A Liberal Church Experience
592887
Easy reading. In a way I would not be comfortable being involved in such a church described in this book, but... each to their own.  The flow of the story was almost anticipated. Became a little boring after a while...
4138979
With some trepidation and the consent of my Diaconal board, I am about to do a sermon series on the 5 Points of Calvinism, something I never dared in my collective Protestant military chaplain days.  Since the doctrines of grace are an integral part of our theology, they should be preached.  But how does one relate "heavy" theology to the person in the pew?  How can I keep it from becoming an intellectual exercise?  Just as I was preparing and pondering, Fuller Seminary President Richard J. Mouw's book hit the market, with what has to be the religious book "title of the year".  Mouw takes a scene from a movie in which a Reformed layman explains TULIP to a non-religious young woman.  He summarized the points, but they failed to hit the mark.  She left bewildered by what seemed an imponderable system.  Mouw wants to help Calvinism into the 21st Century by making it relevant to life, and by examining how we may best convey its teachings.  He wants considers how to reach that woman in the airport.  He covers the 5 points, deals briefly with the problem of pain, confesses his own struggles, and calls for pluralistic dialogue with charity and tolerance.  Calvinism is an intellectually stimulating approach, so it's important that we stress the closeness of our walk with Christ along with the rightness of our doctrine.  I recommend this to fellow Calvinists who want a fresh look at our beloved system of thought.
1877398
A great antidote to the poison of conservative religion.  Chuck's book reminds us of the radical liberal gospel preached by Jesus - and calls us to follow his example.
2304734
Mark Noll wrote this book with the goal of describing how Christian theology gradually became more comfortable using the catchwords and ideas of the American political scene (liberty, freedom, virtue, rights, common sense, reason). Noll shows that even though Calvinist and Arminian and Wesleyan thought may not have radically changed because of American republicanism, the way they were packaged and presented were.

In this book, we begin with the traditional Reformed ideas of Jonathan Edwards. We see how Calvinists in America were quick to side with the colonies in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. We see how even George Whitefield was somewhat sympathetic toward the colonial cause, though he tended to shy away from preaching politics.

We read of John Wesley's opposition to the American form of government, as he reveals that he has not met one republican who was a good Christian.

We see how Thomas Paine's writings were very influential in promoting reason and common sense, and how this influenced preachers of the faith, such as Timothy Dwight, the new President of Yale, who rumor has it spend six months in 1795 challenging his students to a debate on whether or not the Bible was the Word of God.

We see how Charles Finney incorporated populist American jargon into his revival sermons. We also see his ardent opposition to the American slavery system.

Speaking of slavery, the last 100 pages of the book deals with how people of differings theological persuasions dealt with this divisive issue. Noll seems sorry to report that the pro slavery people did a better job of supporting their view from scripture than the abolitionists did.

Noll also seems ready to blame the Reformed Literal Method of interpreting scripture for influencing people to support the institution of slavery.

There is also an interesting discussion about the theological reflections of Abraham Lincoln. Noll notes that the 16th President of the United States was no evangelical and that he wasn't an active member of any organized church.

In fact, Noll contends that none of the notable founding fathers of the United States were evangelicals.

I recommend this book to history students and those who are interested in the history of Christianity in America. This book is a nice complement to Noll's earlier "History of Christianity in the US and Canada."

But the reason why I give this book 4 stars instead of five is that most of the time, it makes for tedious reading. The sections on the development of Holiness theology after Asbury was engaging, and the section about slavery held my attention as well.

But the bulk of the book is tough, academic reading. You may want to read instead Noll's more accessible book "The Rise of Evangelicalism."

Rev. Marc Axelrod
3083252
My personal experience has relevance to my review of Pastor Pearle's book, so I will begin with some preliminaries. I wandered in search of Christ for many years because of the disintegration of the Episcopal Church in which I was raised. The leadership of the Episcopal Church decided that she had to change if she was going to remain relevant in a changing world. In the 1970s, the Episcopal Church (USA) determined that it had to decouple from the fundamental truths specified in the Bible because, well, it was just too exclusive and intolerant.

