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Available
Call number
Description
For those who ever wondered why Christians do what they do for church every Sunday morning. Why do they 'dress up' for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why are there pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling and unsettling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Co-authors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices. Many Christians take for granted that their churches practices are rooted in Scripture. Yet those practices look very different from those of the first-century church. The New Testament is not silent on how the early church freely expressed the reality of Christ's indwelling in ways that rocked the first-century world. Times have changed. One of the most troubling outcomes has been the effect on average believers: turning them from living expressions of Christs glory and power to passive observers. Those who want to see that trend reversed should turn to Pagan Christianity, a book that examines and challenges every aspect of contemporary church experience.… (more)
Publication
Tyndale House Publishers (2008), Edition: Revised and Updated, 336 pages
Pages
336
Similar in this library
ISBN
9781414314853
UPC
031809114858
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
336 p.; 7.75 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member bfrost
A book I couldnt put down when I started reading it!
"When Christianity was born, it was the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, no sacred persons and no sacred places"
Easy to read, Frank Violas analysis of the historical context in which many christian traditions became part of
Some of the traditions he covers do not surpirse me. Church buildings for example, did not come into existance till Constantine legalised christianity in AD321, but others do. The Liturgy, sermons, and music are traditons that relate to non-christian cultures that christianity co-existed with.
Given that we are in a post-institutional era, it helps to be able to distingush between biblical principles that are not negotiable and those things which are addded on traditions and therefore can be sacrificed to stay connected with the generation we live in.
Viola is a house church believer which colours his perception of christian education, and his discussion on baptism is contradicted by the bible quotes he uses.
Very thought provoking and I strongly agree with the priesthood of all believers and its implications. It was a shock to me to contemplate that though the Refomers re-adopted this belief, they did not reintroduce it in practice.
"When Christianity was born, it was the only religion on the planet that had no sacred objects, no sacred persons and no sacred places"
Easy to read, Frank Violas analysis of the historical context in which many christian traditions became part of
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church life is an eye-opener.Some of the traditions he covers do not surpirse me. Church buildings for example, did not come into existance till Constantine legalised christianity in AD321, but others do. The Liturgy, sermons, and music are traditons that relate to non-christian cultures that christianity co-existed with.
Given that we are in a post-institutional era, it helps to be able to distingush between biblical principles that are not negotiable and those things which are addded on traditions and therefore can be sacrificed to stay connected with the generation we live in.
Viola is a house church believer which colours his perception of christian education, and his discussion on baptism is contradicted by the bible quotes he uses.
Very thought provoking and I strongly agree with the priesthood of all believers and its implications. It was a shock to me to contemplate that though the Refomers re-adopted this belief, they did not reintroduce it in practice.
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LibraryThing member deusvitae
A "historical" analysis of the development of various church traditions along with the argument that much of what is done in "institutional Christianity" derives its origins from paganism.
Much of what the author says has some merit, even though the situation is always a little more complicated than
The author clearly has an agenda, even though he would purport not to. He is defending his own brand of Evangelical house churches. While he affirms that Christians should consider the baptism the means of conversion, he still speaks of it in terms of an "outward demonstration" and is not nearly as acrid against the "sinner's prayer" as he is, say, the clergy or church buildings. In his crusade against a "paid clergy," while he rightly goes against a ministry concept not in Scripture (the modern "pastor/clergy system"), he goes too far the other way and creates his own ministry concept that is also not in Scripture ("apostolic itinerant church planters"). Tellingly, nothing is said in his analysis about "evangelists" and the role they played; his explanation of 1 Timothy 5 in terms of elders is sorely lacking. The author is overly preoccupied with the assembly, and attempts to place upon 1 Corinthians 14:26 the burden of being the only verse to explain what NT assemblies were all about, and thus what assemblies today should be (mutual edification only)-- and, in so doing, not subjecting his own practice to the rigorous contextual standard advocated in chapter 11 of the book (one would think that 14:26 might be tempered some by 1 Cor. 13:8-10, among other things...). He is quick to attempt to associate the Lord's Supper with a common meal, and doesn't seem comfortable admitting that regardless of whether the Lord's Supper was eaten in the context of the "agape" or common meal, it was always seen as something distinct from the common meal.
