There's a reprint of a book called "Pagan Christianity" just out that deals with the issue of how far the Church has strayed from its roots. It was first published in 2002, but makes a reappearance now with the endorsement of Researcher/Author George Barna. Among the assertions made is that professional clergy were never intended to be a part of the church.
Just to give you a clue where the author is coming from, the first line of the book is, "Not long after I left the institutional church to begin gathering with Christians in New Testament fashion…"
Click here to see a write-up on this controversial work from Christianity Today.
The sequel to “Pagan Christianity?” is out now. It’s called “Reimagining Church”. It picks up where “Pagan Christianity” left off and continues the conversation. (“Pagan Christianity” was never meant to be a stand alone book; it’s part one of the conversation.) “Reimagining Church” is endorsed by Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Alan Hirsch, and many others. You can read a sample chapter at http://www.ReimaginingChurch.org. It’s also available on Amazon.com. Frank is also blogging now at http://frankviola.wordpress.com/
Posted by: Jill | August 01, 2008 at 05:07 PM