Is Sunday School Destroying Our Kids: A Book Review

I was reading this book around the same time I read this article: How Secular Family Values Stack Up
A friend texted me that the article was "sad" - when I asked why it was sad, she revealed that she just didn't understand it. So I went on, explaining something that's come up quite a few times recently:
You don't have to be a Christian to be a good person.

And a Christian isn't always a good person.

I don't know where the idea came from that Christianity means following rules, being good, and going to heaven, and not being a Christian meant being bad, sinning, and going to hell. Except that I have some ideas, and I think Jimmy probably had something to do with it.

I'll just let that hang there for a minute...

So then I read some more of this book by Samuel C Williamson: Is Sunday School Destroying Our Kids: How Moralism Suffocates Grace

Let's ignore some basic incorrect information (Williamson says the disciples wrote the Gospels and that Jonah wrote the book of Jonah - Sorry, Sam - that's just not the case). I understand the point he was trying to make, but he basically negates anything he writes by being SO FAR OFF on these points - at least, he writes himself off to people who have knowledge of historical/textual criticism - but let's be honest, there are a lot of people who pretend to but don't really...

So, setting that aside...

There are nuggets of pure gold in the book - as long as you can stand there and sift long enough.

Some examples being:

"What we do" is Pharisaism; "what God did" is gospel." (pg 10)
"Our kids reject Christianity because the can't distinguish it from mere morality." (pg 11)
"Hiding the faults of our heroes robs of us grace." (pg 13)
"This is the evangelical world: we began with the Spirit and end with a to-do list. We accept the gospel, assume others do too, and then we talk about performance." (pg 35)
"Religious righteousness is self-righteousness with a dash of religion. It oozes the arrogance of inner self-goodness as it scorns the evils of the less fortunate; it takes credit for personal success while it altogether forgets grace." (pg 42)

There are other nuggets throughout the book, but I will let you find them yourself - Williamson's point is that grace is what sets us apart from just moralism. Moralism is the rules we follow - the prescriptive sermons we hear - the things that allow us to say "I'm a good person," while forgetting that none of us are actually good enough - but we have grace.

Grace is the thing that sets us apart - it is what makes us good people and Christians. Grace reminds us that everything is a gift, and nothing is because of us. Grace is how we know our worth.

His portrayal of the Pharisees makes sense to me: they started well - with knowledge of God - and eventually became a group of people who followed insane amounts of laws. The church is the same - we began with the experience of Christ - an encounter with grace - and eventually became structures with walls and built morality into our system - a system of rules - Christians don't curse, they don't drink, they don't smoke, they don't gamble.... we sure don't do a lot of things...

This book, as part of a larger conversation taking place around me and around ministry right now fits - because I'm searching for particular things - because my mind is honed in that direction...

I'm also experienced in sifting for nuggets. If you are prepared to not believe everything in particular, to not use this book as a diagnosis or prescription -

Read for pieces of meat to chew on -

But remember it's not suitable as your whole diet.

It is a quick read, though.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

We Will Be Landing Shortly: A Book Review

We Will Be Landing Shortly by Mike Hamel is one of those books that I was really excited to see come across the review list. It served two purposes for me: 1) It was a book that was not strictly theological, so was a 'brain break', and 2) It just looked plain interesting. I was glad for the day when I could settle down and read it.

Mere sentences in, and I was hooked - this book hits me where it hurts, and where I hurt, and where I push through on a regular basis. Hamel bares his soul as he shares his musics through theological questions, grief, and "landing well." The idea of landing well has to do with death - when we get there. His approach to his questions, his honest grapplings, and his use of theologians and other writers, leave the questions unanswered in a way that doesn't hurt. It explores them in a way that reminds you that you aren't alone if you, too, have questions.

This is a book I recommend - whole heartedly. However, I do recommend it with caution - if you are not already exploring your theology, or aren't in a place where you can comfortably wrestle with the images of God presented in many churches, then you won't like the book - plain and simple. If you find yourself already questions where joy and pain come from, how you can still believe what you were taught in Sunday School, or how this world and this life work, then please, please, please read this book. It is beautiful.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.