I left home for a military career at about the same time that the Episcopal Church began its sojourn to self destruction. Over the years, I would seek out the Lord's Word at the local churches where I was stationed; I was typically very disappointed. So I started to attend Baptist churches, and was well rewarded with that for which I was thirsting--preachers who were willing to preach the Word as specified in the Bible. It was much the same when I finished my career and moved back to Texas. As it turned out, I found myself at Birchman Baptist Church where Brother Bob Pearle is the pastor.

It did not take me long to realize that Pastor Pearle was a true believer, and, therefore, a man of true, unwavering conviction that Christ is Lord, and that through Him is the only way to salvation. I have heard his sermons for years, and they are always doctrinally accurate. He has a way with words that connects with people. He comes across as a strong, Christian man who knows his responsibility to Christ as a church pastor and all that that entails. He is the epitome of what a Christian warrior looks like and acts like--he leads by example.

Now, after all of those preliminary comments, in his book, The Vanishing Church, Pastor Pearle, tackles some of the key issues that are facing the church, including, believer's baptism, what defines a biblical church, the duties and responsibilities of the local church, what is expected of the church membership, why a person should become a member of a local church, the definition of marriage, the natural yearning of people to hear the unabridged word of Christ, the inevitable persecution of those who adhere to the teachings of Christ, the great commission, the danger of preaching that which is not doctrinally sound, the need for people to test teachings against the scriptures, that there is right and wrong in the Bible, social justice, multi-culturalism, the dangers of certain "new" interpretations of the Bible and how some churches are selling out (my words, not his) in order to compete for membership; a sort of church-light because certain teachings of the Bible are so harsh, and so much more.

As a layman, this book was very uplifting for me because in explaining certain aspects of church doctrine, it does not deviate from the truths that are in the Bible; Pearle cites the Bible extensively and relies on the original Greek translation in many cases. It is refreshing for me to be able to read Pearle's words and find that there are no contradictions of the Word, the ease of understanding his arguments, and that he doesn't embed any hidden agendas in what he writes.

Pastor Bob wrote, "Churches would be better served by pastors who believe and preach, without apology, the whole counsel of God." I translate his words to mean that we require fewer milquetoast pastors and more men of conviction in our church pulpits that are willing to preach the Word, and not worry about whom they might offend. After all, the Word of God is immutable and timeless. In case you have not figured it out, I recommend this book very strongly--it is a must read.
2884338
If you're looking for a book that spells out all the things truly wrong with church culture, Evangelical Christianity and the absolutely awful hypocrisy practiced by many in the church then this is the book for you. It follows a popular pastor and his family along with a handful of others involved in his church in a fictional Florida town. There's a lot of text book perfect examples on the subject of spiritual abuse and how it happens in large Evangelical churches and in the families connected with those organizations. The author also dances around and hints at Michael Pearl and his child abuse manual - 'To Train Up A Child' without actually naming him.

The book is also a good introduction for those that are unfamiliar with the hypocrisy in the modern church that drives others away. It's also a good reminder of what can be lurking at a church for those of us who have escaped from churches like the one in this book, but it may be too triggering for most. There are also examples of how damaging Michael Pearl's child discipline can be when used on kids just being kids.

The main character is a pastor named John, the son of missionaries who's living a double life, treats his family like crap when no one from the church is around. There is just one problem with Pastor John and it also holds true of the other characters, he's written as a one dimensional person without any redeeming characteristics. He focuses almost exclusively on his penis and how to do things to make Mr. Happy happy. The way the pastor is written does not really translate well to what men are like, bad inner dialogue and written as if this man was only a sex crazed beast instead of a human being with flaws, good points and humanity.

People aren't all bad or all good, so I feel cheated in the fact that the author chose not to fully flesh out and develop the characters in the book. There wasn't much in the way of redeeming or likable characters either, even among the ones clearly written to be the 'good guys.'

The other thing about the book that I did not like was the fact that the author took the unusual step of having most of the book written as email exchanges, text messages, instant messenger messages, Facebook statuses and online blog postings with very little traditional story telling. It made the book very hard to read, a bold choice that makes the book suffer and puts undo strain on the reader jumping around with the formats. The parts with the text messages and instant messages was the worst bit.

