Review of Terri Hord Owens, Staying at the Table: Being the Church We Say We Are

Authors

Sandhya Jha, University of PennsylvaniaFollow

Document Type

Book Review

Abstract

In this review, Sandhya Rani Jha situates Staying at the Table within ongoing conversations about congregational renewal while highlighting Terri Hord Owens’s decisive reframing of ecclesial “thriving” as faithfulness to God’s limitless, inclusive love rather than institutional preservation. Jha underscores Owens’s theological grounding, particularly her insistence that justice, biblical interpretation, and communal conflict must all be understood through the lens of God’s expansive grace. Writing from an explicitly Disciples of Christ context yet accessible to a wider ecumenical audience, the book offers concrete practices rooted in scripture, spiritual discipline, and storytelling. The review commends Staying at the Table as a timely and constructive resource for communities seeking to embody the church they claim to be.

Author Bio

Sandhya Jha is an anti-oppression consultant currently working on their PhD at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice, with a focus on comparing contemporary progressive and conservative social movements.

Recommended Citation

Jha, Sandhya (2025) "Review of Terri Hord Owens, Staying at the Table: Being the Church We Say We Are," Journal of Discipliana: Vol. 78, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.discipleshistory.org/journalofdiscipliana/vol78/iss1/5