Week 11: Chapter 10 — The Alien Kingdom

1.Yancey calls the kingdom of God an "alien kingdom" — one that operates by rules completely opposite to the kingdoms of this world, where power means weakness, greatness means service, and winning sometimes looks like losing. How does the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) embody those alien values?

2.He expresses concern that when the church aligns too tightly with political power — whether on the left or the right — it risks trading its prophetic distinctiveness for cultural influence, and grace for coercion. Do you think that concern is warranted? Where have you seen it play out?

3.Yancey is not arguing for political quietism — he affirms the church's calling to pursue justice. But he distinguishes between the church "influencing culture" and the church "seeking power over culture." What is the difference, and why does it matter for how grace is experienced by those outside the church?