Customer Reviews

Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church?

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Although I agree that Rick Warren is far over rated in these watered down times, I think Sunquist got a little carried away with some trivial points. Do I think Warren is a compromiser? Absolutely. Do I think he relies far too heavily on psychology? Without a doubt. Do I believe he is a new ager? I don't think I'd go that far, although he's obviously been exposed to it . I believe Warren loves the Lord and wants to do right, I just think he's got his priorities in a wad and he's got some lousy mentors.Although I understand where Sunquist was coming from, he gave the appearance of a conspiracy theorist in his attck of Warren. The book had some interesting points,but I'm not sure I would recommend it. In closing, I'm not really sure I understand how Warren's books got all the recognition they received. They aren't profound, they promote unscriptural methods, and to agree with Sundquist, they use a myriad of translations and para phrases to make a verse say what he wants it to say. What God's people need today is to stop reading all the garbage that's put on the shelves in these ecumenical book stores and get back to studying God's Word .

This is the first time I've given a book the minimum rating.

I bought this book in the hope that it would help me consider whether the Purpose-Driven Life/Church is more 'secular philosophy influencing church beliefs' than 'the church bringing God's revelation to the world'. However, it quickly became apparent that the basis of this book is fundamentally flawed, as the author gets many basic facts wrong.

The problems can best be illustrated by looking at Appendix A, where the author contrasts 'Psychology' with the Bible. I'll describe the errors as they apply to Jungian psychology, as this is one of the main targets for the author in the book and is something of which I have some knowledge.

Example Errors
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(1) Fear of the Lord
Point 1 of the appendix says psychology "counsels no fear of the Lord at anytime.." with the Bible teaching that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Yet Carl Jung wrote: "It is quite right, therefore, that the fear of God should be considered the beginning of all wisdom... Both are justified, the fear of God as well as the love of God" (Completed Works Volume 11, p419).

(2) Jung and atheism
Point 2 of the appendix says "Most founding fathers were atheists or humanists... including.. Jung" In fact, Carl Jung famously asserted his absolute knowledge of God's existence in a BBC documentary made shortly before he died. The atheist Richard Dawkins described Jung as believing in a "100% probability of God" (The God Delusion, p50).

(3) Body, Mind, Soul, Personality... and Spirit
Point 3 of the Appendix declares that psychology does not acknowledge the spirit in man. Yet Carl Jung's writings are packed with discussion of the spirit. Just in case you think that by 'spirit' he really meant 'mind', Jung wrote: "Spirit, like God... cannot be proved to exist in the external world and cannot be understood rationally" (CW 8, p 329). This clearly distinguishes spirit from mind/body/personality, all of which can be studied scientifically/rationally.

(4) Eternal Hope
Point 4 of the appendix contrasts psychology, as offering no hope for eternity, with the Bible that teaches us about our eternal destiny. But Jung's view was that "eternity..[is] the prerogative of the One God". (CW11, p493).

(5) The Holy Spirit
Point 5 of the appendix declares "Psychology doesn't even believe in the Holy Spirit". In contrast, Jung wrote: "the Paraclete [ie: Holy Spirit] is of the greatest significance" (CW11, p433), and "Since the Holy Ghost is the Third Person of the Trinity and God is present entire in each of the three Persons at any time, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost means nothing less than an approximation of the believer to the status of God's son." (CW11, p413).

The author goes on to make 35 points of comparison between Psychology and Scripture, and in regards Jungian Psychology I take issue with most of them. Please don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying that Jung's views should be taken uncritically by any means, he says many things that are highly controversial. But this book is based on straw man arguments.

The spirit in which it is written
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I felt very uncomfortable with the tone taken in the book towards Rick Warren. His name is used several times on most pages, when making points of criticism, giving it the feel of a sustained, personal attack. He is often placed in double-binds (eg: he is criticised for saying that Willow Creek back his programmes, because it is not the Lord's backing!).

Rick Warren is also labelled early on in the book as a 'heretic', which is a very serious charge. But he is then criticised for statements such as "meditation is focused thinking" and "your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon" and "faithfulness has always been a rare quality".

Are these really matters of fundamental heresy to which 1 Timothy 4 might be relevant? They seem to me to be merely disputable matters that fall into the province of Romans 14.

Conclusion
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The Purpose-Driven approach has pervaded the church so much that I think there is a need for a book like this to question and challenge what is happening. Unfortunately, whilst this book may contain fine-sounding argument, it does not contain sound argument, because of the many elementary factual mistakes.

As a researcher I look for an author of a book or article to be able to document facts and present a clear picture of these facts in such a way that helps me to grasp a complete picture of the subject matter. James Sundquist has done this superbly as he reveals only the facts that can easily be proven by taking some time to do some simple research. He gives us a line by line description of the facts; much like expository preaching or teaching of the Bible, line by line. This is an excellent book for someone desiring to find out the real story behind the Purpose Driven Life; it is well written and well documented for any researcher to depend on for accurate information.

