Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Us for Them: Chapter 3: The Coddling of the Church

Us for Them: Chapter 3: The Coddling of the Church

Last updated on: June 17, 2024 at 10:29 am by Roger E. Olson

0 Comments

Us for Them: Chapter 3: The Coddling of the Church 2024-06-17T10:29:02-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Yes, I know, the full title of Chapter 3 is “The Coddling of the American Church.” WordPress doesn’t allow that many bytes in the subject line.

Those who are reading the book with me and who have read this chapter may comment. Others may ask questions.

Austin Fischer blasts American Christians for sorting themselves according to political preferences. He focuses his ire especially on the churches where people increasingly seek a church that leans “their way” politically. “Given the choice, we tend to chose sameness.” (37)

Before I go further, I want to say that I delight in Austin’s writing. It is bold, clear, sparkles with stories and stimulating phrases. It’s insightful and challenging. It pushes the envelope of Christian publishing. It is anything but dull or dreary.

Here’s a typical Austin Fischer sentence about Christians who church shop: “With certain exceptions, leaving is the curse that feels like a blessing whereas staying is the blessing that can feel like a curse.” (41) Of course, the context helps understand what he means.

Here is this chapter’s ultimate paragraph: “Practicing God’s future includes a great many practices but is rendered possible or impossible because of one thing: Our willingness or unwillingness to stop sorting, stay put, spar, and beat our antagonistic swords into plowshares. God’s future becomes present in the form of actual, local, non-metaphorical churches where the gospel is unsorting us into the odd and joyful family we will one day be.” (44)

Now to my response. Of course, as always, I generally agree with Austin but have some questions. When is leaving a church justified? I suspect Austin would agree that there are times when it is justified, but it is not justified due to ideological or political differences. Okay, I can agree, mostly, but then I think of Germany in the 1930s. The Confessing Church left the State Church(es) over politics. The Protestant state churches had by-and-large succumbed to idolatry by almost (and sometimes more than almost) worshiping the new German “Reich” led by Hitler and the National Socialist Party.

Were the Confessing churches justified in departing, in sorting themselves out? Yes, and I’m sure Austin would agree.

But what about today? Is the Global Methodist Church(es) justified in leaving the United Methodist Church? Was the Baptist General Convention of Texas justified in leaving the Southern Baptist Convention? Well, okay, these departures were not overtly about politics, but it is difficult to draw a clear line between politics and anything else.

But I understand that Austin is writing this book from the perspective of a pastor whose church has lost a lot of members (and gained more) due to America’s obsession with “right versus left” politics.

Every book has a context, a background issue, and that’s this one’s. I agree with Austin that American Christianity is too “sorted out” by political preferences.

But I actually enjoy having choices when it comes to churches. I have left several churches WHEN I detected unethical practices on the parts of leaders and/or when I detected a theological drift that I discerned could not be stopped.

I will plan to discuss Chapter 4 in a week.

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure you read this entire chapter. If you did not, you are welcome to ask questions. In any case, make sure your comment or question(s) is/are relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topics, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*

Uncategorized

Previous Post

June 14, 2024

What Were They Thinking?

Next Post

June 19, 2024 The End of the Timeless God?

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"No doubt Lewis was inspired by earlier thinkers. Ironically (or perhaps serendipitously) I am now ..."

Roger Olson

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

"I am sure Lewis would agree. After all, as a Christian he believed in original ..."

Roger Olson

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

"If I’m not mistaken, the quote from Lewis is his interpretation of the “Conditioners’” own ..."

Roger Olson

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

"Thank you! It's been a great re-read of a thought provoking, but somewhat dense, little ..."

Øyvind J. Karstad

The Abolition of Man: Chapter 3: ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In Revelation, what is the correct sequence of events in the End Times?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Dragon cast to earth, beast rises from sea, false prophet rises from earth, mark of the beast given False prophet rises, dragon cast to earth, beast rises from sea, mark of the beast given Mark of the beast given, dragon cast to earth, beast rises, false prophet rises Beast rises from sea, dragon cast to earth, mark of the beast given, false prophet rises