The Empty Church: Does Organized Religion Matter Anymore [Paperback]

Thomas C. Reeves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 1998

At a time when Americans are searching for spiritual and moral renewal, millions of parishioners are abandoning the churches that once embodied the very values they seek. "The Empty Church" offers the first cogent explanation of why his has occurred-and tells what can be done about it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (January 7, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684836076
• ISBN-13: 978-0684836072
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,212,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Additional Reviews Available; Broader Context, January 23, 2007

By 

Tim (Denver, CO, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Empty Church: Does Organized Religion Matter Anymore (Paperback)

Potential buyers can find many additional reviews (including "Editorial Reviews", one each, Pro and Con) under the hardcover version of this book: "The Empty Church: The Suicide of Liberal Christianity". See those reviews for much more information about this book -- which I won't attempt to repeat here. Considering the two books, I think the text is the same, with only the subtitle "softened" (as is the binding, from hard to soft).

Broader Context (in which to understand reviews and book):

In large measure, all the other reviews (both here and for the hardcover edition) are either Pro or Con depending on which side of a cultural and religious divide the reviewer stands.

This book agrees with those of us who believe in the God and Christ of Christianity in it's historic form, as opposed to the "anti-(historic)Christianity" emerging in American society (such as from the Westar Institute; see "21 theses, Robert Funk"). Theologically liberal people will not appreciate this author's call to return to historic Christian beliefs. Theologically conservative people will find an eye-opening description of how anti-Christianity is taking over the mainline protestant churches.

Instead of going elsewhere and starting their own religion, many people who have turned away from historic Christianity are attempting to co-opt the social structure of mainline protestant churches and turn them in to "anti-Christian" churches -- i.e., social institutions with a newly redefined philosophy which stands in opposition to historic Christianity. Catholics are too tightly controlled from a Biblically and traditionally anchored hierarchical top to be so transformed. Evangelicals and Eastern Orthodox follow the Bible too closely to be so transformed. This book, "The Empty Church", is about the vulnerable middle, the mainline protestant churches, which are not tightly controlled, and which have cut their "anchor line" to Biblically based historic Christianity.

Sadly (for people of my ilk), author Thomas Reeves' call to return to historic Chrisianity, now over a decade old, remains largely unheeded. A "new" "anti-Christianity", which is riddled with inconsistencies when combined with previously historic-Christian churches, is slowly leading to "The Empty Church" syndrome in mainline protestant churches -- hence the name of this book, in both its hardcover and paperback forms.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars same old problem, no new answer, May 7, 2005

By 

Jolene K. Mason - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Empty Church: Does Organized Religion Matter Anymore (Paperback)

Mr. Reeves spends the first 5 out of six chapters reviewing the history of denominational Christianity using the liberal/conservative lens through which to view the church's problems. He summarizes this history as a debate between those who believe in the supernatural and those who do not (humanists). This over and even false simplification is evident in his catagorizing of Marcus Borg as some who disbelieves the supernatural/spiritual.
For a book addressed to 'liberal churches', this is certainly less than helpful. His answer to the mainline church is also less than helpful: "to accept the essentials of the Christian faith" (p.175). He sees one of the problems with his answer on P. 183 when he asks what should a serious christian endorse? He responds with "what is undeniably true" that is based on solid evidence. That is precisely the point of debate.
He does make use of the current poll research from good sources. like Roof and Stark, but he also uses conclusions from other sources less reliably sound so why not just read Roof and Mckinney or Finke and Stark.
The 2 stars are for his compellation of polling resources and statistics.

4 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Babylon is falling, July 28, 2003

By 

Rolf Vaessen (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Empty Church: Does Organized Religion Matter Anymore (Paperback)

The book is excellent and I do agree 100%. The fallen Churches of Christendom are truly on thir way to fallen morality and Thomas Reeves has done a real good job. Thanks Tom.
Rolf Vaessen