The author's reliance on Durant as a historical witness along with secondary sources undermines his credibility-- he is relying on men's interpretations of primary sources, and for a work purporting to be what this is, it's quite disappointing.
An intentionally thought-provoking book, but don't believe all the hype. See through the author's agenda and his hypocrisies.
Much of what the author says has some merit, even though the situation is always a little more complicated than
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he would like to make it out to be. The author clearly has an agenda, even though he would purport not to. He is defending his own brand of Evangelical house churches. While he affirms that Christians should consider the baptism the means of conversion, he still speaks of it in terms of an "outward demonstration" and is not nearly as acrid against the "sinner's prayer" as he is, say, the clergy or church buildings. In his crusade against a "paid clergy," while he rightly goes against a ministry concept not in Scripture (the modern "pastor/clergy system"), he goes too far the other way and creates his own ministry concept that is also not in Scripture ("apostolic itinerant church planters"). Tellingly, nothing is said in his analysis about "evangelists" and the role they played; his explanation of 1 Timothy 5 in terms of elders is sorely lacking. The author is overly preoccupied with the assembly, and attempts to place upon 1 Corinthians 14:26 the burden of being the only verse to explain what NT assemblies were all about, and thus what assemblies today should be (mutual edification only)-- and, in so doing, not subjecting his own practice to the rigorous contextual standard advocated in chapter 11 of the book (one would think that 14:26 might be tempered some by 1 Cor. 13:8-10, among other things...). He is quick to attempt to associate the Lord's Supper with a common meal, and doesn't seem comfortable admitting that regardless of whether the Lord's Supper was eaten in the context of the "agape" or common meal, it was always seen as something distinct from the common meal.
The author's reliance on Durant as a historical witness along with secondary sources undermines his credibility-- he is relying on men's interpretations of primary sources, and for a work purporting to be what this is, it's quite disappointing.
An intentionally thought-provoking book, but don't believe all the hype. See through the author's agenda and his hypocrisies.
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LibraryThing member DubiousDisciple
No, this isn't a "bash the Christians" book. It's a "bash the church" book (lowercase “c”). The authors' goal is to redirect Christians back to the original teachings of the New Testament, where the “Church” was never a building.
"Pagan," as used by the authors, pretty much just means
Church buildings are wrong. Sacraments are wrong. Collection plates are wrong. Pulpits are wrong. You’ll get a earful, and if “wrong” means “not the way it was first done,” then the authors have a well-researched point. But an important distinction needs to be made: The New Testament church, in this book, should not be confused with the “first century church.” No extraneous Christian teachings are acceptable to Viola and Barna, who either ignore or condemn them. Even if some of these teachings are contemporary with New Testament writings. For example, church fathers Ignatius, Clement of Rome and Tertullian are criticized for introducing a clergy, and the Didache’s instructions are never mentioned by the authors, who insist that early Christian worship sessions had no structure. Perhaps the authors subscribe to the view that all of the New Testament Gospels and epistles were written in Paul’s time.
Part of the intrigue of this book, for me, is that I grew up in a nondenominational church similar to what the authors approve of as "organic," and that ignores all Christian instruction outside the Bible. This church has a bit more structure to their worship than what Viola and Barna recommend, but it does meet in homes and all members participate equally in the service. It's a "back to Jesus" movement patterned after the New Testament.
So, my church background may qualify me more than many reviewers to address both the pros and cons of the book's arguments. And as such, I do have one criticism, which drops it from a 5-star to a 4-star rating: The passion of the authors overflows, which should be a good thing, but here it's overwhelming. While they convincingly show that many Christian church customs differ from the first Christians, their underlying assumption that this is somehow bad gets pushed a little too hard for my taste, simply because in my experience, different church atmospheres and practices are appropriate for different people. We're all unique, and different things bring us closer to God.
