Customer Reviews

Going to the Root: Nine Proposals for Radical Church Renewal

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have read many books on church restoration. This is currently the one I am recommending to those who notice the problems, but are unsure of the answers. For those who recognize that the plethora of religious gimicks and more "purpose-driven" products will not do... this book is for you.

There are many authors today that are very elequently able to articulate the problem with the church today, yet... most of them are not able to do what Smith has done in his gentle presentation. The problems in the institutional church are great and the people who support it are very dependent upon it. I submit to you that slamming them with their error is not the most effective means of conversion. Smith presents biblical truth as an invitation. He reveals the problem and invites you to discover the answer. He allows the Holy Spirit to connect the dots!

I appreciated Smith's focus on community from the very start. I also was refreshed by his obvious influence of the Anabaptist tradition. It was a breath of fresh air to hear a "house church" proponent talk about the doctrine of the two kingdoms and radical discipleship.

Christ is the answer to the church's ills today. A return to the person and work of Christ is the foundation of our faith. Ultimately, people must receive a fresh new vision of Christ and his work (life and teachings) before anything of true worth can take place. Then, there must be an undestanding of God's image in us is community. The Trinity enjoys community in eternal love and faithfulness. This is the image in which we were created. We experience this community together in the church once we have seen Jesus (God in the flesh) as he truly is and we gather around him in natural Body life.

If you are noticing the problems and are looking for more than just pop-culture American Christianity... or maybe you are just curious... I encourage you to get this book. So far... Smith's book is the one to start with... in my humble opinion.

After reading Smith, I suggest reading:

The Centrality of Jesus Christ (Works of T. Austin-Sparks)
The Normal Christian Life
The Release of the Spirit
Created for Community,: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living
Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

Out of all house church books, this is my favorite because of the straightforward and concise dissertation on the hinderances to Biblical community, outreach, service, and fellowship that most Institutional Churches naturally inhibit.

Easy to read yet deeply profound in meaning, Smith gives adequate Scripture and documented research as to the problems hindering true revival in our churches today. Free from bitterness or complaining, the author recognizes that God is still sovereign over all His church, regardless of our flawed platforms, yet advocates the house church model as one that is most Biblically centered on Christ's purpose for believers. He also leaves plenty of freedom to enjoy variety within the house church model, structure, and operation, using language free from a dogmatic and know-it-all pretense.

In all his proposals, most readers will feel quite convicted by their dependence upon being a spoonfed benchwarming puppet on Sunday, their wasted resources on useless building expenditures, their prideful disunifying sectarianism within their denomination, and their lack of concern for the needs of others in their community. Smith admonishes a 24/7 Christianity where EVERYTHING you do is glorifying to God...including your job, family, chores, free time, etc., instead of just doing the usual list of spiritual things proscribed by the church. No wonder we can't feel the power of God or the freedom for the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and our gatherings!

A MUST HAVE BOOK for any student of the Scriptures or those who feel there has to be more to the Christian life than the usual Sunday morning routine.

Along with Frank Viola's "Reimagining church", Robert Banks' "Paul's idea of community", David Norrington's "To preach or not to preach" and various writings by the likes of Jon Zens, Smith's "Going to the root" represents that wing of Christian experience that, if taken seriously, is utter dynamite and ends up being a far greater threat to mainstream and popular christianity than atheism, Dawkins or anything else you care to name that's perceived as a danger to christian belief. Because Smith writes not from fanciful theory, but many years experience and his experience causes him to question many of the main 'taken for granted' elements of church life. He is a man who loves the Lord - this comes through powerfully in his writing.
Though the book was written in 1992, much of it still holds true for today and as a result, the book has a somewhat timeless quality about it. Christian Smith is still around today doing interesting sociological research, often faith based. He's something rare in much of todays christian writing - someone both versed in scripture and not fazed by the world about him, yet not aligned to it and it shows in this book.
It's a book that probably still gets peoples' backs up but one that is both easy to read and one way or the other leaves a lasting impression.....Check it out for yourself.