Pagan Christianity

By: Frank Viola

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we "dress up" for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles.

Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices. Many Christians take for granted that their churchs practices are rooted in Scripture. Yet those practices look very different from those of the first-century church. The New Testament is not silent on how the early church freely expressed the reality of Christs indwelling in ways that rocked the first-century world.Times have changed.

Pagan Christianity leads us on a fascinating tour through church history, revealing this startling and unsettling truth: Many cherished church traditions embraced today originated not out of the New Testament, but out of pagan practices. One of the most troubling outcomes has been the effect on average believers: turning them from living expressions of Christs glory and power to passive observers. If you want to see that trend reversed, turn to Pagan Christianity...a book that examines and challenges every aspect of our contemporary church experience.

©2008 Frank Viola and George Barna (P)2008 christianaudio.com

it will wreck you

I can't count the number of times I have re-read this (or listened if you prefer) and Viola's other related works: Reimagining Church, From Eternity to Here, Finding Organic Church, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, and Jesus Manifesto. Each one will challenge you to test what you have been doing in institutional religion in a way that will wreck you. I had to set it aside several times before I gained the strength and guidance of other believers around me to start making my move toward organic. We have a long way to go, and still have a lot of unanswered questions, but we are starting to see the fruit of our prayers.

An overdue acclaim

It is no wonder that most of us have never heard about this courageous and commendable work! This is the voice crying in the wilderness! But it is a threat evangelical Christian world would be threatened by it so no doubt it’s not in the church bookstores. Everything your intuition has hinted as one who loves Christ will be affirmed by this book.
It contains profound truth, profoundly stated. No sentence is wasted. Give it your full attention.

Read with reservation, and an open mind...

I am personally thrilled that things I've suspected, noticed and have felt about church for the longest time have been validated through this book. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of it, and the reasons we do everything. Personally, I feel like he got off on a tangent a bit with respect to tithing and baptism... but his points were very valid. I've listened to this book with an open mind, but I don't think I'm ready to run out and never go to church again, as my dad was afraid I'd do. My dad was also very threatened by a lot of the ideas in this book. However, I agree with a lot of what he says. I say to read with reservation because I always have my radar out when reading/listening to any book that professes to be Christian, and I think all Christians need to be wary. But I also kept an open mind to hear some things that might be disturbing. Now that I've read it, I have no idea what to do with the information I have. I am intrigued enough, though, to read some of his other books and am currently beginning re-imagining church.

Totally Life Changing!

This message has the potential to be totally life changing! I only hope that I and others will actually be doers of the Word and not hearers only and thus be the church instead of just going to church.

highly recommend very biblical accurate

absolutely the best book on church history ever
I would recommend this book to every single believer

This will make Church Lady verrrry mad...

I will try to not set off some entrenched church member out there with my review. Some people pan this book as foolishness. I have read the book and I will say that it gives a pretty clear understanding of why American church culture is ineffective today. This book (I have read the hard copy version of it) has footnotes that are exhaustive, pointing to the exact documents or historical manuscripts that prove the "why" of formal, organized church. All I can say is this: Give it an honest go, refraining from listening to attackers of the author and/or the topic matter. You can form your own conclusion, but it can't be a genuine conclusion (for your own sake) unless you finish the book and reflect upon what you see in church today and contrast it with what the first Christian worshippers experienced. This topic is very touchy, but I felt the author did a great job of trying to refrain from "church bashing," even though many detractors will claim otherwise. Someone once said that a mature person has the ability to listen to an idea without the fear that the idea will pollute his current thinking. I would also say that we don't have to throw a wrecking ball at everything we disagree with. Let us submit ourselves to the process of listening far more than we talk, for when we DO talk...our words will be meaningful when they are spoken.

I would like to hear or read more religious books!

I liked it and thought it was very informative 5stars does not do this book justice I want to hear and read more religious books because of this one!

Thought Provoking

compelling. I listened to it in one sitting and am going to do so again immediately. thank you!

Ouch

I have recently started a house Church. Before reading this we had eliminated many “traditions “ in favor of a simple spiritual family. We haven’t gone far enough. I have not made Jesus the center of our gatherings. We will change.

Irritatingly eye-opening

This book is compelling. As an ordained minister of 40 years, the book irritates me. The research shared and premises presented in this book the have a steak fry filled with alot of meat take from my (and the organized churches in general) sacred cows. Do not read this if you want to keep a peaceful life as to your views and methods of the church in general. I am prayerfully processing this revolutionary treatise.