Customer Reviews

Tradition, Opinion, and Truth: The Emerging Church of Christ

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

 

 

For the message alone this book should get 5 stars. The message of unity between all "factions" of the Church is essential for growth and to lead the lost to Christ. However, this is a review of the book as a whole and I found it lacking, that is 1 star. Hence the title of this review, 5+1/2=3 stars.

What I found in this book is mostly opinion, more opinion and a little scripture. I must admit that I have yet to finish it so maybe it redeems itself in the end chapters/segments. Still, I am finding it a difficult read not due to the message but the messenger. The writing is stilted and the format confusing. It seems to be a random grouping of essays by the listed author and one other person, Buff Scott, Jr. There is at times a flow between one section and the next but overall, no. The authors have a section quoting leaders from the Restoration movement and church history but no citing. Basically, "This is what they said but you'll have to work to verify it if you want to." The other difficulty for me is most of the time I don't recognize the church the writers are criticizing. There are vague similarities to the congregations and church leaders I have known but that is all.

The book while worth reading can be summarized in this: Look to Christ for unity and for wisdom with all Church brethren. Don't treat your opinion or your traditions as law avoiding the trap of legalism. To me, the rest of the book is just filler and the authors' opinion and criticism of the Church as a whole based on their experiences.

This is a challenging, enlightening book. It targets legalism, small thinking and the bondage associated with both. It offers answers to some hard questions, and raises even more. While not everyone will agree with everything in it (although I think I did), it is a stimilating and refreshing read. I wholeheartedly recommend it. You will be better for having read it.

I agree that the flow of the book was odd, but the overall message came across very clearly once you finish the book. One gripe is that he uses the "upper room" argument, which I find to be a very weak argument. There are better ones out there I believe. If you are in the CoC or thinking of "identifying" this is a good book to read to make sure you are "owning" your interpretations. Let us all in the CoC learn to think for ourselves and not depend on our ancestry to "figure it all out for us". Let us not be merely indoctrinated.

First, the negatives- this books oddly falls off a cliff halfway in. The book is clicking along nicely concerning theology problems inside the church of Christ then, for no apparent reason, there are a few essays about the big bang and other seemingly non-related subjects. Then, as strangely as it began, the book returns to the subjects of tradition verses opinion verses truth in the churches of Christ.

Don't let the weird warble turn you off to this book. It is an excellent collection of short articles about problems with the doctrine of the church of Christ. Wait! Members of the churches of Christ will tell you they have no doctrine except the Bible! Of course, that is where this book is excellent. It's not what the Bible says, but how it is interpreted and it takes a close look at what is actually tradition and Biblical teaching.

This is a fine book and any one who is a member of the church of Christ needs to read it.

This fascinating and very readable series of short essays on issues in the churches of Christ is a real wake up call. The authors ask many intriguing and challenging questions about subjects such as legalism, tradition, hermeneutics, evangelism, the eldership, and worship, to name just a few. Although I do not agree with all of the book's conclusions, the authors do ask many good questions that clearly are on the minds of members of the church today. I recommend this book for church leaders and other mature Christians with strong critical thinking skills who are capable of, to borrow a phrase from the book, "owning their own interpretations."

The book deals with the progressive agenda within the churches of Christ during the turn of the century. The book highlights some concerns of the author over rigid patternism. The book is a call to unity. The major problem of the text is that the author infuses much opinion into the prose. The topics are relevant, but before one is to buy into his system, there must be more argumentation for his believes. There must be deeper investigation into these points of view. The author has drunk deeply of Leroy.