Interpersonalism

“FRIENDS OF GOD”: THE STARTING PLACE FOR ALL THINGS

APOLOGETICS AS INTERPERSONAL

ATTITUDE TOWARD THE BODY AS INTERPERSONAL

Virgil Warren, PhD

BAPTISM AS INTERPERSONAL

BASES FOR INTERPERSONALISM

Central to Less Central: An Interpersonal Format

for Prioritizing Issues in Christian Unity

Virgil Warren, PhD

CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERPERSONALISM

Virgil Warren, PhD

“Interpersonalism” refers to interaction between persons, mutual relations, compenetration, mutuality, transaction. Interpersonal unity is the kind of thing John expresses with his a-in-b-in-a formula (e.g., John 10:38; 14:10, 11, 15-16, 20, 23, 38; 15:4-9; 17:21-24; 1 John 2:24-28; see also Colossians 1:27-28). Paul speaks about being “members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). Interpersonalism contrasts with law, ritual (sacramentalism), nature (materialism), idea (rationalism), and mysticism. The ordinances are performative; they are acts by which we “say something” more than “means of grace’ that we get from them. By them we say something by what we do (cp. Titus 1:16).

CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE AND CHRISTIAN UNITY

Virgil Warren, PhD

This article encourages using interpersonal principles in the quest for Christian unity.¹ We are reflecting on the role of attitude in creating an atmosphere for conflict resolution in the body of Christ today.

CHRISTIAN UNITY

                             CHRISTIANITY BY CONTRAST: SKETCHES   

Virgil Warren, PhD

COMMUNION AS INTERPERSONAL

CONFLICT RESOLUTION BY INTERPERSONAL MEANS

CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INTERPERSONALISM AND CHRISTOLOGY

CREATION IN INTERPERSONAL CONTEXT

EPISTEMOLOGY AS INTERPERSONAL

(How We Know)

ESCHATOLOGY AS INTERPERSONAL

(Last Things)

Virgil Warren, PhD

ETHICS AS INTERPERSONAL

EVANGELISM AS INTERPERSONAL

EVENTS AND STATEMENTS RE INTERPERSONAL PRIORITIES

Virgil Warren, PhD

FAITH AS INTERPERSONAL

FREEDOM AS INTERPERSONAL

GOD AND INTERPERSONALISM

GUIDANCE AS INTERPERSONAL

Virgil Warren, PhD

HERMENEUTICS AS INTERPERSONAL

HOLY SPIRIT AS INTERPERSONAL

INTERPERSONALISM AND ORDINANCES

Virgil Warren, PhD

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are performative acts, acts by which the performer “says something.” Their meaning comes from what we mean into them; otherwise, they have no meaning. That indicates that they are not rituals done to us by which grace comes to us automatically by virtue of the ritual itself somehow or by virtue of the legitimized authority of the administrator. There is value that comes on us, but it comes on us from God on the prior condition of our commitment to him as communicated by the performative act.

INTERPERSONALISM AND THE MYSTERY OF GOD

Virgil Warren, PhD

Interpersonalism integrates with the “mystery of God” because (a) the mystery factor is highest in the interpersonal categories. That is so because the other categories—nature, law, and logic—are deterministic; but persons, especially persons in relationship, are not fully predictable since they have rationality, creativity, and free will on both sides of the relationship.

INTERPERSONALISM AS A CRITERION FOR

FELLOWSHIP, ORTHODOXY, AND RELATIVE CENTRALITY

Virgil Warren, PhD

Interpersonalism serves as a general criterion for deciding what is part of the faith. It is the touchstone for distinguishing “gospel from culture” and truth from preference.

INTERPERSONALISM: THE INTEGRATING REALITY

FOR CHRISTIAN TRUTH

KNOWLEDGE IN INTERPERSONAL CONTEXT

Virgil Warren, PhD

LANGUAGE IN INTERPERSONAL CONTEXT

Virgil Warren, PhD

LAW AND GOSPEL IN CONTRAST (IP)

Virgil Warren, PhD

LAW AND INTERPERSONALISM IN CONTRAST

LEADERSHIP AS INTERPERSONAL

LOVE AS INTERPERSONAL

MANAGING EMOTIONS (IP)

Virgil Warren, PhD

MANKIND AS INTERPERSONAL

MARRIAGE AS INTERPERSONAL

MEANING AS INTERPERSONAL

MISAPPLYING THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM (IP)

PARENTING AS INTERPERSONAL

Virgil Warren, PhD

            Parenting takes place first by interpersonal means. It is on top of interpersonal process that any authority comes, and that authority is bounded in its application by the distinctive purposes at work in this special setting for interpersonal process. The interpersonal circumstance sets the attitude parents take toward their children. Children are smaller but not less. If love is the medium of interpersonal relationships, love becomes the medium for parenting. The means and manner of parenting are primarily interpersonal influence instead of physical force, intimidation, authoritative control, manipulation, and the like. One of the main means of interpersonal influence is modeling what we want to teach, commend, command, and so on.

PERSEVERANCE AS INTERPERSONAL

Virgil Warren, PhD

PRAYER AS INTERPERSONAL

PREACHING AS INTERPERSONAL

Virgil Warren, PhD

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRENGTH FROM INTERPERSONALISM

REVELATION AS INTERPERSONAL

SALVATION AS INTERPERSONAL

SANCTIFICATION AS INTERPERSONAL

SELF-IMAGE AS INTERPERSONAL

Virgil Warren, PhD

            Christians sometimes object to good self-image and feeling good about ourselves as somehow bad. The problem comes from an overreaction. To get people to see their need for salvation, Christians sometimes overdo how evil unsaved people are. Furthermore, they seem to think that feeling good about themselves makes God’s salvation unnecessary or it makes them feel them can save themselves. Interpersonalism keeps the balance between responsibility and dependence. We are responsible for responding on our side of the relationship, but our responses on our side of the relationship do not establish the relationship. We depend on the other Person to establish it from the other side—to accept us—because he is the offended party.

SOME EFFECTS OF CENTRALIZING THE INTERPERSONAL

SOME INTERPERSONAL IMPLICATIONS

SPIRITUAL FRUIT AND INTERPERSONALISM

Virgil Warren, PhD

STEWARDSHIP AS INTERPERSONAL

STRENGTHENING THE WILL AND INTERPERSONALISM

SUFFERING AND INTERPERSONALISM

Virgil Warren, PhD

TEMPTATION AND INTERPERSONALISM

Virgil Warren, PhD

THE CHURCH AS INTERPERSONAL

THE PROBLEM-SOLVING POWER OF INTERPERSONALISM

THE RELATIONSHIP OF INTERPERSONALISM

THE RELATIONSHIP OF INTERPERSONALISM AND DOCTRINE

THE UNEVANGELIZED AND INTERPERSONALISM

Virgil Warren, PhD

THEOLOGY FROM BELOW

Virgil Warren, PhD

            Isaiah declares that a wayfaring fool need not err in the way of the Lord (35:8). We, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children (Matthew 7:11 = Luke 11:13). Jesus’ comment is a cue and clue that the way of the Lord is not that hard. At least the basics of revelation we ought to catch onto from personal experience as we “feel after God to find him” because “he is not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:27).

WEAKER CHRISTIANS AND INTERPERSONALISM

Virgil Warren, PhD

WORSHIP AS INTERPERSONAL