"They Like Jesus But Not the Church" reviews

The book "They Like Jesus but not the Church" finally came out a few days ago. There are two reviews of it so far that I have read:

- Scot McKnight's review here

- Radio talk show host Eric Hogue's review here

This book is for church leaders and those interested in looking at how people outside the church are perceiving the church and Christians from that perspective. I am finishing another book called "I Like Jesus, but not the Church: Following Jesus without  following organized religion" which is due on May 1 and comes out at the end of the year. So I will be working on that one over the next month and a half. That book is for the average person addressing the same issues as the They Like Jesus one but from a non-church leaders perspective.

You can read the Table of Contents, a sample chapter and a list of endorsements of the They Like Jesus book here on the Zondervan web site.

We are developing a web site that will be able to interact about the specific topics in the chapters, but that is yet to come and I will blog about that later.... I am going on vacation later this week and will get to that afterward.

I t will be interesting to see the response to They Like Jesus but not the Church, as I imagine some church leaders won't be too happy about how people view the church or how I agree with a lot that is said about the church. I don't blame them for how many outside the church see us. But there is great hope, if we only realize that we have not been to Jesus-like in many situations or realize how we hide in the Christian bubble and get so entrenched in the strange sub-culture that most people don't get to meet us and build trust in us.

Comments

[kevin]

Dan,

Just wanted to say I picked up a copy of your book (finally) today and am blown away by the first few pages. I am very excited to see what you have to say. Thanks for helping open our eyes to the way that others see us (Christians).

[music]

very interesting.
i'm adding in RSS Reader

[LayGuy]

Hi Dan,

Love the title of the above book. I am currently going around in my community doing street interviews as part of our "Jesus Questions" series at church.

Our conclusions are that people don't like church and because of that, don't like God. But they tend to have a real soft spot for Jesus.

[KS]

As I recall, the quote attributed to Woody Allen on p. 248 was a line spoken by Max von Sydow's character in Hannah and Her Sisters.

Regarding your statement about Founding Fathers who were deists, of the 55 Founding Fathers (delegates to the Constitutional convention), 28 were Episcopalians, 8 were Presbyterians, 7 were Congregationalists, 2 were Lutherans, 2 were Dutch Reformed, 2 were Methodist, 2 were Roman Catholic, 1 is unknown, and only 3 were deists (Williamson, Wilson, and Franklin). My source is Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason, whose endorsement is included in They Like Jesus.

I don't understand why churches only have to purge themselves of conservative views, while it's fine for Democrats to make church appearances, and there seems to be no criticism of Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton mixing faith and politics.

Just my two cents. Overall, I loved the book.

[Friar_Tuck]

Just finished your book. Really good stuff. I am now hoping to share it with others. Wrote a little about some of my personal reflections from the book. If you feel like it, come and check it out.

[Bryan]

Finished the book off early this week. Quite good, I'm waiting for the companion one to come out!

[Denise Douglas]

Just returned from GFSeminary and enjoyed the short morning we had with you. I haven't read the book, but will! I would love to use the video clip of the UofCA students in my sermon on Palm Sunday. Any chance?

Thanks for addressing the "women" issue. I've been in ministry 20 plus years and still run into challenges. My husband works with YFC and a high school principal recently took he and a couple of his staff to a bar after a high-school dance. She made similar comments..."I attended a conference once that I really liked (women of faith),but I don't go to church - they treat women like second-class citizens." Thanks for doing what you do.

Denise Douglas

[Bob Pratico]

Dan,

I've got your book on my to-read list. After wrestling with this topic for a few days, I offer 10 Warning Signs Your Church Is Becoming Irrelevant at http://sojournhuntsville.org/blogs/bob_pratico/2007/03/12/10_warning_signs_your_church_is_becoming_irrelevant

Blessings,

Bob

[AJ]

Dan...

Can the bubble be good?

[joo coo coo]

GOD says,

Listen to my wisdom, my son. This is God himself speaking to you. The following statement is shrowded in mystery, but it is the truest statement you will hear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj0vfU0vFSs

"EMERGENT IS THE "AMEN-BROTHER" BEAT OF THE CHURCH"

-GOD

[Lon Snyder]

When I checked for it on amazon I saw two titles; "I like..." and "They like..." All the buzz is centered around the latter.

What's the variance betwixt them?

LNS

[Plastic Flamingo]

Great words about having Christianity without religion, Dan.

Have you seen what I consider the best Christian magazine, Plain Truth Magazine. Free one year subscription: ptm.org.

These people came out of the Worldwide Church of God, founded by cult leader, Herbert W. Armstrong. They are now fully evangelical and saying great stuff. Wow, we were around dozens of them when they came into our church in CO, years ago. At the end of worship, they would beweeping, because of the love of the Lord, the love of the brothers and sisters and the lack of condemnation.

