"Transforming community emerges as we embrace a shared commitment to the attitudes, practices and behaviors that open us to Christ in our midst. Reflecting on the story of the two disciples who meet Christ on the Emmaus Road, Ruth Haley Barton offers this interactive guide for small groups of spiritual companions who are ready to encounter Christ in transforming ways on the road of real life."--Light Magazine Canada, January 2015
"Life Together in Christ is fresh, useful, biblically smart, and rooted in sound theology. . . . As a pastor thinking about how to use Life Together in Christ, I envision employing it as the basis for a sermon series on the Road to Emmaus, linked with small groups of the same theme, perhaps during the Easter season. I could also see using some of the chapters on their own for small group use. Whichever way I end up using it, I am certain that I will."--Sarah Scherschligt, Presbyterian Outlook, February 2, 2015
"Jesus' call for us to be transformed is clear, but how does that happen? Barton emphasizes that we are transformed in community, providing an alternative to the individualism of our age. Hospitality, listening to one another and to Christ in our midst--these are the practices by which we submit to the transforming power of Christ."--Relevant Magazine, January-February 2015
"Life Together in Christ is a delightful book to read--spiritually encouraging and uplifting, and a viable and strong source of guidance for creating community dedicated to spiritual growth, maturity and the kinds of loving, transformational spiritual power that can, then, change the world. It belongs on the bookshelf of every ministry professional and in every church library. For individuals feeling led to create a growing, thriving church community, there could be no better resource. Life Together in Christ is itself a transformational experience rooted in Gospel story and values and, well utilized, has great potential to bring new life to church, family and community life."--Michelle Wilbert, Englewood Review, Advent 2014
"Ruth Haley Barton is a courageous leader whose writing points towards the future of Christian spiritual formation. In Life Together in Christ, Barton taps into our desperate longing for community in an age of isolation, loneliness and individualism. She understands that whole life formation happens best in solidarity with one another. Rather than fixating on styles and structures for belonging (which happens so often), Barton focuses on the substance of what a transforming community can be--exploring the practices and relational disciplines that might help us experience life together in the kingdom of love. This immensely readable book is rich in scriptural wisdom and practicality."--Mark Scandrette, author of Free and Practicing the Way of Jesus
"Ruth Haley Barton continues to do what she does best: invite us into a deeper life with Christ and offer rhythms of spiritual formation. She reminds us that nobody drifts into significant spiritual maturity--it must be pursued. Biblical community is not some worn-out buzzword; it is a God-given tool to be received and extended in our pursuit of Christ together. Full of purposeful intention, but free of easy equations, Life Together in Christ offers a clear challenge: if sustaining spiritual transformation is to occur we need rhythms of formation practiced in the midst of community. This book is a helpful tool for those serious about journeying on the road with others in the direction of Jesus together."--J.R. Briggs, author of Fail: Finding Hope and Grace in the Midst of Ministry Failure