But enough nit-picking. The book has a serious message for all who wish to pattern their manner of worship after the Bible.
"Pagan," as used by the authors, pretty much just means
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"different from what the New Testament teaches." Their goal is to encourage Christians to embrace the original New Testament church.Church buildings are wrong. Sacraments are wrong. Collection plates are wrong. Pulpits are wrong. You’ll get a earful, and if “wrong” means “not the way it was first done,” then the authors have a well-researched point. But an important distinction needs to be made: The New Testament church, in this book, should not be confused with the “first century church.” No extraneous Christian teachings are acceptable to Viola and Barna, who either ignore or condemn them. Even if some of these teachings are contemporary with New Testament writings. For example, church fathers Ignatius, Clement of Rome and Tertullian are criticized for introducing a clergy, and the Didache’s instructions are never mentioned by the authors, who insist that early Christian worship sessions had no structure. Perhaps the authors subscribe to the view that all of the New Testament Gospels and epistles were written in Paul’s time.
Part of the intrigue of this book, for me, is that I grew up in a nondenominational church similar to what the authors approve of as "organic," and that ignores all Christian instruction outside the Bible. This church has a bit more structure to their worship than what Viola and Barna recommend, but it does meet in homes and all members participate equally in the service. It's a "back to Jesus" movement patterned after the New Testament.
So, my church background may qualify me more than many reviewers to address both the pros and cons of the book's arguments. And as such, I do have one criticism, which drops it from a 5-star to a 4-star rating: The passion of the authors overflows, which should be a good thing, but here it's overwhelming. While they convincingly show that many Christian church customs differ from the first Christians, their underlying assumption that this is somehow bad gets pushed a little too hard for my taste, simply because in my experience, different church atmospheres and practices are appropriate for different people. We're all unique, and different things bring us closer to God.
But enough nit-picking. The book has a serious message for all who wish to pattern their manner of worship after the Bible.
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LibraryThing member debs4jc
This book explains why we churches do things the way they do by taking a look at the influences of pagan tradition and ritual on the church. It does present a lot of interesting information, however this is overshadowed by the authors clear agenda to promote the home church movement. While I
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appreciated being challenged by his views, and would even love to incorporate some of the strengths of the house churches he described, I thought he pushed his own agenda too much in this book. If you like church history this would be of interest to you, if you can get past the author's strong agenda. Show Less
LibraryThing member kxmccallum
At times over-dramatic ("get ready to take the 'red pill'"), the authors do identify much of the trash which institutionalized Christianity picked up over the centuries. However, here again they overstate things, because they consider didactic teaching to be rooted in Greek pagan thought, which
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certainly would surprise the Jewish teachers in Jerusalem who taught didactically (Acts 2:42ff). Show Less
LibraryThing member davegregg
This is an excellent book. I don't hand out five stars easily.But it's a deconstruction, and let me say emphatically that a deconstruction is definitely needed, but don't leave yourself there. After the deconstruction of "the system," you have to reconstruct. Process for a while if you need to, but
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pick up one of these for when you're ready:- Viola's follow-up book, "Reimagining Church"- the fictional, but relevant book, "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore" by Jake Colsen- Wayne Jacobsen's classic, "The Naked Church (Revised Third Edition)"- or something by Floyd McClung, like "You See Bones, I See an Army"I would personally suggest "So You Don't..." or "The Naked Church". The first, if fiction helps you process or read faster. The second, if non-fiction is easier for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member jimmis
A big challenge to paradigms of Church
LibraryThing member gdill
This book has been one of the biggest eye-openers I have ever read in my entire 20+ year Christian life. For quite some time I have sensed there are many things that we do and practice within the church today that just don't seem right. Things that can't be found in the Bible and/or things that the
However, there are two things worth considering when reading this book: 1) Viola is very much a staunch supporter of the house church movement. This becomes very evident in Viola's writing as it seems to be the cure all for all of today's church problems. 2) We must ask ourselves is the church of Acts a prescription for the way we must do church? Or, is it just the way believers during the Apostolic period did church? While taking these two things into consideration, several questions arise: 1) Do we completely throw away millenia of church history, traditions, and doctrine and revert to the first century church? 2) Do we surrender to church history and keep going with the way things are? 3) Or, do we slowly begin to reform the current state of the church, perhaps compromising on some issues, and skipping over others to make it look more palatable to the churches that Paul planted?
