review » Love is the most excellent way

Review: Your Church Is Too Small by John Armstrong

Mar 132010

John’s book seeks to answer the question “How can we (Christians, churches) move closer to the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17?”

At first glance it seems like doctrinal differences between churches pose an insurmountable barrier to unity. However, John believes lack of love for Christians in other traditions is what actually stands in the way.

John’s beliefs are rooted in his own experience. As he has taken initiative to build relationships with Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christians he has realized his attitudes rather than his doctrine were what prevented him pursuing unity whole-heartedly.

John is advocating a unity-in-diversity in which churches who affirm the historic creeds and make Jesus central can join together in mission even though their beliefs and worship styles are not identical.

I liked John’s comments about the Bible, that everyone interprets it; and so it is wise to be humble rather than holding prideful certainty about one’s own beliefs being right and other Christians’ beliefs being wrong. This humility opens doors for shared mission between Christ-centered, historic-creed-affirming churches.

John points out, as churches grow closer to Christ they will grow closer to each other.

This sounds so simple, yet the implicit message “If you are not pursuing unity you are not as close to Christ as you could be” is radical and thought-provoking. It lays out a challenge to all Christians to examine their hearts and repent of attitudes and behavior that oppose unity.

I hope Christians will read John’s book and consider whether pursuing unity has the priority it ought to have in their lives. And will follow John’s example and suggestions for bringing Jesus’ prayer closer to fruition.

Note: although I’m no longer a churchgoer, I posted this review because John is a friend of mine and I believe what he says in this book will move the church in a positive direction.

Review: In The Land of Believers by Gina Welch

Writing 4 Responses »

Feb 262010

I’ve just finished reading In The Land of Believers: An Outsider’s Extraordinary Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church by Gina Welch. Gina, a secular Jew, goes undercover in Thomas Road Baptist Church (Jerry Falwell’s church) in order to learn what Evangelicals are really like. Gina went undercover because she felt she wouldn’t get to know Evangelicals unless they believed she was one of them.

I found the book very readable. Gina is a keen observer of details and an excellent writer. I enjoy stories and was glad Gina chose to share her experience that way. Her reflections woven into the chronological narrative helped me understand what was going on inside her without overly interrupting the flow.

A central tension of the book is created by Gina wondering if/when/how she should tell the Evangelicals she’s spending most time with that she’s not actually a believer. This as much as anything kept me reading: I wanted to know if she did eventually come clean and if so, how they reacted.

From the title it sounds like this is a book about what Gina learned about Evangelicals. It is; but equally, it is a book about how spending time with them changed her. And it’s not just her attitudes about Evangelicals which change. Gina adopts some of their ways and finds herself happier as a result.

I found it hard not to be critical of Gina for pretending to be an Evangelical. However, it was clear she was not pretending in order to take advantage of anyone. And when she realizes she’s developing friendships close enough that it’s inevitable her pretense is going to hurt some people, she is genuinely sorry.

If this book gives you a sense of déjà vu, you’ve probably read (or at least heard about) The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose. Kevin spent a semester undercover at Liberty University (Jerry Falwell’s university) for similar reasons to Gina. I can’t compare the two books very well since I’ve only read some reviews and one excerpt from Kevin’s. It does sound like there’s overlap in what Kevin and Gina experienced and learned. They both let go of Evangelical stereotypes and were open to their own lives being challenged and changed . Gina’s experience clearly affected her deeply – perhaps more deeply than Kevin’s, since hers lasted a couple of years rather than just a semester.

If you’re an outsider open to going beyond Evangelical stereotypes or an Evangelical interested in a respectful outsider’s experience, I think you’ll enjoy this book. It’s due out next week – March 2nd.