I know that Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life is a best seller and many people are thrilled with him but as Christians the Bible tells us that we are to test everything and compare it to the Word of God, even if the teacher is the most popular man on earth. Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church looks to the root of the tree because if the root is rotten then the fruit will also be rotten and the tree is good for nothing and should be cut down. Where is Rick Warren's teaching coming from, the Bible or is it really being brought to us from the elementary principles of the world, New Age teachings or the philosophies of men? James opens our eyes to reveal Warren's questionable sources and all is not good.

I heartily agree with James assessment on the facts regarding the Purpose Driven Church and I would recommend this book for anyone who has read any of the Purpose Driven books, as a follow up, to see how the Purpose Driven Life stands up to the truth of the Bible, line by line as James Sundquist has done for us. This is one book you should have in your library!

James Sundquist's little book is a courageous and accurate documentary detailing Warren's syncretistic worldview and his mastery of pleasing the crowd. While Warren would deny that he is nothing other than an orthodox Christian, his speeches and writings demonstrate a mix of humanism, psychobabble, and other non-biblical approaches to dealing with the woes of men. The biblical gospel is simply not enough for Warren; and his readers and listeners are delighted!

Depending on the venue, anyone can witness Warren's switcheroo techniques. In front of thousands of evangelical men it's one gospel. To the mostly non-Christian/unsaved audience of The Ladies Home Journal (TLHJ) it's quite another. Warren is a master pleaser and is next to impossible to dislike, despite all the deceptions. His recent essays in the TLHJ are solid evidence Warren doesn't really believe that the gospel preached by Paul is enough. In fact, he doesn't even mention it. So much for John 14:6....

As Sundquist demonstrates, Warren is a master at misusing the Scripture. He searches for translations or paraphrases to make his point, irregardless of the context or overall meaning of the passage. It suggests that his greater purpose is to tickle ears rather than preach the truth. For Warren and his followers, the Bible is just full of quirky, unknown mysteries that can be interpreted in dozens of ways, none of which are necessarily correct.

Sundquist's detractors share one thing in common: Like their mentor, they lack either the ability or desire to measure up Warren's words with Scripture. This is not to say that Warren & Co. don't do much good but, as Sundquist notes, America's pastor and his supporters equivocate on core doctrinal issues of the Christian faith. This is one of their most annoying characteristics: It's hard to get a straight and consistent answer from any of them unless, of course, you disagree and then you are simply being divisive -- end of discussion.

But, of course, if careful exposition of the Word is a mere tool to reach another goal then it can be modified or done away with. For the Warrennites, uncritical and blind obedience to their leader trumps everything else. To question Warren in any of his thousands of churches will get you thrown out as divisive. What they really mean is "Don't hold us accountable to Scripture." What a pity - and to their harm.

The end result of sloppy exposition is that Warren's gospel is - well - murky; but everybody loves it. Jesus said "All men will hate you on account of me" so shouldn't an alarm bell go off somewhere? Suffice it to say, Warren's general message is short on repentance, long on feelings, full of pagan psychology, and missing God's hatred of sin. Is it a biblical gospel? According to Scripture itself, it isn't but at least its attractive....

Charles Spurgeon said, "It is never right to do a little wrong to obtain the greatest possible good....Your duty is to do the right: consequences are with God."

The godly character and courage of James Sundquist stands in stark contrast to the darkness that is rapidly descending on the institutional Church because God's people have "forsaken the old ways," and closed their ears to Scriptural truth due to their rebellious and carnal love affair with the world. What James has outlined in his well-researched book is biblical to the core, which, as with any sharp, two-edged sword will bring division. So be it. People need to make a decision to get off of the fence and either choose life or choose death. You either love the Truth, or you don't. No one can serve two masters. No one can please God by bowing down to the false god of psychology, or to the New Age spirit contained within the purpose-driven methodology that has brainwashed multitudes of undiscerning individuals (who are not Spirit-led) as they chase after another "ear-tickling" "wind of doctrine" instead of the Person of Jesus Christ who alone is the answer. May God bless James Sundquist for the courage and character it takes to stand against the ever rising tide of heresy.

If you wish to find the wide gate and the broad way, then do what millions around the world are doing and buy a copy of The Purpose Driven Life. If, on the other hand, it is the strait gate and the narrow way that you seek; spend your money on a version of bible that Rick Warren doesn't recommend, like an old King James; and while you're at it, buy a few copies of James Sundquist's marvelous book: Who's Driving The Purpose Driven Church? and pass them out to all of your infatuated friends and family who have, in all the excitement, traded the wisdom of God for the wiles of men.