When the church begins to look too much like the world, perhaps it's high time for introspection and prayerfully consider reform. But, is the answer found in the house church model, or are there other options? My guess is the former, since that is what is modeled in the Bible, and how the early church did it. It's been highly recommended by several of my friends that "Reimagining Church" by Frank Viola must be read as a sequel to this book. But, I also recommend "The Myth of a Christian Religion" by Gregory Boyd who hits on other issues relating to the church. I dare any Christian, especially pastors and church leaders to read "Pagan Christianity". I also recommend this book to those who are involved in church-planting ministry. I, as a missionary have greatly benefitted from this book and look forward to implementing some of the things mentioned in this book with the start of our new church plant.
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early church never practiced. For example, a church building, the elevation of clergy, and the non-participatory nature of the church body. Much of what Viola/Barna expose in this book sheds light on these things and so much more. This book affirms that today's church has indeed become very institutionalized and dogmatic, having strayed far from the church modeled in scripture. It has adopted many of the ways and systems of the world, beginning in the 2nd century AD all the way up until the present time. Would the early church fathers, or even Jesus, recognize today's church? I think not.However, there are two things worth considering when reading this book: 1) Viola is very much a staunch supporter of the house church movement. This becomes very evident in Viola's writing as it seems to be the cure all for all of today's church problems. 2) We must ask ourselves is the church of Acts a prescription for the way we must do church? Or, is it just the way believers during the Apostolic period did church? While taking these two things into consideration, several questions arise: 1) Do we completely throw away millenia of church history, traditions, and doctrine and revert to the first century church? 2) Do we surrender to church history and keep going with the way things are? 3) Or, do we slowly begin to reform the current state of the church, perhaps compromising on some issues, and skipping over others to make it look more palatable to the churches that Paul planted?
When the church begins to look too much like the world, perhaps it's high time for introspection and prayerfully consider reform. But, is the answer found in the house church model, or are there other options? My guess is the former, since that is what is modeled in the Bible, and how the early church did it. It's been highly recommended by several of my friends that "Reimagining Church" by Frank Viola must be read as a sequel to this book. But, I also recommend "The Myth of a Christian Religion" by Gregory Boyd who hits on other issues relating to the church. I dare any Christian, especially pastors and church leaders to read "Pagan Christianity". I also recommend this book to those who are involved in church-planting ministry. I, as a missionary have greatly benefitted from this book and look forward to implementing some of the things mentioned in this book with the start of our new church plant.
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LibraryThing member larrydellis
The author presents quite non-traditional views on the current practices in the modern day evangelical Protestant church. He is quite critical of the idea of a church pastor, and especially the clergy-laity separation, which he argues was not present in the ancient church. He presents arguments
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that many of the Ancient Fathers drew their church practices and teachings from culture rather than from the biblical basis for church practice. It will be a controversial read, but worth the time to cause one to look fresh at what we often take for granted within our church practices. There are considerable footnotes and citations to support his position. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ron_Gilbert
Pagan Christianity: The Origins of Our Modern Church Practices, 304pp., written by Frank Viola (high school Psychology and Philosophy teacher).
