Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84Plough Quarterly • Summer   making so little, and they value their lives based on what they earn. Money is a power. The more of it we have, the more subject we make ourselves to it. That’s a danger every Christian has to reckon with–the power of mammon. It’s definitely not a danger that members of intentional com- munity are immune to. That said, what are the gifts that Christian intentional communities can make to the wider church? And what are the dangers to avoid? I think the danger for you in the Bruderhof is that you’re too impressive: people say, “Well, they can live that way but not me. I can’t see how we could ever live that way!” So you risk being an example that is praised but dismissed. On the other hand, you do have a contribu- tion to make to more conventional forms of Christianity. The reform of the church across the centuries has always come from monastics, and you’re part of that movement. You’re married monastics. I think we will just have to wait and see how God’s going to use you to help those of us who live more conventionally. We need to better understand how the kinds of commitments you represent are necessary for the whole church. Before you let anyone join your church, you ought to have them disclose how much they make. One of those commitments is to live in such a way that the church becomes, in your words, “a visible and bodily reality.” Of course, that reality isn’t confined to communities like ours. Where else do you see it today? I think it’s more of a reality than we’re often able to see. People always ask me, “Where’s your church?” I’m an Episcopa- lian–I mean, you don’t become more compromised than that! But at the church I attend–the Church of the Holy Family in Durham, North Carolina–we see people who appear quite ordinary, and yet show an extraordinary thoughtfulness. Right now, for instance, one member is mobilizing a number of us to support one of our former members who is dying in Florida. I believe that that is God at work; that’s God showing up even in an Episcopalian church. I think God shows up many places, even among Southern Baptists! This interview from March 4, 2016 has been edited for clarity and concision.