Pagan Christianity

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This book was co-authored by Frank Viola and George Barna. The subtitle is "Exploring the roots of our church practices" - which is what it does throughout the whole book. It's a sobering account of the pagan and otherwise non-biblical roots of the traditional church practices, which appear to have come into being since the first apostles and the ones they spread the gospel to died off. Names, dates, circumstances and many historical points are provided, and every point is thoroughly footnoted with sources. I found it well written with a clear focus on wanting to stir people to question what they may have taken for granted as "God's way" and seek real answers from God about what to do with these new understandings. I had started it, then got side-tracked for several months, and finally came back to it and finished it, and glad I did.

I find that through the natural, spirit-led way of paying attention to our "guts", seeking God for answers, thinking over the events of the New Testament, gathering with other believers to "work out our salvation" together, and striking out in the ways we feel are from God over the past dozen years or so, we've come to the same understandings as Frank & George, albeit from a less academic journey. So when I read this, it resonated with what God has taught us already, and gives further basis in the natural mind (as opposed to supernatural) for the same things.

[timjolin]

It's a great book for discussing. I enjoyed the next book, "Reimagining Church" just as much.