On the plus side there are a couple of twists I did not anticipate, which I appreciated. The ending of the book is one of those wild twists of plot that leaves the door wide open for a second book. But if the author writes that second book I would hope that she would; develop the characters in a more realistic fashion, use a traditional story telling method even if it's in a first voice mode and most importantly, hire a professional editor to vet her project so there would be less misused words and misspelled words. Example: the word 'warf' was used instead of 'wharf' more than once. The errors and format make this a hard read. Plus all of Pastor John's musing over oral sex was hard to take.

This is one of those self published books that could have been quite good if it had been held back for rewrites and professionally edited.
1065541
This wonderful little book took me completely by surprise. I thought that this might be yet another trip through the world of Universalism. The "I'm okay-You're okay...We are all gods" type of nonsense.

Palmer, a former Pastor, convincingly makes the point that many people are able to have a loving relationship with God outside the parameters of institutionalized religion. I thought to myself, 'Here we go again. Somebody else seeking complete freedom from rules and restrictions who is going to tell me that we are all already leading moral lives'. That is not what Palmer puts forth here.

He examines the lives of everyday people who he meets. A waitress, a salesman, a recording artist and more. Each of these people have fallen away from the church, yet still maintain a love for God and for the Bible. While it is very common for people to leave church and go their own way, this is not what these people are about. They are still trying to do things Gods way--with the one exception of studying the Bible solely on their own. These people are charitable and caring, selfless and concerned for the well-being of others. I must again stress the fact that they are all committed believers who love the Bible and study it! They aren't just wayward souls who can't decide what they believe and end up paying lip service to a God out of fear of eternal condemnation. They are serious Christians.

Palmers one mistake was briefly bringing politics into the picture. While I agree with him that not all Christians vote Republican and not all Christians vote Democrat, Palmer takes it a step further and intimates that there isn't any difference between the two parties. I beg to differ. While I take issue with a some of the Republican agenda, the fact that parts of the platform of the Democrat Party are rabidly anti-Christian does not escape me. Maybe Palmer missed the Democratic National Convention last year, which would have been more accurately entitled, "Abortions-R-Us". Absolutely disgraceful!  Jesus would have crawled on his stomach through broken glass to spare even one innocent life.

All in all, a book worth reading. It will come at you from ways that you won't be expecting and will keep you on your intellectual toes.
3789730
John Gresham Machen was Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary in the early twentieth century.  He, along with some other professors, resigned their posts after Princeton Seminary was reorganized in such a way that allowed theological liberalism to be taught.  He felt that liberalism was a distinctly different religion than Christianity, and this book is an exposition of his views on this matter.  He went on to found Westminster Theological Seminary in order to continue the propagation of the Reformed Faith as outlined in the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is the doctrinal standard that the original Princeton Theological Seminary was founded upon.

Machen's prose is clear and easy to grasp.  There are no big words that are designed to confuse the meaning of things.  In fact, he wanted this book to set forth the issues as plainly as possible.  He had too much integrity to blur the distinctions, which is a large part of why he was booted out of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.  The book is brimming with integrity.

His main point is that liberalism is an entirely different religion, in terms of what it teaches.  He felt that it was fundamentally dishonest for clergy to say that they ascribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith, when in their hearts they disavowed the central doctrines of that document.  He shows that liberalism is based on naturalism, and that Christianity is based on supernaturalism.

He makes many good arguments, but two really stand out for this reviewer.  First, liberalism denies the substitutionary atonement of Christ for his elect.  It seems to me that to deny this doctrine is to deny the heart of the Christian theological system.  Machen felt passionately about this issue.  The second point he makes, that really makes sense to this reviewer, is the fact that liberalism came after Christianity.  Therefore, it is incumbent upon those who hold to liberalism to leave the denomination and form a different church.  Past generations had left money for the propagation of the faith grounded in the Westminster Confession of Faith.  If there are clergy who don't believe that system of faith, then they should, as a matter of honesty and truth, admit that, and, leave to form another religious institution founded upon liberalism.  Of course, history shows that the liberals won, and the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.  has strayed from anything resembling a Christian church.  That denomination seems to be little more than a theologically confused, humanistic social club.  In point of fact, many churches that hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith left the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. at great cost.

