Abba's Child by Brennan Manning
Week 2: Chapter 2 — The Beloved
Read Chapter 2 of Abba's Child. Key Scripture: Mark 1:9–11; John 15:9; 1 John 3:1–2.
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This chapter centers on one of the most important words in the spiritual life: *beloved* — and Manning wants to know if you actually believe it applies to you.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Manning draws heavily on Henri Nouwen's language of belovedness — the idea that our deepest identity is not "I am what I do," "I am what others say about me," or "I am what I have," but "I am the beloved of God." Which of Nouwen's three false identities do you find most personally seductive, and why?
2.At Jesus's baptism (Mark 1:11), before He had performed a single miracle or preached a single sermon, the Father declares, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Why is the sequence here so significant for Manning's argument about identity and performance?
3.Manning distinguishes between *knowing about* belovedness as a theological concept and *living from* belovedness as a daily reality. What does he suggest is required to move from the head to the heart on this truth?
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