Finally, the author looks at Paul’s understanding of Jesus and the church as subverting the dominant social systems by establishing a new social reality.

In the second section, Linthicum gives strategic tools for community change. He begins by saying that power must come from respectful relationships that are grown face to face between individuals. He discusses power in relationships, then talks about how to meet people and find out what puts a fire in their bellies, and how then to network them together with others who have similar interests. He then move to the next step, discussing how to organize these individuals and small groups into people focused on a common social purpose. He continues by discussing Biblical uses of power that today’s church avoids and why we avoid them, resulting in our ineffectiveness. He closes by discussing how faith can be shared as community impact is being made, and how the Christianity of social activists can be communicated in a healthy way at the right time.

Application
I highly recommend this book for any leaders who are interested in the mission of God as it relates to that leader’s community. I was fascinated to see Linthicum’s description of Jesus in relationship to a theme of Jubilee, and believe that this thesis is strong.

But the second section of this book really shines for me. Linthicum’s very practical descriptions – even structured formulas – for building relationship interpersonally, then in groups, and then with the social systems were very helpful. I can see the process working well both for a church’s leaders to help the community to serve itself as well as leading the church and the community to be missionally focused. The book is a breath of fresh air as it navigates between being a prophetic call to justice and gives practical tools for Christians to actually engage their world without being condescending to those Christians for previous inaction.