Book Review: Preaching to a Divided Nation

By Naomi Lu

I

n Preaching to a Divided Nation, Matthew Kim and Paul Hoffman offer up a seven-step model to address the many ways in which our country is divided and a possible way to mend those divisions to reconcile and restore relationships.

In order to fix the divisions in our churches and our country, we not only have to understand what is broken but how it is broken. Kim and Hoffman deliver a comprehensive narrative of where division comes from (aspects of sin) and the ways it manifests in our society. Division comes from complicated and deeply rooted systemic problems that see our modern church warring against herself.

Kim and Hoffman do a masterful job of showing us the big picture of why we have so much conflict. It only takes a quick Instagram search to see this division at play; we watch individuals identifying as believers warring in the comments section of a pastor’s latest post, and we jump too quickly at choosing sides and accusing other denominations and their leaders of being false pastors. Our desire to be right is trumping our call to love. As a result, there is a mass exodus from our churches.

Additionally, the authors maintain that division is created when our pride keeps us captive to the results of our work. Kim and Hoffman encourage us to relinquish our own metrics for success and explore what the Holy Spirit desires to do through our work. We must remember that we tend, but do not create, the gardens of faith and community that rise from the Church. It is easy to assume that good work means good fruit that is measurable. More bodies in chairs, larger buildings, and increased budgets can all be considered indicators of growth. Yet when we examine the Jesus we follow, we see a man who rejected wealth and power, admiring the devotion and faith of those who had little and were worth little in the eyes of the world. Physical metrics of our churches have little to do with the fruit of the spirit they produce. While faith without works is dead, we also know that performance does not equal faith.

So how then, do we find unity? Kim and Hoffman point to four arenas where we can find what we have in common: shared identities, experiences, doctrine, and mission. And how do we know if we share commonalities in these areas? By listening with humility and openness, as understanding leads to empathy.

Our false idols are no longer golden calves on altars. They are carved images of ourselves. We believe that if we hold something as dear and beloved, everyone else must too, or they are morally wrong. When we make ourselves the ultimate standard for goodness and rightness, those who disagree with us disagree with our object of worship—ourselves. As such, the hand fights the foot in a struggle that we can trace back to the New Testament. The church grapples with herself in the same way again and again.

Kim and Hoffman’s work is an in-depth and thoughtful examination of the struggles our modern church encounters, especially in the Western world. Prospective readers should note that this book is an academic read. It is written as a model and guide for pastors and church leaders; it will not engage the lay reader on an emotional level. Despite the book being academic in nature, it is still straightforward and clear in its theories and convictions. Both the general church community and its leaders will benefit from its wisdom.

Though church division is a long-standing problem in our Christian tradition, Kim and Hoffman present a culturally relevant course of action to bring unity. Unity does not mean a collective agreement on each set of doctrine, social issues, or tradition. Rather, unity will be the key that allows us to gather despite our differences for the common goal of sharing the Good News with a hurting world.

photo curtesy of Baker Academic

---

Naomi K. Lu is a Chinese-American Third Culture Kid who grew up in East Asia. An educator and a writer, she is passionate about Asian mental health, depression treatment, and suicide prevention. She currently lives in California with her three dogs. Follow Naomi on Instagram @nkluwrites.