By Bruce Bawer

I got this one from a friend a while ago and finally got around to reading it. I broadly agree with Mr. Bawer’s point – that a legalistic form of Christianity has taken claim to being the “true church” in the popular mind and media. And I agree with most of his diagnosis. This book was written in 1997, so some of the people and arguments are dated. And if updated could be shown how these legalists would use their power for worldly political gain.

I have two broad lines of disagreement. The first is that at times he seems to be as uncharitable in tone as his opponents are. No, he never condemns them to hell. But he does question whether they are truly Christian. And it was this loss of Christian conscious (the idea that each mature Christian has to live according to their Christian conscious in matters of belief) he argues persuasively is what allowed the SBC to be overrun. And he simplifies points of theological history (and other than the Southern Baptist Convention, doesn’t discuss parallel efforts in other denominations and fellowships that were overcame by their fundamentalist wing).

Overall, I found it true – just not charitable.

340 Pages

4/5