Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion by Kevin DeYoungMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
"This book is not meant to be an apology for nothing but more of the same; rather, it is a plea for realism" so says Kevin DeYoung. Actually, this book is an apology for the 'real' church, contra the anti-institutional, the-church-is-lame crowd's stereotype. DeYoung and Ted Kluck co-author this engaging book which looks at church in its good, bad and ugly aspects. This is a wonderful reminder of how important the church is for believers in any era. It is not just a refutation of the latest 'emergent' trend, and DeYoung thankfully addresses several trends that have attacked the church from the inside. They conclude that typically these movements develop because of coldness to the gospel. If you follow the polling data of George Barna one might conlude that the 'sky is falling' and that the church has lost its way; however, Deyoung walks the reader through the numbers in a way that demonstrates that all is not lost. The great benefit of the book comes as DeYoung reminds us that rather than a Starbuck's Christianity, "daily discipline is not a new revolution each morning or an agent of global transformation every evening; it's a long obedience in the same direction." Ted provides several enjoyable still-in-side-the-church stories which picture the 'daily discipline' necessary to achieve growth in Christ and in His church. This book is not a theologians book on ecclesiology. It is a great reminder of the benefit and necessity of church life--there is no such thing as churchless Christianity.
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