This Little Church Stayed Home: A Faithful Church in Deceptive Times by Gary E. Gilley

Summary

Gary E. Gilley describes the world of post-modernism and its dangers to the Christian church.

Included are a critique of The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, an explanation and critique of Christian Mysticism, and the same for the Emerging Church in his last few chapters.

His major beef with post-modernism is its rejection of absolute. In Christian churches post-modernism manifests as a soft peddling of the gospel, a casual dismissiveness about the inerrancy of the Scriptures, and a watering down of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity.

Gilley criticizes these churches for selling out to gain greater memberships.

What I liked

I agree with most of what Gilley teaches and would probably endorse most of it. Also, his chapter on church discipline is very good, however...


What I didn't like

To begin with, Gilley's summaries of pre-modernism, modernism, and post-modernism are extremely simplistic. His explanation is a little too 'black and white'. This is a forgivable offense, however, because, for the purposes of his book, they are adequate and, for most readers the brief and narrow summary he provides is sufficient.

Second, I found that Gilley used far too few specific examples. He makes many bold criticisms but fails to support them with specific examples. For example, in his criticism of The Purpose Driven Life, he writes:

"If Warren is writing for new believers, which seems to be the case due to the elementary tone and substance of the whole book, he again misses the mark, for he uses many expressions and biblical references that would be unfamiliar to the novice. On the other hand, if he is writing for the mature, he has wasted paper, for any semi-well taught believer will be bored with this book. So, while much praise will surely be lavished on The Purpose Driven Life, it escapes me who will really profit" (p.90).

I find this paragraph insufficient and wasteful. He says that The Purpose Driven Life, "Uses many expressions and biblical references that would be unfamiliar to the novice" but expressions and biblical references such as what? And what is it in this book that will bore any semi-well taught believer? As it stands, this paragraph seems mean-spirited.

Further into his critique of The Purpose Driven Life I found this paragraph:

"A more common form of misuse of Scripture is taking passages out of context. Warren gives this exaggerated promise: 'If you have felt hopeless, hold on! Wonderful changes are going to happen in your life as you begin to live it on purpose', followed up with this quote from Jeremiah 29:11: 'I know what I am planning for you ... I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future' (p. 31). Unfortunately, this is a promise to Israel concerning their future, not a general promise for all people (even Christians) at all times. Just a few chapters later the promise is reversed: 'Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good...' (44:27). In Lamentations 3:38 the same prophet writes, 'Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?' It is strange how people love to claim Jeremiah 29:11 and ignore passages such as these last two. I have yet to find anyone who has claimed Jeremiah 44:27 as their life's verse" (p. 96).

He criticizes Warren for quoting Scripture out of context, but fails to establish the proper context in his critique. That would have been more helpful than the mocking tone he adopts in this paragraph.

These are only two examples of his failure to properly support his arguments, and they were gleaned at a glance. Further rereading would certainly come up with many more.

In his second last chapter, the one on the Emergent Church, Gilley quotes from an interview with Rob Bell and his wife Kristen as a representative of the Emergent Church. What Gilley quotes makes it seem like they are saying that the Bible is subjective. However, it's difficult to tell because Gilley bases this assumption on only two or three quotes lifted from the article and expects us to take his word for it, without further supporting this argument from Rob Bell's actual teachings. Personally, I doubt that Rob Bell believes the Bible is subjective the way Gilley says he does. I could be wrong, but it will take some better-supported arguments to convince me.

Lastly, (this has gone on long enough already, I know...) I felt that the book failed to deliver what it promised in its title. The title of the book is This Little Church Stayed Home: A Faithful Church in Deceptive Times but the book does not describe what a 'faithful church in deceptive times' looks like. Instead it is wholly occupied with what we'd have to call 'the unfaithful church' and why and how it is unfaithful. There is very little positive instruction in this book about how to build and maintain a church that is faithful in deceptive times.

Conclusion

Grudgingly, I have to admit that I agree with almost all of Gilley's critiques. The ones I disagree with are inconsequential. I found The Purpose Driven Life a little too self-centered and a little too 'worksy' when I read it (and Janelle seems to agree), and that is precisely what Gilley points out in his own critique of that book.

Gilley comes across as a little mean-spirited sometimes. However, I know this isn't his intention, but it's the impression he makes.

Overall, I think I would look for a different book on the same subject. I give it 2/5 sold-out churches.