Published by Present Testimony Ministry, © 2002
Foreword by Gene Edwards of Jacksonville, Florida
This “…book should have been written 300 years ago. If
“Most of our practices of the Christian faith have absolutely nothing to do with the New Testament…Virtually all our major practices come to us within 50 years of the Emperor Constantine (A.D. 324) or within 50 years of the beginning of the Reformation (A.D. 1517).”
Edwards claims that Viola traces the origins of all (note the universal term) “we Protestants practice.”
Note: Cannot be so, as Viola would have to observe all the practices of all Protestants, which he cannot, and does not do.
Edwards expresses his regret that this book will be one of only 100 thousand printed in the year of publication.
He goes on to assert, “We [Protestants] do nothing that is in the New Testament…we have absolutely no idea how our faith should be practiced.”
To answer a supposed need, Edwards suggest that we
1. Lay aside all we currently practice and start completely from scratch, and
2. Learn “the first-century story” (presumably only the New Testament can be our guide) and then practice that story.
Both Edwards and the author, Viola, claim that the New Testament is the only place we get our information from. This Idealism isn't held to by either, however, as Viola throughout the book cites as the bulk of his evidence extra-biblical sources.
High-school student’s such as Viola teaches on his day job may be fooled by his arguments, but discerning Christians should not be!
Published by Present Testimony Ministry, © 2002
Foreword by Gene Edwards of Jacksonville, Florida
This “…book should have been written 300 years ago. If
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it had, the course of Christian history would be totally different.”“Most of our practices of the Christian faith have absolutely nothing to do with the New Testament…Virtually all our major practices come to us within 50 years of the Emperor Constantine (A.D. 324) or within 50 years of the beginning of the Reformation (A.D. 1517).”
Edwards claims that Viola traces the origins of all (note the universal term) “we Protestants practice.”
Note: Cannot be so, as Viola would have to observe all the practices of all Protestants, which he cannot, and does not do.
Edwards expresses his regret that this book will be one of only 100 thousand printed in the year of publication.
He goes on to assert, “We [Protestants] do nothing that is in the New Testament…we have absolutely no idea how our faith should be practiced.”
To answer a supposed need, Edwards suggest that we
1. Lay aside all we currently practice and start completely from scratch, and
2. Learn “the first-century story” (presumably only the New Testament can be our guide) and then practice that story.
Both Edwards and the author, Viola, claim that the New Testament is the only place we get our information from. This Idealism isn't held to by either, however, as Viola throughout the book cites as the bulk of his evidence extra-biblical sources.
High-school student’s such as Viola teaches on his day job may be fooled by his arguments, but discerning Christians should not be!
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LibraryThing member jimocracy
The author's touched on pagan influences to modern Christian church practices but did not take them to their logical conclusions. This book was hard to read and intellectually disappointing.
LibraryThing member sparkleandchico
This book was worth reading as it challenged me to think "outside the box." Not enough books do this as people tend now to mirror each others thoughts in an attempt to appeal to the masses. This book goes against the grain of traditional church thinking and practice. Books like this are helpful as
That said, I think the author leans to extremes in some chapters and that in some cases the extremes would be dangerous in practice. Although he often mentions that his ideal church scenarios work, he doesn't give enough detail about this for it to be proven. He also glosses over/omits some Bible verses that conflict with his view and uses others out of context to support his position. He goes back to the roots of all of the practices I am about to list in an attempt to prove that they have originated from pagan sources. His argument is that we are not following the Biblical pattern for "church" as per the New Testament. My first thoughts would be that it doesn't matter whether or not our practices have pagan roots BUT it does matter whether or not they are Biblical AND that we seek as far as possible to follow the NT principles for church. The author is an advocate of the "house church....."
He covers
1. The Church building- Author states we don't need church buildings and we spend too much money on them. The "church" is the people of God and not the building. I agree with the author.
