In the Ruins of the Church: Sustaining Faith in an Age of Diminished Christianity [Paperback]

R. R. Reno (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1587430339 | ISBN-13: 978-1587430336 | Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Argues that the postmodern Western church is in ruins and that to be in the church is to embrace a "broken way of life"

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Combining previously published essays and lectures, Reno explores the effects of modernity and its attendant distrust of organized religion on Christianity and, in particular, on Episcopalianism. He then provides hope for Christians in this modern age. Reno, who developed this theological inquiry while a fellow at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ, believes that the church's current difficulties stem from traditional methods of teaching the Gospel as an absolute, which creates anxiety and offends modern sensibilities. The church has thus moved away from the archaic Gospel in order to address society's anxiety regarding social disorder, terrorism, and fundamentalism. When the church attempts to return to the moral teachings of the Gospel truth, it is criticized for repressing individual personal change and driving people away from organized religion. Reno offers hope for this intraecclesial dysfunction by pointing to the philosophy of Nehemiah and the ancient liturgies in the church's dogmatic and disciplinary traditions. Scripture, he argues, should not be an element in the political arena but should lead us to spiritual virtue. The ideas are clearly presented but are not new, as evidenced by Reno's references to John Nelson Darby's writings on theology of the disunity of the church. This scholarly text is recommended for Christian leaders and theologians. Leo Kriz, West Des Moines
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

R. r. RENO is associate professor of theology at Creighton University. He is the coauthor of Heroism and the Christian Life and has published essays inFirst Things and Pro Ecclesia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Brazos Press (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587430339
• ISBN-13: 978-1587430336
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,284,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A challenge to complacency, October 25, 2002

By 

Joseph B. Howard (Hendersonville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Ruins of the Church: Sustaining Faith in an Age of Diminished Christianity (Paperback)

In THE RUINS OF THE CHURCH Dr. Reno challenges us to face the gospel and to recognize that our greatest difficulties with faith come, not from science or postmodernism per se, but from our own human reluctance to change, more particularly, our reluctance to be changed. In addition to this, Dr. Reno looks deeply at some of the problems facing the Episcopal Church and offers some suggestions as to the causes and possible solutions. Reno spends time critiquing the now common role of Bishop as a priest with a theological chip on their shoulder ordained not to defend the faith, but to be "prophetic," or in common language, to push for their own agendas. This is a very timely assessment when considering the recent appointment of +Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury. Williams, who is a wonderful writer and thinker from what I have read, shares many of the same criticisms of modern culture that Dr. Reno does; however, Williams is known to be a liberal on certain issues, such as ordination of homosexuals. What is interesting is that Williams has made it clear upon accepting the appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury that his role is to defend the faith as received and not to push his own agenda. In this way Williams-known to be opposed to the ideals of John Spong- seems to represent the type of bishop Reno champions.

We recently had the honor of having Dr. Reno speak at our university and after speaking with him in person I recommend his book with even greater enthusiasm.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Called out of the world, not the Church., July 21, 2004

By 

Michael Walters (Chattanooga, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Ruins of the Church: Sustaining Faith in an Age of Diminished Christianity (Paperback)

The two previous reviews make several good points which I won't revisit here. Russell Reno has taken a tact in this book which is the antithesis of the via moderna- modern way. Mr. Russell, using the panorama of redemptive history, challenges the modern views of exegesis which are bound by the propensity for both the unique and technique. His basic premise is that the typology of Church history is a people and savior who are perpetually struggling amidst the ruins. As our saviour was called to a prophetic ministry in the ruins of his day, so too, we are called. Mr. Reno also hearkens back to the practices of the Church Fathers- exegesis and bible study - as sources from which the "wheat" of the Church may be nourished. Summarily, this book is not a mere recapitulation of the writing which already exists on this topic, but approaches this topic from a fresh and novel perspective. Tolle Lege.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended criticism of liberalism in religion, September 12, 2003

By 

a theologian in Texas - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Ruins of the Church: Sustaining Faith in an Age of Diminished Christianity (Paperback)

While focusing on Episcopal Church, this book has a much broader application to Christianity in the Western world in general. The focus on the Episcopal Church is very timely, however, in connection with the Bishop Gene Robinson situation. Reno is critical of both the more conservative (fundamentalist) brand of Christianity, and also of the more liberal brand. Both positions, he argues, view the Church as being in ruins due to sin. Of course, the conservatives and the liberals have very different understandings of what the sin is that has brought about the ruins. Both sides attempt to distance themselves from the ruins, which is the main temptation criticized by Reno. Conservatives try to create enclaves of "holiness" while liberals try to change and fix the world by escaping from the past. The central paradox or irony of liberalism, however, is that the liberal drive to change the world masks an underlying refusal to be changed by God. In my view, Reno is one of the most helpful and insightful theologians writing today. I highly recommend this book.