In summary, Professor Machen makes sound argument after sound argument for his position.  His arguments are valid.  Whether or not the God he believes in is real or not, is another matter entirely.  While I no longer believe in the existence of the supernatural, I admire his integrity.
4261631
This was another one of those books that I really couldn't put down.  I'm about to enter the seminary and a pastor loaned this book to me because it accurately reflected the life of a minister--especially a minister in a small town.  It was fascinating to say the least.  One aspect of this book which I found particularly interesing was the bredth of the problems that Rev. Lischer had to deal with: a teenager who is pregnant and fears telling her father because he'll beat her; a seventeen-year-old girl who's having an affair with a thirty-five-year-old man and doesn't understand why people are against it; advice to the man who is considering quitting his job at a factory to concentrate on farming full time; should contemporary songs be introduced to an extremely traditional congregation?; a young, frightened woman who is about to undergo emergency surgeory and her husband.  I found myself asking myself what I would say in these situations as I may very well be facing them some day soon.
One piece of advice that Lischer points out once, but occurs more that he realizes is that reflecting the love and compassion that God has for you in your dealing with others tends to work.  When Lischer treated people with respect and love, as God would have us treat others, things turned out pretty good for him; when he attempted to impose his own personal political feelings, things tended not to work out as well.  Lischer does attempt to impose his own views quite often in the book--from the time he tried to have the American flag removed from the sanctuary of the church to his own biases concerning against "restrictive" tradition in the modern Lutheran church.
In sum, this has been an incredibly helpful book for me as I went about making my decision to enter the ministry.  Although this book is well worth the read, I did have problems as an ordained minister tended to write against traditional religion and I was disappointed to find that Lischer wrote little about the domestic ups and downs of pastoral work (he briefly mentions a fight he and his wife had concerning the amount of time spent working versus the amount of time spend with his family).  Recommended.
737629
These parents had a heartfelt need to reseach the church's stance on this very delicate subject and they handled the subject very unemotionally. They present their view clearly and without bias towards the church. It is about time that the church reconsiders it's views relating to homosexualty: generally the church seems to accept divorce and remarriage without any issue so it is interesting to see how far their particular church affliation has progressed.
2957975
Christ called a human rights violator and a weak coward to begin His Church. Those men were Peter and Paul! He didn't ask them to effect civil change through political activism. Instead He asked them to show the world His grace and mercy. Yancey gives a glimpse into the history of the awkward blending of church and politics through the ages. In the U.S, he says, the majority of non-Christians polled perceive the Church as legalistic and judgmental.  Instead, Christ meant the hallmark of His Church to be love. In this way alone, were they to convey the great love God has for all.
1380910
I have mixed feelings about this book because I diverge from the author on many points, although I am giving it four stars since I generally enjoyed the read despite my disagreements with the author.

The author opens with a great story about a missionary in Africa and her answer to prayer, asking the reader to choose between thinking of the happy ending to the story as either an answer to prayer by God, an interesting coincidence, or a `nice narrative,' which roughly corresponds to the Christian, naturalist and postmodernist responses.  This is an interesting thought experiment and I found that for myself at least that I wanted to affirm the first response but discovered myself suspecting the second.  I suppose this is where Moreland would say that I've fallen into the trap of the naturalist worldview but I'd just think that I'm being properly open-minded to all the possibilities.  This is what underlies my problems with Moreland's analysis of our culture and what he assumes about the nature of Christianity.

Moreland takes the problem with our culture to be a primarily ideological one.  That is, there are these other worldviews threatening or already dominating the Western ideological landscape and it is up to us Christians to make sure that it is our worldview that prevails in this struggle.  This analysis is flawed because 1) It assumes that the problem is ideologically based and that 2) Christianity is an ideology.  It is more biblical and in line with the Christian tradition to assert that the problems in our culture just as the problems with us as individuals are moral and spiritual, not having primarily to do with our beliefs.  `Saving knowledge' is Gnostic, not Christian.  Secondly, although Protestant Christianity assumes this, Christianity is not an ideology.  It is best understood as part and parcel of the Incarnation of God in Jesus Christ through the Church which is his Body.  Now, I do not pretend that this is easily explicable or anything less than a mystical belief but I do think it is truer than thinking that Christianity springs forth out of the propositional fount of the Scriptures and can be reconstituted in anyone's head through reading the Bible.  Christianity is a way of life, indeed it was called  "the Way" and is more of this combined with a mystical participation in Christ's body than it is a "worldview."

