We Call Ourselves Disciples (Edited by Kamilah Hall Sharp & Joel Brown) - A Review
The Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) is a unique Protestant denomination. Part of the larger Stone-Campbell
Movement (this includes the Disciples, the Churches of Christ, and the
Christian Churches/Churches of Christ) that was born on what was then the
American frontier, shortly after the newly born nation of the United States of
America took form, this denomination carries what looks like a generic name. In
a sense, that is true. In essence, the Disciples of Christ are but one small
branch of the much larger Christian Church. While that is, in a sense, true,
the two parts of the denominational name reflect the two
movements/denominations that came together in 1832. One group, the Christians, was
associated with Barton Stone. The Disciples, on the other hand, came out of a
movement led by Thomas and Alexander Campbell, along with Walter Scott. So, the
churches have called themselves Christians and Disciples, and they essentially
mean the same thing. One of the key elements of this denomination’s identity is
its commitment to the pursuit of Christian unity. This pursuit was termed by
Barton Stone, our polar star.
Perhaps it’s because of the
denomination’s seemingly generic name that people often wonder about the
identity of this denomination called the Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ). This has become very clear as I serve on a bilateral dialogue team
meeting with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. While my team feels as
if we know something about the Lutherans, it is clear that the reverse is not
true. The Disciples are a small, American-born Mainline Protestant denomination
that often defines itself by its practice of weekly communion. One of the
questions people ask concerns what Disciples believe or affirm. That can be
difficult to answer because the Disciples are a non-creedal tradition. This
allows individuals and congregations to embrace a variety of beliefs and
practices, with the expectation that Disciples commit themselves to following
Jesus and gathering weekly at the Lord’s Table.
There are a number of helpful
resources available to those seeking answers to their questions. There are a
number of histories and even books on Disciples theology (one of which I wrote
under the title Freedom in Covenant). What many people desire is a brief
summary of basic beliefs and practices. Kamilah Hall Sharp and Joel Brown have
tried to answer that call with We Call Ourselves Disciples (Chalice
Press, 2026). The two editors of the book are Kamilah Hall Sharp, Assistant
Professor of Hebrew Bible and Public Ministry at Chicago Theological Seminary,
and Joel A. Brown, President of the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. The
two editors and ten others, including the Rev. Teresa Hord Owens, General
Minister and President of the Disciples, offer brief introductions to nine
areas of Disciples life. They cover twelve areas of Disciples' life and
ministry. Because this small volume is published by the denomination’s official
publishing house, it does carry a sense of being an official statement as to
the identity of the Disciples, even if that is not how it is intended to be
seen.
When one reviews a book like this,
it is usually helpful to identify oneself in relation to the book and its
authors. Although I am not a contributor to this volume, I am a retired
Disciples pastor and participant in the life of the church. The authors are colleagues,
and some are friends, including Paul Tché, President of Christian Unity and
Interfaith Ministries, with whom I have served for seven years as a board
member and board chair. Paul writes on the Disciples' commitment to Christian
Unity, one of the twelve themes in the book. As a Disciple, I believe that this
small book will serve the church well as an introduction to the Disciples’ commitments
and practices, including the way Disciples do theology.
As the editors point out in their
introduction, the different authors point out the diversity of beliefs and
practices present within the Disciples community. However, they write:
"Although diversity is a staple in the denomination and in these essays,
unity is a common goal. The beauty of this is that there can be unity within
diversity; we do not have to be the same because God's creation is
diverse" (p. viii). With that in mind, they also note that in offering
these essays, which run to about 1000 words each, they are not to be read as
being prescriptive or even descriptive. Rather, the authors of the essays offer
them as "an invitation to enter into an ongoing conversation. This
dialogue opens space for considering the diverse ways Disciples have thought
about and practiced their faith" (p. xi).
The twelve essays cover the
following topics: "Disciples and the Bible" (Ronald J. Allen);
"Social Justice as Embodied in Micah 6:8" (Kamilah Hall Sharp);
"Doing Theology" (Jose Francisco Morales Torres); "Liturgy and
Worship" (Nathan Russell); "The Baptized Life" (Christopher
Wilson); "Communion" (Terri Hord Owens - General Minister and President);
"Christian Unity: Our Polar Star" (Paul Tche); "Diversity and
Inclusion" (Eli Rolon Jeong); "Turning Points in Disciples
History" (Joel Brown); "Global Ministries" (LaMarco Cable);
"Congregations and Their Pastors" (Katie Hayes); "A Brief
Overview of Disciples Polity" (LaTaunya Bynum). As one can see, these
essays cover a gamut of ministries and practices.
The primary chapter on theology,
which is written by Jose Morales, speaks primarily to the way Disciples do
theology rather than a point-by-point description of Disciples' theology. This
makes sense since the Disciples do not have a prescribed statement of faith
that everyone must affirm. Thus, as he notes, “There are many theological
approaches within the Disciples fold” (p. 11). They run the gamut from liberal
to traditional, with a variety of approaches, so one cannot define a particular
method. That being said, Morales writes that “While embracing theological
diversity, it has been the witness of Disciples to do theology grounded in God’s
word” (p. 12). That includes Scripture, even starts with Scripture, but isn’t
limited to it.
Each of the twelve essays, as one
would expect from an edited volume like this, does not offer an “official” statement
of church doctrine and practice. Rather, each essay represents the perspectives
of the authors, who seek to be faithful to the tradition. Therefore, one will
find differences among authors, reflecting the diversity spoken of earlier.
Nevertheless, despite that diversity, there is also a sense of unity binding
them together. The reason for that is that the authors, despite differences at
points, seek to be faithful to the history and traditions of the denomination. Therefore,
most readers who are long-term Disciples will recognize what they read and even
largely affirm what they read. So, once again, let us remember that in their
introduction, the editors of We Call Ourselves Disciples let us know
that these essays are not meant to be prescriptive. Instead, the essays are
meant to serve as an invitation to a conversation about Disciples identity. The
essays will serve that purpose well. They introduce important areas of concern
that will be useful to people new to the denomination and will serve as a
helpful reminder to those who have been with the denomination for a long time
but may have forgotten what makes Disciples, Disciples. Thus, this will work
well for both a new member’s class or baptismal preparation class, as well as
simply a refresher class for youth and adults. I even think Disciples Elders
might find We Call Ourselves Disciples helpful!
A note about its availability as of
October 2, 2025. It is available for preorder at Amazon and Bookshop.org with a January 6, 2026, release date. However,
it does appear to be available at Chalice
Press.
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