Comments on: That Nutty Small Group Dialectic http://ceruleansanctum.com/2005/07/that-nutty-small-group-dialectic.html Looking for the 1st century Church in 21st century America Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:37:15 +0000 hourly 1 By: Are Small Groups Doomed? | Cerulean Sanctumhttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2005/07/that-nutty-small-group-dialectic.html#comment-40743 Are Small Groups Doomed? | Cerulean Sanctum Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:03:59 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/?p=59#comment-40743 [...] Hegelian Dialectic - I’ve talked about this many times here (see this post in particular), but the tendency toward thesis/antithesis/synthesis teaching in small groups undermines genuinely [...] [...] Hegelian Dialectic – I’ve talked about this many times here (see this post in particular), but the tendency toward thesis/antithesis/synthesis teaching in small groups undermines genuinely [...]

]]> By: The Boar’s Head Tavern »http://ceruleansanctum.com/2005/07/that-nutty-small-group-dialectic.html#comment-29561 The Boar’s Head Tavern » Thu, 30 Aug 2007 17:32:25 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/?p=59#comment-29561 [...] Dan Edelen on the “small-group dialectic”: I believe with all my heart that small groups are a disastrous place for people to learn the Scriptures. … The tendency for synthesis of ideas that contradict the Scriptures is rife within these groups. Time and again I’ve heard leaders assent to heretical ideas synthesized by a group trying to reach some consensus. [...] [...] Dan Edelen on the “small-group dialectic”: I believe with all my heart that small groups are a disastrous place for people to learn the Scriptures. … The tendency for synthesis of ideas that contradict the Scriptures is rife within these groups. Time and again I’ve heard leaders assent to heretical ideas synthesized by a group trying to reach some consensus. [...]

]]> By: Brendthttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2005/07/that-nutty-small-group-dialectic.html#comment-134 Brendt Thu, 22 Dec 2005 03:18:00 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/?p=59#comment-134 <I>Late to the fray — came here from Challies.</I> Wow. I never realized that the small group that I used to be involved in was so out-of-step with the way a small group is "supposed to be" run. (Thank God that we were.) We didn't pursue concensus. Disagreements were discussed and sometimes unresolved. A few people even left the group, never to return again, because they couldn't handle a lack of concensus. To pursue concensus is to not be a Berean (and "see if these things are so"). I would definitely agree that a small-group leader should be well-qualified and examination of the Word should occur in the church at large, and not simply relegated to the small group. But if both of these criteria are met, I found small group study to be invaluable in my walk. I guess we were just too dumb to do it "right". ;-) Late to the fray — came here from Challies.

Wow. I never realized that the small group that I used to be involved in was so out-of-step with the way a small group is “supposed to be” run. (Thank God that we were.)

We didn’t pursue concensus. Disagreements were discussed and sometimes unresolved. A few people even left the group, never to return again, because they couldn’t handle a lack of concensus. To pursue concensus is to not be a Berean (and “see if these things are so”).

I would definitely agree that a small-group leader should be well-qualified and examination of the Word should occur in the church at large, and not simply relegated to the small group. But if both of these criteria are met, I found small group study to be invaluable in my walk. I guess we were just too dumb to do it “right”. ;-)

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