Paul Proctor
Franklin, TN
http://www.newswithviews.com

My church went through the 40 day course a couple of years ago, briefing Warren's book it appeared that there was not much to be concerned with. This book brings some of those concerns to light. I read some of the reviews here and it is apparent that people cannot be objective. You either love the book because you don't like Rick Warren's purpose or you hate the book because you love his purpose. Rich Warren's effect on the church is very disturbing, but I am not going to be in the camp of claiming he is the Anti-Christ or false profit either. The greater issue is that we have a Christian community as a whole, that is very undiscerning and seems to think that financial success is Godly success. As Christians we need to seek out the truth. We need to understand how scripture is given to us, we can't make ill-informed statements like the KJV is the "authorized" version. In the same breathe we need to understand that the Message paraphrase is not a Bible version and to quote it, like Warren does many times is foolish.
Back to the book, I liked some of the points that Sundquist points out, some of them are fairly obvious but I felt it was poorly written. I look forward to getting a copy of Bob Dewaay's book as he seems to be more of a Berean than some of the other Warren alertists are.

The book "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church" has been released at last! We have been awaiting this gem ever since we studied the unpublished preview. This book should awake many people from the Purpose Driven Life delusion, imposed on them by Rick Warren.

James' book will achieve what other critiques (as wonderful as they are) could perhaps not do; it has the potential to reach the average Joe and Mary in the pews of Christendom. The sad thing is that the initiated, those of us who have realized what globalism, the United Nations and things like the Dialectic are all about, can relate with gusto to the critiques of the excellent investigators of the New World Order. We can fully understand what they mean about PDL and how it all fits in - praise God for them by the way. But, the average Joe and his wife often do not even believe in such matters, let alone accept the concept of the New World Order. They are unmoved by most of the intellectual, investigative material on PDL. They consider these documents and DVDs to be extreme "conspiracy theory" nonsense! They cannot be reached that way, though it is essential for us to know the depths of deception and its ramifications so we can warn those in leadership positions to keep away from the PDL

James Sundquist, however, has approached the subject of the disasters of PDL from the level of Joe and Mary. He shows them, step-by-step the deceptions, mostly by using Warren's own statements and comparing them brilliantly with Scripture. He does this using the 40 Days of Purpose program itself, simply and clearly uncovering the deadly errors therein. There is much other material of Godly sense in the book, which can reveal the dangers of SHAPE and the psychological indoctrination promoted by Rick Warren. The section on "frequently asked questions by pastors and churches" should convince anyone, unless the reader simply does not want the truth about the satanic PDL. James' responses in this section are really masterful. It can leave anyone reading it without an excuse for continuing in the program.

I can recommend this book whole heartedly, may God bless its distribution.

Wendy Howard, editor of Despatch magazine, Australia.

In "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church?", author James Sundquist examines Rick Warren's latest bestselling book, "The Purpose Driven Life", and finds that Warren has not only made colossal biblical blunders, but has built most of his "purpose-driven" precepts on the "wisdom of the world" and not on God's word. Sundquist, through careful documentation and scriptural evidence, exposes Warren's subtle yet deadly utilization of inaccurate bible paraphrases, humanistic psychology, and the occultic and heretical teachings of Carl Jung, among others. By "testing the spirits" of Warren's teachings, Sundquist has come to the heartbreaking conclusion that the Purpose Driven Church is being driven to spiritual ruin by unbiblical principles that belie its worldly success among unsuspecting evangelicals.

It's time clear off your kitchen table and make room for yourself, your Purpose Driven Life book, a King James Bible and this book "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church" by James Sundquist. As you prayerfully do some good old fashion research, you may find yourself feasting on humble pie...

Seriously, as one who came out of the contemporary church growth movement, I'm thankful for the courage the Lord gave James Sundquist to write "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church". After years of being fed myths through New Evangelical Christian books and preachers, I realized Rick Warren does a fine job of compiling these myths, adding his own myths and mixing in truth to create a grand scale deception. In "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church", James meticulously unravels each myth by pointing us back to the scriptures in their proper context. As you research, you'll be challenged to decide whether you believe all of God's preserved words or continue ignoring His commands and principles you're not comfortable with. You will discover how the King James Bible isn't hard to read and provides complete, accurate instructions for us - nothing missing or deluded. As an added bonus, you'll learn how to study the bible more thoroughly through Mr. Sundquist's example.

Our loving God commanded Ezekiel to dig in the walls of Israel's temple, observe the secret evils done by false religious leaders, preach against them and warn the people -Ezek. 8:7-10; 11:4,25. God's watchman at that time was Ezekial -Ezek 3:17. One of God's watchman in this particular area is Mr. Sundquist. This book is meant to protect God's people.

Are you ready to trust and follow God's Word and help others to do the same? May we humbly heed God's wisdom and warning. May the Lord have mercy on us, allowing us time to repent and get back to feasting on the scriptures and obeying all of the things God commands us. Time is so short.

Thank you Mr. Sundquist.

Christine A. Narloch
EarnestlyContend.com