The second half of the book was much more interesting and edifying because Moreland moves from a common evangelical cultural analysis which I've a lot of before to his own prescriptions about how the Christian community in general should move forward.  He mentions spiritual disciplines in his chapter on `Renovation of the Soul' which if practically implemented by Christians at large could prove very beneficial to bettering their relationship to God.  His last chapter, `Restoration of the Kingdom's Miraculous Power' is the most fascinating part of the book.  Moreland argues convincingly that the most faithful Christian position on miracles is that they have not ended with the closing of the apostolic age but continue down to our own day.

Although I have some major disagreements with Moreland, I find him intellectually honest and thought provoking.
2740529
A fun relaxing book. I enjoyed the peek into the ministries of a large church. I also found it interesting to discover that no matter the size the church politics can be the same...it should not be about power but about serving our Lord.
3894109
After returning to the Lord after a 23-year absence I was very surprised to see how much the church in America has changed. Taking the place of a dwindling number of traditional churches are now seeker/purpose-driven churches and emergent churches. What's all this about?

In this book, evangelical theologian and minister, David Wells, takes aim at the seeker and emergent models. Seeker churches use the latest marketing tools and technology to draw visitors. Content and format are overtly culture-friendly while preaching and doctrine are decidedly on the light side. Emergent churches use the Bible as a starting point to a self-discovery "narrative" which suggests truth/s rather than declares it. Emergents are so culture-friendly they've adopted much of the relativism that surrounds us in this post-modern era. In both types the vital distinctives of evangelical Protestantism - the Five Solas - are being compromised or dismissed altogether.

Wells is extremely critical of both movements and supports a return to the traditional church/worship model. I cautiously recommend this book to those interested in learning more about the seeker and emergent models and how they compare to the traditional church but be forewarned that the theology gets VERY heavy. It's definitely not a breezy read for the beach.

My opinion? I'll take some traditional hymn singing and the pastor preaching from the pulpit in a suit every Sunday but it looks like those days are fading fast. However, I'm grateful just to have a church to go to where the Bible is preached without compromise. They seem to be getting harder to find. But it is a little disconcerting to see how pastors' obligatory Sunday outfit de rigueur is now jeans, sneakers, and a flannel shirt.
4252215
This book engages the worship wars within the conservative and reformed church.  It was published in 2003, so we've had some time to see the fruits of like minded men.  (It is now Jan. 2017.)  In the Introduction, Meyers notes, 'Everything you read in this book I have received from someone else.' Meyers grew up Lutheran.  He praises Lutheran worship.  He gives credit to his Lutheran brothers in Christ.  Among others influences, he notes Leithart, Jordan, and Horne, controversial names for those in the small world of Reformed Presbyterianism, like myself.  So in the footnotes you will find names such as Ralph Smith, Norman Shepherd, Dumbrell, and Jordan, alongside of the names Kline, O.P. Robertson, and John Murray.  He does raise some good questions, and makes some fine points at times, I just can't, however, buy in to his argument at this point.  If you want to worship like Lutherans, then go be a Lutheran.  The pinnacle of worship, at least for Meyers, is not the preaching of the word, but 'the feast,' or the Lord's supper.  I don't mean disrespect to my brothers in Christ, but this book seems to be a cue to the Federal Vision understanding and order of worship. Another and probably more sound view of 'Covenant Renewal Worship' can be found in the writings of Michael S. Horton.
2995656
Jack Rogers, Professor Emeritus at San Francisco Theological Seminary and a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has written this book in order to, as the subtitle says "Explode the Myths and Heal the Church." This is a laudable goal. But how well does this book accomplish that goal?

