tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post7512147541944608897..comments2023-06-09T12:46:12.932-04:00Comments on The Voice Of One Crying Out In Suburbia: Book Review: Pagan ChristianityArthur Sidohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03848508095612688493noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-79677772725132906742010-08-28T22:38:12.714-04:002010-08-28T22:38:12.714-04:00While you're reading Witherington's review...While you're reading Witherington's review, you may also want to read John Zen's response here: <a href="http://www.paganchristianity.org/zensresponds1.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.paganchristianity.org/zensresponds1.htm</a>.<br /><br />-AlanAlan Knoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07452247058550736803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-43650577049096144672010-08-28T21:23:39.191-04:002010-08-28T21:23:39.191-04:00Mark,
I posted my reply in the form of a post:
h...Mark,<br /><br />I posted my reply in the form of a post:<br /><br />http://thesidos.blogspot.com/2010/08/pale-shadow.html<br /><br />Can I ask, have you read Pagan Christianity in its entirety or are you relying on a review from someone else?Arthur Sidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03848508095612688493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-45683590754940336552010-08-28T17:13:15.443-04:002010-08-28T17:13:15.443-04:00Art,
You said, "The big issue is that in rea...Art,<br /><br />You said, "<i>The big issue is that in reading the New Testament and holding what we see up to the institutional church, we don't see anything similar at all.</i>"<br /><br />You seriously do not see "anything similar" in local churches?<br /><br />Along the same thought, would you say that you see an exact representation of New Testament churches in today's house churches?Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410144337505012175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-12710244307078262662010-08-28T14:18:10.728-04:002010-08-28T14:18:10.728-04:00Mark,
Thanks for the links!
Witherington's r...Mark,<br /><br />Thanks for the links!<br /><br />Witherington's review is certainly lengthy and peppered with appeals to his expertise. I have to say that I found his criticisms to be fairly uninspiring. The big issue is that in reading the New Testament and holding what we see up to the institutional church, we don't see anything similar at all. As I mentioned in my intro, I came to many of the same conclusions about the institutional church on my own. PC merely reinforced what I had already come to realize.Arthur Sidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03848508095612688493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-14517684181079815752010-08-28T13:40:46.608-04:002010-08-28T13:40:46.608-04:00I think Ben Witherington's response to this bo...I think Ben Witherington's response to this book is the best. You can find the links <a href="http://reformedbaptist.blogspot.com/2008/07/ben-witheringtons-response-to-pagan.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410144337505012175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-73046799075282816862010-08-23T13:10:54.761-04:002010-08-23T13:10:54.761-04:00Noel,
I haven't read either one. You can prob...Noel,<br /><br />I haven't read either one. You can probably find Pagan Christianity at your library, that is where I got it although I might buy a used copy at some point.Arthur Sidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03848508095612688493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-41979409647105612692010-08-23T12:54:39.735-04:002010-08-23T12:54:39.735-04:00Another one for my list! I've just finished &...Another one for my list! I've just finished "The Irresistable Revolution" and am reading "Blue Like Jazz". I'm curious if you've read/reviewed either of those?Noel Gigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15810163138464683479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-11392182373442132052010-08-23T12:20:24.329-04:002010-08-23T12:20:24.329-04:00Arthur,
It is amazing how much we think alike. I...Arthur,<br /><br />It is amazing how much we think alike. It's almost freaky sometimes considering that we haven't ever met.<br /><br />I'm going to avoid your question just a bit for now. Suffice it to say that I'll be answering it through my actions (which I'll write about on my blog) very clearly within the next month or so. Thanks for asking!Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07306854704766653209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-73693431014526972232010-08-23T12:11:24.126-04:002010-08-23T12:11:24.126-04:00Eric,
I remember reading your review but I missed...Eric,<br /><br />I remember reading your review but I missed all of the comments afterward to my chagrin. I find that a lot of people refer me to "Why We Love The Church" as if that is the end all and be all of defending the traditional institutional church. You and I both read and reviewed it and found it wanting. I don't think it is a stretch to say that if "WWLTC" is the best defense of the institutional church out there, the institutional church is in worse shape than I thought.<br /><br />So I am curious, some four months after reading Pagan Christianity, what are you feeling led to do about what you read?Arthur Sidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03848508095612688493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-90490066657454294982010-08-23T10:58:55.962-04:002010-08-23T10:58:55.962-04:00Arthur,
I was greatly challenged by this book as ...Arthur,<br /><br />I was greatly challenged by this book as well. The information is shocking and almost overwhelming. I do wish that it had been written in a bit more gracious tone, but nevertheless the data is amazing.<br /><br />I wrote a review of this book back in April of this year. It is interesting to read through the comments. Three pastor friends of mine (you can tell who they are by their comments) commented against this book. Interestingly, they gave very little-to-no biblical data to support their complaints.<br /><br />This book is a direct threat to the modern clergy system in this country. It's no wonder many traditional church pastors do not like Pagan Christianity at all.<br /><br />Here is the link to my review and the comments:<br /><br />http://eric-carpenter.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-book-beat-me-up.htmlErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07306854704766653209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-34925159525073459332010-08-23T10:30:29.124-04:002010-08-23T10:30:29.124-04:00Jason,
There is not a ton about the OT worship pa...Jason,<br /><br />There is not a ton about the OT worship patterns in the book. The focus is really in the NT witness. I would agree with the authors in this emphasis in that it seems that using the synagogue system leapfrogs from the OT to the traditional church with very little attention paid to what the NT has to say about the church. You should definitely read it, it is not terribly long and you could probably knock it out in a weekend if you had the time.Arthur Sidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03848508095612688493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643715.post-83316409724000204372010-08-23T10:16:43.051-04:002010-08-23T10:16:43.051-04:00I haven't read this yet, but it's on the l...I haven't read this yet, but it's on the list. One critique I've heard over & again is that the authors completely discount or ignore the influence of the OT in worship & ignore the correlations to the synagogue system the church modeled itself after. Did you see similar?Jason Anspachhttp://jonspach.comnoreply@blogger.com