Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna

I must say that Frank Viola and George Barna do an excellent job at explaning the historical roots of the traditions of what we have been calling "church". I am a student of church history myself and have been for about 20 years. It can get quite complex and confusing to the casual reader, but these authors lay it out in a simple and very readable format.

I am an individual who never takes things at face value. I am always questioning the origins and reasons and motivations behind everything we do "in the name of Christ". I discovered many of these same things that Viola and Barna describe in this book many years ago. Why do we have church buildings? Where did they come from? Why do we have pews and pulpits, choirs, and Sunday school classes? Where did the clergy/laity system originate and why? What about one man ministry and the modern day pastorate?

Viola and Barna answer these questions and then back it up with a huge amount of documentation and historical proof. The footnotes are everywhere in this book! So these questions are answered both intelligently and accurately. And many people are upset about this. The fact is that the truth hurts and actually threatens many present systems and financial structures. But truth is truth nonetheless. The brave thing to do is to face these facts head on and then decide what we are going to do about it. Not run and hide in a corner or lash out at the authors. Please don't shoot the messengers! Just see the truth and receive it. If you honestly take these things to the Lord and do your homework, you will see these brothers are telling the truth.

But there is much more at stake here.

The problem isn't so much that we are practicing traditions that are unbiblical. We all have traditions that we practive everyday that have nothing to do with the New Testament.

The problem is that these traditions actually hinder the life of God and the eternal purpose of God from being fulfilled in the Church. That's where the danger lies. First, the fact that we believe these things to be biblical is an outright deception. Second, these practices are hindering God's people from being, living, and functioning as the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, and the House of God. This is why these brothers have written this book. I believe that they honestly want to see God get what He wants!

Please brothers, keep up the good work!

You can order this book by clicking here.

FRANK VIOLA is an internationally known speaker, a house church planter, and the author of six highly acclaimed books on radical church restoration, including Rethinking the Wineskin, Who is Your Covering?, Pagan Christianity, and The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. Frank lives in Gainesville, Florida. You can find out more about Frank's ministry and find out how to order this book by visiting Present Testimony Ministry.