In my opinion:  not well. Rogers draws analogies between the church (and I need to clarify that when Rogers discusses the church, he means the Presbyterian Church (USA), a fast declining mainline denomination) changing its mind on issues of race, gender and marriage with changing its mind on homosexuality. In other words, while the church previously endorsed racial discrimination, even slavery; opposed women in leadership; and prohibited divorce; it holds to a different view now, and should follow the same trajectory with homosexuality. What is interesting to me is that in making this argument, Rogers shows that Scripture seems to matter less for each change. What I mean is that he marshalls impressive Scriptural evidence against racism. And the church, not just the Presbyterian Church (USA), agrees as a whole that racism is a bad thing and that people should be treated equally regardless of race. I know of no recognized denomination that affirms racism today ... from the liberal UCC to the conservative Southern Baptists and Assemblies of God. On the question of women in leadership, Rogers brings some Scriptural support to his perspective, but not as much, and that is reflected in the continuing refusal of most churches to ordain women as pastors. The Scriptural support for that practice is not as strong. In that regard, it is very unfortunate that the Presbyterian Church (USA) had made recognition of women's ordination one of the very few non-negotiables it insists upon ... a decision Rogers seems to agree with (even though in other contexts he says "Synods and Councils may err," a good Reformed principle that apparently does not apply when egalitarian feminism is affirmed by Synods and Councils).

In his treatment of divorce and leadership, Rogers really seems to bring no Scriptural support to the denominational change of mind. At least, I discerned little, if any. And again, most churches do not accept divorce as a valid lifestyle option for their leaders. In this regard, if affirming homosexuality really does follow affirming divorce, the Scripturally faithful decision would be to revisit our permissiveness regarding divorce. Two wrongs do not make a right. But again, when a progressive or modern opinion prevails in our Synods and Councils, the matter is not likely to be revisited. So much for our idea of "Reformed and Reforming according to the Word of God."

Rogers' treatment of Scripture and interactions with opposing views also does not strike me as persuasive. I believe that traditionalist scholar Robert Gagnon engages much more thoroughly with the entirety of Scripture than does Rogers. What was most disappointing to me in Rogers' book is that while he does mention Gagnon, he does not engage Gagnon honestly (or else he does not understand what Gagnon is saying). If you have Roger's book, I would suggest comparing his comments on Gagnon with what Gagnon actually wrote in his own work "The Bible and Homosexual Practice." And consider who is endorsing these books in the included editorial comments ... Rogers' work is endorsed primarily by advocates of homosexual affirmation. Gagnon's work is endorsed almost entirely by scholars. If you are looking for a work of advocacy, Rogers may meet your needs. But if you are looking for solid scholarship, you will need to continue your search.

Ultimately, if the Presbyterian Church (USA) accepts the conclusions and recommendations of Rogers' book, the denomination will not be "healed" but rather isolated in a cul-de-sac cut off from the power of God's Word and communion with the Body of Christ in the world.
2333440
Well, I hesitate to recommend this book, not because I didn't like it.  But, I have noticed a unique response by those around me. Sometimes this book perpetuates a feeling of apathy and/or discontent with their churches and sometimes with God.  Now that feeling is okay, and can lead to amazing things - however - the risk is great. This books presents some thought provoking questions and perspectives - especially if you have grown up in a mainline denomination or Christian tradition.

Are you curious now?

McClaren writes, in almost a prophetic and very honest way, a story of a man who struggles with his views of church and God rooted in common conservative Christian theology and doctrine.  The main character befriends a man that many Christians would label "liberal".  The book is the fictional account of their conversations, critiques, questions, and suggestions for the typical traditional church/Christian.  These conversations and questions are based on the authors real life experiences.  There is no taboo topic, much is questioned, and there are very few answers.

This book was amazing for me.  But, proceed with caution.  Many have taken offense to the text and believe McClaren to be attempting to rewrite theology/doctrine.  A good reading of the introduction will put this fictional journey/dialogue into perspective.  It is a conversation piece, a dialogue crafted to create real dialogue in our church/Christian circles about what we are doing and why we do it.  I believe there are many important questions here, and some interesting perspectives that the western Church would do well to take time listen and consider.

If this sounds like you, may your conversations be rich and full of questions - because I think God likes them.