As we remove the value from the theology that drives Church practice, so also do we remove the reason for people to engage in Christian community through the Church. This work represents a practical portion of Matthew Scraper's doctoral dissertation, which explores the idea that perhaps the focus of Christian spiritual growth and Christian salvation are one and the same once salvation is engaged from a relational rather than a selfish/survivalist perspective. Such an engagement has profound implications for the American Church, which is seeking a way forward in the midst of unprecedented cultural shift. This work attempts to explore the theology of spiritual maturity, with hope that such a theology can prove to be substantive enough to become part of the dialogue that seeks to return a sense of real theological and practical value to the place of the American Church in the lives of Christian people.
