A few years ago, Frank Viola wrote a book entitled Pagan Christianity. It was a very well researched book, but it was written as propaganda material for house churches. I liked it, but I always hesitated to recommend it due to its propaganda elements.
Viola has since joined forces with George Barna, and jointly they've rewritten the book. Released last month, I finally got a copy last Thursday. I'm about half way through reading it. It is a much stronger book. The propaganda elements are gone; instead of Viola making a case for house churches at the end of each chapter, Barna and Viola close each chapter with anticipated questions and answers about elements of the chapter. What the book does is take a number of standard church practices and show the history of how they came to be, and why you should question and challenge their practice. Then they leave you alone to decide. They don't make both sides of the argument, just show how the practice was introduced from culture, how it has evolved, and then say why they believe the practice is either wrong biblically, detrimental to discipleship and church life as God intended, or both.
Among the topics covered are the practice of churches owning buildings, building design, the spectator nature of the modern Western church, the rise of clergy, the role of pastor, music, the sermon, "dressing up" and other "costumes", etc.
If you want to "take the red pill", or you want someone you know to, Pagan Christianity may just be the pill for many people. Ironically, the cover is red.
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More Than Meets The Eye
6 years ago
5 comments:
Thanks for reminding me Mark, I have meant to order that book when it came out. I look forward to reading it.
Keep up the good work.
FYI: The book has a dedicated website (www.paganchristianity.org). I guess the Redemptive Communities blog spot is moving up in the world -- the list of reviews/endorsements of the book on their website links to the blog!
BTW, Pagan Christianity has nearly sold out on Amazon (they expect a new shipment on Feb 28th according to their website)
Hi -
Overall, interesting book, but Viola embraces his post modern roots a little too much in the book and there are three main issues I have with it:
- If his goal for the book was to not advocate house churches, he does so quite poorly. The desire and need for house churches is littered throughout the book. Viola himself will argue that he doesn't mean it as a argument for a house church because he doesn't say those exact words, but it's just semantics; the argument is there.
- In arguing for a house church and dissing pragmatism repeatedly throughout the book, overall the book is a little too weak for me in terms of argument. He neglects the big question of 'Why' for many of these practices and, in turn, makes weaker arguments because of it.
- His overall view of God seems a bit narrow as a result of his argument. Yes, we're imperfect humans, but does God care that his church is grown this way? What does a soverign God who cares about his good news have to do with the use of a church building? Does it matter to him? I would think it does and I would think that he cares at some level.
At the end of the day, his need to swing the pendulum over to the house church is ernest; however, his argument is not complete enough. Yes we need authenticity, yes we need worship, yes we need active comitted members but WHY are we in the boat we're in? Do these structures serve a function in the modern church or are they there just angering God?
Anyway, just some thoughts.
Thanks for the comments Pete. I may disagree with some of them, but I think they are a very valid view.
You might appreciate Alan Hirsch's book, The Forgotten Ways. Alan is also definitely post-modern, but addresses some of the same issues of buildings, roles of pastors, etc from a more pragmatic view -- he doesn't argue against them as wrong and unbiblical (ok, maybe he does argue at one point about the role of pastor being unbiblical as it exists predominantly today), but rather ineffective in reaching an increasing chaotic society.
For example, at one point Hirsch shows through examples and statistics that the more a church implements authoritative control, the more it makes its members dependent on the leadership. The more a church leadership instead creates environments for innovation and mission rather than imposing control, the more the mission gets accomplished and the more disciples lean on the Holy Spirit. (this is a part of his counter to the traditional "pastor" office).
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