In this very personal book, W. Paul Jones sees the diverse experience of individuals as the backbone of spirituality, and claims that the Trinity affirms a rich diversity within God and within God's way of relating to the world. He considers each Person of the Trinity as being involved in each "function" of God--as creator, redeemer and sanctifier--and arrives at nine dimensions of God's life that invite a response. Jones develops each of the nine dimensions with an extended meditation, followed by a series of practical and creative spiritual exercises.

In Worlds Within a Congregation, W. Paul Jones follows up on his previous work Theological Worlds in a most practical way. He argues that many church communities consist of sub-congregations, which have come about not as the result of divisive intentions, but as congregants naturally group themselves according to preferred styles of worship, interaction, stewardship, and so forth. Jones suggests that this struggle with theological diversity in congregations is something to be understood and embraced, rather than fled from as a grounds of division, and shows how--by...

By exploring five common Christian perspectives ("theological worlds"), this volume helps readers understand the basis of their own Christian attitudes, identify the sources of their confusions about life and the church, and come to a deeper appreciation of the assumptions and motivations of others.

Author W. Paul Jones demonstrates that each of the five "theological worlds" has a legitimate basis in both Scripture and tradition. He explores why the "citizens" of each world have great difficulty understanding and accepting the legitimacy of other worlds, and why people of goodwill...