Customer Reviews

Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See

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This book was recommended to my church's theology reading group that meets each week. While not a deeply theological book, it has a poignant practical theology that I believe churches need to be reminded of.

Trolls and Truth is both an easy read and a difficult read. It is easy because I was captivated by the writing, and the simple text speaks deep truths. It is a difficult read because I saw so much of it that was true and in need of change in many churches. Dorrell speaks of several items taught in my church growth classes, such as the socio-economic barrier, and how we struggle with trying to bring different members or levels of people in society together to worship. As a pastor of a church under a highway overpass in Waco, Texas, Dorrell draws on examples from his congregation to point out basic Scriptural, but often overlooked, under-emphasized, ignored examples or teachings simply not acted upon. He points out that we should include everyone in church, teaching them what is right and not compromising the teachings of Scripture to soften the blow of Truth, while trying to regerate all types of sinners with profound love. The first half of the book is on overcoming barriers we find creeping into the church from society. The second half deals with social actions we, as Christians, should perform. These social actions are to be conducted while adhering strictly to Scripture, and should not be confused with church social actions that often accompany syncretism.

The writer points to the fact that we often get so wrapped around the axel of theology regarding works and grace that we often deny our calling to works and that regeneration and works are present in those saved. We often get so wrapped around the axel of production in the service that we leave out the important aspects such as inclusion of those less fortunate. Often people know what is right, yet fail to do it- fail to help those in need- fail to include in worship those that don't meet the social standard- fail to follow the examples given in Scripture.

This is not a Christian social-action text that minimizes conservative Scriptural truths while attempting to motivate.

This is a superb read that I would recommend to all Christians, as it is a fresh look at the big picture of how we should act as Christians.

This is an excellent book.
Jimmy's focus on those who the church often ignores is great.
It's a real eye opener to realities that we ignore on our side of the tracks. I with Jimmy would have footnoted some of the statistics that he gives.

"Every city has a group of troll-like rejected misfits," writes Dorrell. "They are the homeless, the prostitutes, the greedy, and the addicts. These are the people on the fringe to whom churches close their doors, the ones you move away from on the pew. They are the marginalized, rejected, and forgotten cultural lepers who lurk outside your church. They are the most unlikely prophets of all." These "prophets"--these trolls--are those who must speak to seminary students before they ever get ordained to ministry. I wish I had known of this book when I was teaching my course on Gospel and Western Culture at Calvin Seminary--where I ended up being a troll, at least in the minds of the administration ("My Calvin Seminary Story"). My students would have benefited greatly by these powerful stories.

"Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God." So says Jesus in Matthew 5:3. The meaning of those words are quit profound. Those who are citizens of the Kingdom are poor in Spirit. The poor are helpless and desperate. Those who spiritually come to God broken and hopeless will enter the Kingdom of God.

It is verses like this that has lead many to emphasis ministry among the poor. And rightly so. Jesus has come to redeem the marginalized, broken, and poor along with the rich, the selfish, and powerful. The Church has always understood this, but many have refused to reach people of every race and socio-economic status. Author Jimmy Dorrell has not. Dorrell has made the focus of his ministry on reaching the poor. In his book, "Trolls & Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See," Dorrell writes from his experience working with the poor and how the Evangelical Church needs to return to their mandate to serve the poor, the needy, the abandoned, the outcasts, and the homeless.

But there is a danger here. The social gospel. During the heyday of Protestant Liberalism, a movement arose lead by Walter Rauschenbusch who turned the gospel to a social movement that eliminates poverty, war, and environmental damage rooted in a here-and-now understanding of the Kingdom of God. In response, many conservative Evangelicals have completely abandoned the social aspect of the gospel and emphasized only the future hope of the kingdom.

Dorrell considers this a serious problem. In his book, Dorrell lays out 14 realities that the Church must face if she wants to be faithful to the gospel. Dorrell calls on Christians to serve the poor, use their gifts, be unified yet diverse, worship and dance, and stop getting distracted by useless debates over things like musical styles.