2. The Order of Worship- Author states that the order is pagan and encourages dull routines and a lack of audience participation. Author advocates a "Spirit-led" approach with no set plan/order. I agree that our church routines/order are inflexible and should be more participatory, but I can see problems arising from opening up the floor so to speak due to the numbers of non-believers/nominal Christians in our churches. This wasn't the case in NT times due to the persecution; the vast majority of the participants were believers. Maybe this would work in a small group setting if the meeting is properly led by at least one more mature believer.
3. The Sermon- Author states we shouldn't have a sermon/message as it encourages laziness and again a lack of participation. He implies that no set person should be leading a meeting/preaching a sermon. He tries to make a case for preaching/teaching being unBiblical and only relevant to non-believers as an evangelistic appeal. I don't agree with this as preaching/teaching is clearly practiced in the NT both to believers and non-believers.
4. The Pastor- Author states we shouldn't have paid Pastors/Church Officers/Clergy as again it causes laziness/lack of participation, that the Pastor is the only person who can speak in the church or who has anything spiritual to say. I think there is an over-reliance on the Pastor in many churches and too high an expectation/burden placed on them. But I do think that church leaders are important and biblical.
5. Sunday Morning Costumes- Author states we shouldn't dress up for church as we are presenting a false impression of who we are. I think this is a non-issue as it's a personal preference and can be different in different cultures/different churches.
6. Minister of Music- Author has issues with the choir and using pagan funeral practices. Also thinks the leaders shouldn't choose the songs as the church is not then being led by the Spirit. Again I think there is balance needed here; some order needs to be maintained but maybe our current practice is too inflexible.
7. Tithing and Clergy Salaries- Author doesn't believe in tithing or paying clergy. He states this encourages people to only give 10% and that tithing is not biblical. I agree that we shouldn't limit Christians giving to 10% but I think that for new believers a base-line is important as a guide.
8. Baptism and the Lord's Supper- Author states that we should baptise people straight after conversion. I agree that there is no need for a delay, except perhaps with children who may need more time to mature/give public testimony. Author believes the Lord's Supper should be celebrated as a full meal and that our symbolism/ritual is pagan. I don't think the method is especially important but that we remember Jesus' death and resurrection.
9. Christian Education- Author states that those aspiring to be Christian leaders should learn in a Paul/Timothy type environment and not go to Bible school. I agree that the personal study of God's Word is more important than whether or not someone has got a formal education and that sometimes these institutions can be more confusing than helpful.
So overall a mixed picture....I did read a worrying article about the author himself which suggests that he may have an agenda and is supported/encouraged/linked with some controversial figures and members of the Emergent Church.
I would recommend this book for readers who like to be challenged/know what they believe but not for new believers or those less spiritually mature as it could cause confusion/extremes of thinking.
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they encourage sincere Christians to reflect on their own position on these issues by a more thorough examination of Scripture. This is always a good thing.That said, I think the author leans to extremes in some chapters and that in some cases the extremes would be dangerous in practice. Although he often mentions that his ideal church scenarios work, he doesn't give enough detail about this for it to be proven. He also glosses over/omits some Bible verses that conflict with his view and uses others out of context to support his position. He goes back to the roots of all of the practices I am about to list in an attempt to prove that they have originated from pagan sources. His argument is that we are not following the Biblical pattern for "church" as per the New Testament. My first thoughts would be that it doesn't matter whether or not our practices have pagan roots BUT it does matter whether or not they are Biblical AND that we seek as far as possible to follow the NT principles for church. The author is an advocate of the "house church....."
He covers
1. The Church building- Author states we don't need church buildings and we spend too much money on them. The "church" is the people of God and not the building. I agree with the author.
2. The Order of Worship- Author states that the order is pagan and encourages dull routines and a lack of audience participation. Author advocates a "Spirit-led" approach with no set plan/order. I agree that our church routines/order are inflexible and should be more participatory, but I can see problems arising from opening up the floor so to speak due to the numbers of non-believers/nominal Christians in our churches. This wasn't the case in NT times due to the persecution; the vast majority of the participants were believers. Maybe this would work in a small group setting if the meeting is properly led by at least one more mature believer.
