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Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel Of The American Church (2008)

by Michael S. Horton(Favorite Author)

4.23 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0801013186 (ISBN13: 9780801013188)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Baker Books

review 1: At the time I read this book, I was convinced of the Protestant polemics against the Catholic Church. And at the time in which I read this book, I felt even then that the author seemed to state everything twice. The loop in which he retraced his steps was often large, but I felt that it was cyclical nonetheless, thus making this book about twice as long as it could have been.That said, this book is basically a lament that Reformed theology is hard to be found among most ecclesial communities which claim to be heirs of the Protestant Reformers. But what I don't think Horton realizes is that much of the fragmentalization and individualism of our society which has devolved into the "Me" generation, is simply the logical outworkings of Sola Scriptura's continuous unfolding. As... more private interpretation is elevated whenever an institutional church/community/group (the "visible" church, as Horton would identify it in distinction from the "invisible" church) adheres and enforces an interpretation which an individual or group of individuals do not agree is "biblical," the result is always the birth of yet another niche theology which is the perfect expression of Biblical truth in the eyes of its adherents, but heretical in the eyes of its institutional progeny.The fragmentation of the Protestant church is nothing new. I think Horton is merely identifying that the degree of fragmentation is coming to the point where many groups who could once say "we" are now becoming countless individuals who can only say "I." Protestant Christianity has never been unified, and has thus never had the catholicity which is intrinsic to the true Church founded by Christ.So I don't know what this author was expecting. Whenever an individual Protestant christian disagrees with another individual Protestant christian, their heritage gives them license to recite Luther's "Here I stand" speech, and walk away to go found another church. This can only happen so many times before the social cohesiveness of a tradition becomes unglued. If Horton is right, it is sad indeed. But should the blame lie anywhere other than at the feet of the so-called Reformers who he claims got it right?
review 2: Horton relies heavily on sociologist Christian Smith's construct, "Moralistic therapeutic deism," to define the state of contemporary American evangelicalism. But Horton, a noted historical theologian, is able to trace the steps of decay in the history of the church and tie everything together. Horton also takes on many popular preachers of the day to underscore how things are getting worse. If you read this, you'll be shocked. Horton diagnoses the problem and offers the remedy: the gospel, Jesus, catechesis, Word, sacrament. less

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