Dorrells words are challenging, yet needed for the Church to hear. We have gone too far in our reaction against the social gospel (which is only revamping now in postmodernism). Dorrell challenges us to have a more holistic gospel that confronts the injustices of the world and society, defend the defenseless, and love the loveless. For that is a major part of the gospel.

Overall, this is a good read full of exhortations that we all need to heed. But I do have one major problem with this book. It is good for the Church to be called to serve others and practice a more holistic gospel, but to say nothing about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is a major problem with me. Dorrell is right in raising these issues, but to say nothing about the cross only encourages people to go the other extreme and return to the social gospel.

From my impression of Dorrell and his book, the author affirms the gospel including the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But it would have been nice if he had mentioned it. Otherwise, read this book and let your heart be broken and spread the gospel; the whole gospel.

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This a great book for ANYONE interested in either Social Justice or Christianity to read! I'm not a Christian, but a Thread on the Amazon.com Religion forum led to me picking this up, and reading it avidly. It's a clearly-written book that challenges everyone who claims to be a Christian to "Walk the walk as well as talking the talk." Jimmy Dorrell doesn't sanitize the truths of poverty, homelessness, body odor, substance addiction, or dealing with with people tottering on the edge of the cliff, knowing that some will fall off. But that only makes the victories sweeter, and more inspiring.

This is a really straight forward presentation of realities of today's church and the issues that we need to address to move forward in seeing real change. Even though the focus might seem to be on the poor, the truths presented here are valid in any context and every community. I wish every pastor, ministry leader, christian would read this book.

Great book! Challenging, opens the mind to see the problems better with real life 'in church' examples...read "Dave" review.

He has already said it for us...great review Dave (Dave C. Leaumont).

This was a most inspirational book and calls into question the practices of our traditional churches. It is disturbing in the best kind of way.

I had heard the name Jimmy Dorrell for years. The founder and leader of Mission Waco and Church Under the Bridge pastor was well-known as a friend of the marginalized in Central Texas. But recently I got the chance to spend some time with him, and now we're working together on a project. When we met the first time, he gave me a copy of his book "Trolls and Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See." The book was written in 2006, but remains as timely now as it was then.

Jimmy tells the story of several of the people he's met in ministry over the years, people that "regular" society might see as trolls. And in telling the story of these men and women, Jimmy prophetically exposes the truths that most of us in the US Church don't like to think about: our churches are not made for down-and-outers. They don't try to attract the marginalized. And in so doing, we're missing out on the kingdom, or at least a big part of it.

The chapters deal with practical topics, like looks, giving, blessing, worship and more, and cut to the quick of our idealized churches made up of people who only want the proverbial "$2 worth of God," not the whole enchilada. But Jimmy's friends are people who desperately need God, and nothing else will do.

My favorite chapter--the one that convicts me the most too--is on friendship. Society's "trolls" ultimately don't need just our help, they need our friendship. All too often, even for someone like me who tries to identify with (whatever that means) and work among under-resourced people and communities, our "service" to those in poverty is "in and out." We serve turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving. We deliver some gifts at Christmas. We go on a 5 day mission trip to south Dallas, or to Mexico. All of these can be effective, if a part of a greater strategy. And that strategy is to be genuine, authentic friends with people, regardless of their race, their socio-economic status, their mental capacity, whatever. This whole idea that Jesus ate with sinners is amazing, and life changing. He ate with them. He didn't just serve them food (although he did that) and he didn't just preach them a sermon (although he did that too), he ate with them. He walked with them. He lived life with them.

He was one of them.

May I be one of them too.

Great book for a devotional read, shortish chapters that you could read one a day in 15 or 20 minutes.

This a powerfully written and right on book detailing the downfall of our churches AND society by pushing aside the homeless and the hurting in our communities. We MUST do a better job of doing "What Jesus Would Do". At the blink of an eye WE, each and every one of us could find ourselves in the same circumstance. This book will open your eyes and hearts to "GET OFF THE BENCH AND INTO THE GAME" of loving and serving those less fortunte. READ IT AND RECOMMEND IT TO ALL YOU KNOW!!!!