Kimm H. (alfalpharetta) reviewed Thought-provoking and well-researched on 5/4/2009 + 15 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 6

Viola and Barna make some excellent points that will absolutely enrage some traditional "church people," and free many others from the spiritual growth obstructions that abound in modern church practice. These men make a great case for rethinking institutionalized Christianity, something that many of us have felt was not quite right at gut level the whole time.

Viola/Barna's points are articulated well, with humility. The authors invite us to reject their position, and caution us to only accept it critically and not without further investigation. Lovely and refreshing, wouldn't you say?

This book deconstructs the sacred cows of church buildings, church pastors, the sermon, tithing, and many others by leading us through church history, showing us the ontogeny of these now "sacred" institutions of contemporary church life. None of these pillars of the modern church existed in the first 300 yrs A.D., and all have pagan (non-Christian) roots, many of which come straight from Roman paganism/Emperor worship.

I highly recommend this book to everyone with a thirst for truth and a heart that questions how well institutional church serves God and loves people.

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