Christianity without the Christ?
Dr. Michael Horton looks across the landscape of American religion and asks whether "we are well on our way" to "Christless Christianity." He writes in a new book by that title:
I am not asking that question glibly or simply to provoke a reaction. My concern is that we are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for “relevant” quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped, and trusted; Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who has already achieved it for us; salvation is more a matter of having our best life now than being saved from God’s judgment by God himself; and the Holy Spirit is an electrical outlet we can plug into for the power we need to be all that we can be.
A foreword by William Willimon and the opening chapter of the book can be found here. The book, which is set for release next week, can be ordered for half price here. I just ordered a copy, and I heartily recommend it to anyone concerned about the future of Christianity in the United States.
I am not asking that question glibly or simply to provoke a reaction. My concern is that we are getting dangerously close to the place in everyday American church life where the Bible is mined for “relevant” quotes but is largely irrelevant on its own terms; God is used as a personal resource rather than known, worshiped, and trusted; Jesus Christ is a coach with a good game plan for our victory rather than a Savior who has already achieved it for us; salvation is more a matter of having our best life now than being saved from God’s judgment by God himself; and the Holy Spirit is an electrical outlet we can plug into for the power we need to be all that we can be.
A foreword by William Willimon and the opening chapter of the book can be found here. The book, which is set for release next week, can be ordered for half price here. I just ordered a copy, and I heartily recommend it to anyone concerned about the future of Christianity in the United States.
posted by MCO at 5:21 PM
2 Comments:
A very timely book. I'll be interested in reading it as well.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
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