So call me a pagan... over and out.

Okay- I was an hour and a half into trying to finish my review of Pagan Christianity, but I'm bailing out now.

I'm sorry- the Adventure in Missing the Point that this book represents is simply too ridiculous to keep reading, much less put that much effort into writing about.

What I hate most about this book is that I have a deep love for the church and a serious desire to see it recover more organic, less-institutional forms of community life. I also have a desire to see it exercise biblical forms of church life, including the development of elders and other leaders and honestly, I think that Viola is so far afield in these areas and actually works against much of it...

His view of the pastorate, of elders, of what organic church could and should be is so narrow, and so ungenerous to any other way of seeing it, while at the same time so over-the-top self-important ("READING THIS BOOK TAKES COURAGE") that it makes me want to slam my computer on the floor, and I've already done that once in the last few weeks, so...

I'm out.

I leave this book with the knowledge that from here on out, when I begin speaking about "organic" church, I'm probably going to have to explain not just what I mean (which I'm used to) but what I don't mean. And that's what really gets me most about this...

Too many good concepts absolutely ruined by this book.

For those hungry for more, click here, here, and here.

And if you are as tired of thinking/reading about this book as I am, click here for something infinitely more spiritually and intellectually valuable.

Comments

[josh]

nice strong bad reference. i came to that same conclusion to after the little spill at the conference. he may have some decent things to say. i may even agree with most of the premise. you just can't ever access it because it's so damn in approachable. to be fair, i haven't read the book. but after hearing him speak, i don't think i'll ever read the book. i'm sure he's a nice guy. and a decent human. just way to over zealous and i'm way too lazy to sift through everything else.

[josh]

i should also say in a strong sad voice, that perhaps the reason it's such a turn off is because i see way to much of that blinding, absolutism passion in me. and don't like myself when i go to the same extremes.

[Paul Merrill]

Wow.

Makes me realize how easy I have it.

Sounds like you have been able to overcome. Some.

[BLM]

I almost wrote a very similar post and then just stopped because, like you, I can't muster it. I probably don't share all of your concerns (and I may have some that you don't) but the self-importance you mentioned is especially grinding and unfortunate.

I'm more than willing to say that the Jesus prospect is a radical one precisely because it does away with religion as such and its accouterments. I'd love a book that looked at that in a balanced way with decent prose. This isn't that book.

[christophilus]

Peh heh heh. Strongbad is my favorite theologian.