3. The Sermon- Author states we shouldn't have a sermon/message as it encourages laziness and again a lack of participation. He implies that no set person should be leading a meeting/preaching a sermon. He tries to make a case for preaching/teaching being unBiblical and only relevant to non-believers as an evangelistic appeal. I don't agree with this as preaching/teaching is clearly practiced in the NT both to believers and non-believers.
4. The Pastor- Author states we shouldn't have paid Pastors/Church Officers/Clergy as again it causes laziness/lack of participation, that the Pastor is the only person who can speak in the church or who has anything spiritual to say. I think there is an over-reliance on the Pastor in many churches and too high an expectation/burden placed on them. But I do think that church leaders are important and biblical.
5. Sunday Morning Costumes- Author states we shouldn't dress up for church as we are presenting a false impression of who we are. I think this is a non-issue as it's a personal preference and can be different in different cultures/different churches.
6. Minister of Music- Author has issues with the choir and using pagan funeral practices. Also thinks the leaders shouldn't choose the songs as the church is not then being led by the Spirit. Again I think there is balance needed here; some order needs to be maintained but maybe our current practice is too inflexible.
7. Tithing and Clergy Salaries- Author doesn't believe in tithing or paying clergy. He states this encourages people to only give 10% and that tithing is not biblical. I agree that we shouldn't limit Christians giving to 10% but I think that for new believers a base-line is important as a guide.
8. Baptism and the Lord's Supper- Author states that we should baptise people straight after conversion. I agree that there is no need for a delay, except perhaps with children who may need more time to mature/give public testimony. Author believes the Lord's Supper should be celebrated as a full meal and that our symbolism/ritual is pagan. I don't think the method is especially important but that we remember Jesus' death and resurrection.
9. Christian Education- Author states that those aspiring to be Christian leaders should learn in a Paul/Timothy type environment and not go to Bible school. I agree that the personal study of God's Word is more important than whether or not someone has got a formal education and that sometimes these institutions can be more confusing than helpful.
So overall a mixed picture....I did read a worrying article about the author himself which suggests that he may have an agenda and is supported/encouraged/linked with some controversial figures and members of the Emergent Church.
I would recommend this book for readers who like to be challenged/know what they believe but not for new believers or those less spiritually mature as it could cause confusion/extremes of thinking.
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LibraryThing member Kristelh
The book, Pagan Christianity? is not exactly about Paganism but really is about the where the current way we do Church actually comes from and how does this fit with the how the Bible describes the early church. Frank Viola is an advocate for the home church movement. George Barna is the chairman
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of Good News Holdings, founder and leader of The Barna Group, a research and resource firm. The topic is the true church, the body of Christ and how the institutional church is in direct conflict of the true church. The structure basically introduces the topic and then looks at the various parts of church; the building, the order of worship, sermon, pastor, Sunday Dress, music ministries, tithing, baptism and Lord's Supper, Christian education, the New Testament, the Savior. The book does not cover all the topics comprehensively but there are footnotes and lists of resources if a person wants to pursue more information. Each sections entertains questions that a person might ask about the topic. I liked the cover and page layouts, I found the book easy to read though admit that it took awhile to get the book done. I think the book would accomplish what the author wanted to achieve including inspiring a person to see church differently or even look for an organic home church. Rating 3.8 Show Less
LibraryThing member texicanwife
A magnificently written book that explains why church does not always seem to fit Scripture! It compares the many Christian habits and actions to pagan culture and how the two have merged to form a less than Scriptural following of individuals.
One must follow the Scripture rather than ritualistic
A fascinating read with great learning. I highly recommend this book.
One must follow the Scripture rather than ritualistic
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beliefs and habits that our churches have formed. The argument being that we may be harming our soul more than doing it good by attending a church that performs some of the rituals performed. And most, if not all, do exactly that.A fascinating read with great learning. I highly recommend this book.
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LCC
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