Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church PracticesHave 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, and choirs? This ground-breaking book, now in affordable softcover, makes an unsettling proposal: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is rooted, not 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 and extensive footnotes that document the origins of modern Christian church practices. In the process, the authors uncover the problems that emerge when the church functions more like a business organization than the living organism it was created to be. As you reconsider Christ's revolutionary plan for his church—to be the head of a fully functioning body in which all believers play an active role—you'll be challenged to decide whether you can ever do church the same way again. |
Contents
1 | |
The Church Building | 9 |
The Order of Worship | 47 |
The Sermon | 85 |
The Pastor | 105 |
Sunday Morning Costumes | 145 |
Ministers of Music | 157 |
Tithing and
Clergy Salaries | 171 |
Reapproaching the New Testament | 221 |
A Second Glance at the Savior | 243 |
The Next Step
| 253 |
QA with Frank Viola and George Barna | 261 |
Summary of Origins | 271 |
Key Figures in Church History | 277 |
281 | |
About the Authors | 293 |
Other editions - View all
Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices Frank Viola,George Barna No preview available - 2012 |
Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices Frank Viola,George Barna No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
apostles baptism became began believers biblical bishop called Calvin Catholic choir Christian Church Christian Liturgy Christian Priesthood Examined Christian Worship Church Architecture church buildings church fathers church meeting church planters Clement of Alexandria clergy congregation Constantine contemporary church Corinthians culture dress early church elders Ephesians Eucharist Evangelism F. F. Bruce faith fourth century Frank Viola function gathering George Barna God’s gospel Grand Rapids Greco-Roman Greek Gregory headship Holy house church Ibid idea institutional church Jesus Christ laity living Lord Lord’s Supper Luther medieval minister ministry Niebuhr and Williams Norrington ofJesus ofthe Old Testament order of worship organic church pagan pastor Paul Paul’s prayer Preach orNot Press priest Protestant Worship Protestantism pulpit Puritans Reformation religious Roman sacred Schaff scholar Scripture seminary Senn sermon singing songs spiritual Sunday morning Sunday school teaching Temple Tertullian Testament church theology tithe tradition verses Viola White word Worship and Church