I could not believe that cult members would come out and learn the truth and become fully alive in Christ.

The subhead in their cover masthead: "Christianity Without Religion". Greg Albrecht, the leader, was 33 pastor in a cul. Mag comes out every other month.

Especially check out Steve Brown's monthly article.

Can't wait to read your book. Have told my twenty and thirtysomething kids about it. They are sick of all the pretentiousness in churches.

One of the couples has gone from contemp Presbyterian church to Episcopal/Anglican. If I said one of their names, y'all would know him.

Their worship is ancient, modern and in one word... heavenly. Evangelical preaching, truly vintage (ancient/future). Wow, it is fun to go to worship again.

The only other alternative, I think, is the great house church movement with all the "fed ups" who have left the TC- Traditional Church.

Also, this has been on my mind for years. Since tons of people came to Jesus from the Armstrong chult years ago, what would happen if our wonderful friends in the Mormon Church came fully to the Light of "grace through faith"? I am praying for that.

Plastic Flamingo, a 64 year old guy who is also fed up with the traditional church; and who is fully on the Canterbury Trail, wow!

[Blake Thomas]

Dan,

I appreciated your section on the "Christian Bubble." There is so much truth to the fact Christians slowly get drawn into this subculture. I am a pastor and I have the same struggles you had and it has made me rethink how I spend my time. I may be a fundamentalist Southern Baptist! but there are some things you and I can agree upon.

[Blake Thomas]

Dan,

I appreciated your section on the "Christian Bubble." There is so much truth to the fact Christians slowly get drawn into this subculture. I am a pastor and I have the same struggles you had and it has made me rethink how I spend my time. I may be a fundamentalist Southern Baptist! but there are some things you and I can agree upon.

[matt]

Have the book, thanks for signing it at NPC. Our next meeting at school I have to talk about how the questions of the Emergent church are tied to the questions we need to be asking in Christian education...

I'll get back to you.

[Jody]

I read the excerpt and I think it's great! I'll definitely be checking this out.

[D Rho]

Can't wait to check it out. I've been thinking and writing about this for a while now, and can't wait to read what people you're talking to are saying. I like what you're doing and the questions you're asking.

[Kester Smith]

I didn't realize, until picking it up, that so much of the book is about leaving the office and going to community. This has been a huge part of the core values of Immanuel, our church plant in Austin. I've started compiling a series called "How Vocational Work Saved My Ministry." Working and living with the people you are looking to reach makes a huge difference. Thanks for writing this.

[brad]

Well done, keep up the great work, regardless of what others might say.

[phil]

Hey Dan,
So the book is officially in stock at Amazon now? I ordered it from Amazon yesterday, and it said it's giving me a delivery estimate of April 4. It says it's in stock now on the product page. I don't quite understand what's up with that. It could be just a glitch or something with them. I've had their delivery estimates be way off before.

[phil]

Hey Dan,
So the book is officially in stock at Amazon now? I ordered it from Amazon yesterday, and it said it's giving me a delivery estimate of April 4. It says it's in stock now on the product page. I don't quite understand what's up with that. It could be just a glitch or something with them. I've had their delivery estimates be way off before.

[Carol]

My husband bought this for me for Valentines Day...I have read the first 2 chapters so far. I love it. Our Annual Conference is doing an evangelism focus for four years beginning 2008. I LOVE this idea of evangelism and use this idea in our emerging worship experience on Thursday nights which reaches mostly homeless and marginalized individuals.

[Kester Smith]

Look forward to picking this up. Just finished the 5 perspectives, and was really challenged by it. If the mood ever hits you,come check out my blog and leave a comment. I value your opinion.

[Robert]

Glad its out. I need to pick it up and read it soon. I am sure this is going to provoke more blogging thoughts. Once I finish blogging Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Church I'll put this one in line.

[Dan]

Chuckk, the dashboard Jesus cover is the "I Like Jesus" cover. So that one is
http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/ProductDetail.htm?ProdID=com.zondervan.9780310254188&QueryStringSite=Zondervan

you can the extremely beatiful cover there.

[chuckk gerwig]

I still like the ashboard Jesus blurry cover choice better :)

Can't wait to read it dan. I'll pick one up soon. Cheers Hemingway!

[Kelly Burch]

Well my friend, because of the wonderful bureaucracy called Immigration New Zealand, I have a lot of time on my hands. Perhpaps I'll pick up a copy and give it a read.

Serioulsy though Dan...well done good and faithful servant! I am sure there will be folks that disagree or disapprove of some of your stance...but I am sure it will spark healthy discussion among mission minded followers of Jesus.