Authenticity: A Biblical Theology of Discernment - Fr. Thomas Dubay

By Father Thomas Dubay, SM

Most people assume that the way to mend divisions and factions in our world - marriages, parishes, dioceses, religious orders - is to engage in civil discussions, attend local, regional or national meetings, draw up committee reports and recommendations. To a point this may help, but sad experience makes clear that these approaches alone never heal the polarization problems which plague our civil and ecclesial life.

In Authenticity, we learn how to discern whether we are being led by the Holy Spirit or by our own unredeemed inclinations and desires, whether it is the spirit of God or the prince of darkness that is operating in our disagreements and programs. We find in these themes clear responses to key questions:

• Why are there divisions and factions in the Church and how are they to be healed?
• What are the sure signs that some people have truth, while others are in error?
• What are the conditions for finding and maintaining a shared vision in marriage, parishes, dioceses, religious orders, the universal Church?