Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
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(out of 5 reviews)
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Various Pagan Metal a Documen
List Price: CDN$ 21.99
Price: CDN$ 10.26
Rating: (out of 5 reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 19.99
Price: CDN$ 10.24
List Price: CDN$ 21.99
Price: CDN$ 10.26
Review by Peter Cantelon for Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
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Frank Viola has written a book…or rather I should say Frank Viola has written a book again. Pagan Christianity was originally published in 2002 and has recently been repackaged and republished with a shiny new co-author – the well-respected Christian pollster George Barna and the addition of an enigmatic question mark.
The point of the book? Christianity has been steadily consumed and been consuming pagan culture since the end of the apostolic age in roughly 100 AD. Viola presents an incredibly well researched book packed into a scant 269 pages showing the pagan origins of virtually everything we call Christian today in the Protestant side of Christianity. There is little reason to question Viola as his research is probably footnoted better than any book I have ever read.
Throughout the book the sub-text is very clear – the church we know is not the church of Christ…this church was consumed by paganism 1,900 years ago and needs to be revived and reclaimed.
There are a few concerns with Viola’s premise. First he virtually dismisses the Old Testament as having anything to contribute to ecclesiology. The other problem is that after reading the book one is left with the bleak opinion that the Spirit of God abandoned the church after the apostles died and left it to corruption. This is a reasonable assumption because Viola leaves no room for the possibility that God has been at work and has possibly blessed at least a few traditions.
The solution is clear to Viola – return to the first century church – a communal, non-structured, home-based gathering of believers.
One would think it is a problem that Viola does not answer the key question – what’s to stop the slide from happening all over again? It’s not a problem because this re-printing is a huge setup for his next book due out in Summer 2008 – Reimagining Church…very convenient.
There are a few small annoyances throughout the text – for instance Viola loves to use exclamation marks!!!! As though everything he says is a staggering insight!!! I don’t think I’ve encountered so many exclamation marks in a single written work before!!! (Annoying isn’t it!).
The length to which the book goes to avoid promoting any form of leadership structure is interesting as well. In the author bio on the back cover inside flap Viola is described not as a leader but rather as an “influential voice” in the emerging house church movement.
A tad self-righteous and cynical Viola nevertheless presents a very helpful and informative text that definitely challenges the church to take a long hard look at herself and her heritage because a lot of what she is doing is possibly not Christ honoring.
I would recommend the book as a reference text in corrective church history as well as a useful pointer for deeper study. Like many perspectives Viola’s may be at one extreme end of the ecclessiological spectrum with the institutional church at the other and the place we need to be is more likely in the middle somewhere.
Review by B. Breen for Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
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Frank Viola and George Barna have put together a book that every thinking Christian should read. Much of the information is not new. However, it has been put together with careful attention to detail and very thorough footnotes and sources.
This is not a book written to attack the Church although many may feel that way. It is a book written to address what at its root is a true proposition. Institutional Churches, whether Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, Seeker Sensitive, and the list could go on, are at the core of their practise following many elements that do not in fact arise from the Bible or early church tradition. This is more than just a history lesson however.
When I first began reading this book, after having spent a great deal of time and effort in studying Organizational Leadership at a Master’s level, I was first tempted to look at the arguments presented and just say, “So What?”. Every culture’s influence is exerted upon it’s institutions. That is neither good nor bad in most instances, so unless the premise is that we should just return to the culture of the early church as if it were “the” culture of God then the argument is really not that strong.
As I read however, what I found is that this is far more than just culture being called into question. We’re talking about hierarchies, philosophies and practices that find their root not just in cultural elements but in full scale adoption of systems, practices and their underlying belief system that include pagan temples, Greco-Roman pagan philosophy etc.
Then my next response was “Well, that’s what the Reformation was all about wasn’t it?” Well yes and no. Much of what took place at the Reformation was a rearranging of some things but in effect most of the elements of the existing Church system were left in place.
Today however, we have so much change taking place apparently in Churches with so many different “brands” available, surely these issues are being addressed? Well, not so much.
So is this a diatribe to destroy the Church? No. That’s not what I read and further the litany of recommendations for this book from Bible Scholars and leaders within the Church should set that concern aside. Viola and Barna do have some suggestions to make and they are leaning in the direction of organic, non-institutional Churches. However even if that is not the decision of those reading this book, the information will equip even those remaining in the Institutional Church to be more discerning about what is really the faith preserved for all the ages and what is in effect just a stowaway that sadly in many cases has arisen to captain the ship.
5 Stars. A very important book.
Bart Breen
Review by T. Underwood for Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
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I will write a more thorough review later, but simply to say that this is a gem among the books out there. There are many things that I appreciate about this book. This is destined to become a lightning rod for discussion for years to come.
Technically I would give this a 4.5 but because Amazon doesn’t allow that, I decided to bump it up to a 5.0
There are some things I have reservations over. There are some things I wished had been done differently with the title and the way it is being marketed with a spoof video.
There are many reasons why this is worthy of a read. To be continued.
Review by BuddyPal for Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
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First of all, I think the challenge leveled by this book at the church is a much needed one. It raises good questions and provokes deeper thinking. The church must rethink its practices and return to first century church where possible. In many cases, we have a lot of work to to. So bravo.
I have a few issues, though, and they end up being major ones. Much has been said of the meticulous research standing behind the book. In my opinion, the research is used for clumsy propogandist church bashing. Yes, I said propogandist. There is a clear agenda here, and the data is stretched beyond credulity to make it work for him. And yes, I said church bashing. If you like church bashing, this may just become your Bible.
And yes, I said clumsy. While the author does concede that just because something is found in a pagan culture doesn’t make it wrong in itself to adopt, that’s exactly what he says over and over again for the rest of the book. And quite frankly, the leaps from research to critique to logical application are massive to say the least. Almost comical, actually. Yes, Viola has a fact or a snippet for virtually every point he ponders. But simply ask yourself as you read, “Is Viola’s conclusion the only conclusion we can safely draw here? Might there be other ways o looking at this?” and you might just start laughing out loud at the absurdity of it all. Unless of course you’re a clumsy, propoganda-flouting church basher.
Second, Barna is a pollster, not a historian. It shows. God loves you George, but go play in your own pool. Maybe a cookbook is next? I know he’s been frustrated with the N.A. Church, but I’m shocked that he got behind this book.
This is a good read for the provocative value, and worth praying through as you wrestle with a more organic model for church. I’d even say God used it to help me along with that. But it’s also the shoddiest example of prooftexting I’ve seen in a long time, so much so that I’ve probably just given up on Mr. Barna.
Review by Jason W. for Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
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The beginning of the book was interesting, viewing a portion of the life of Constantine, and how his Pagan background highly influenced the state of church buildings and worship that still carries on today. The book is well researched, but unfortunatly that research is grasping at any negative form of “church” gatherings and how worship is conducted.
A lot of the material I found was followed quite rapidly on the authors opinion as well on how he thinks a church should not be. Some of the comments I found a little offensive and I find his views of how he would have a church gathering rather chaotic.I find he picks and prods at any type of modern church services most of us attend today.
He also suggests we all go back to the basics and meet in houses instead of structured buildings that all have some sort of pagan background, and when necessary to bring all together for a larger meeting, rent a hall or centre. Why bring everyone together only every so often, when we can all celebrate the body of Christ together every week, in one building?
I believe the Author does bring up some points to be looked at, but he promotes these small samples as an excuse to attack any form of a modern Sunday morning worship. I do not recommend this book.