"It takes no courage to sign up as a Protestant." These words open this bold new text - the summa of David Wells's critique of the evangelical land...
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Aug 10, 2011
Shelley
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What comes to mind when you hear the word "evangelical?"
- Mega-churches fully equipped with their very own Starbucks, a pastor-comedian, stadium-style seating, larger than life projectors, hobby-themed rooms in which like-minded enthusiasts can watch entertaining, pop-culture-laced sermons, streamed through a screen
- Telemarketing scam-artists wearing pink wigs
- George W. Bush
- Charismatic summer camps where kids are peer-pressured into speaking More...
- Mega-churches fully equipped with their very own Starbucks, a pastor-comedian, stadium-style seating, larger than life projectors, hobby-themed rooms in which like-minded enthusiasts can watch entertaining, pop-culture-laced sermons, streamed through a screen
- Telemarketing scam-artists wearing pink wigs
- George W. Bush
- Charismatic summer camps where kids are peer-pressured into speaking More...
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Jul 28, 2011
David
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In The Courage to be Protestant, David Wells notes there are three major groups splintering within the evangelical church now that threaten the entire movement's original cause (though one of them is remaining faithful and seeks to preserve it). There are smaller groups that are splintering of course, but the focus is on the three major movements. The word "evangelicalism" is rooted in the word "evangel" which means Gospel. This was the fundamental basis upon which the phrase
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Aug 03, 2009
Ryan
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I received this book last year from a dear friend from my seminary days and found it quite outstanding. Apparently this is a condensation of Wells’ previous books with some updating and adaptation. Wells is a gifted writer and lucid thinker who demonstrates an amazing grasp of contemporary evangelicalism. I was disappointed with a few of his conclusions simply because I felt like some of the problems Wells addressed flowed from their repudiation of separation both ecclesiastical and personal — p
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Aug 01, 2011
Timothy
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This is a good book that sumarrizes his previous writing and moves beyond it in some ways. This summation lacks the footnotes and the technical detail of some of his other work. Nevertheless, this is a great book to encourage Christians to be serious about being Biblical and recognize the how true theology should shape the way we do things. Wells is quick to point out the alternate agendas of others are based on false unbiblical theologies. He also shows how Christians today have too quickly cav
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Aug 24, 2011
David
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A stinging indictment of contemporary evangelicalism, Wells' criticism is something that we need to hear. Arguing that the modern church has capitulated too much to American consumerism, Wells calls us back to such things as high church membership standards, Biblical fidelity, and the notion of God's transcendence.
This is an excellent book and pastors especially will be challenged by it. Too often we shape our pastoral methodologies solely by pragmatism. Wells challenges us to be th More...
This is an excellent book and pastors especially will be challenged by it. Too often we shape our pastoral methodologies solely by pragmatism. Wells challenges us to be th More...
Feb 06, 2012
Alexis
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Professor David Wells has written four books on the topic of Protestantism in the postmodern world: No Place for Truth, God in the Wasteland, Losing our Virtue, and Above All Earthly Pow'rs. This book is, in a sense, both a summary and an expansion of those books.
Wells thinks well about the issues raised by the 'marketers' (those treating church as a business, aka mega-churches and seeker-oriented churches) and the 'emergents'. He delves deeply into the theological issues raised b More...
Wells thinks well about the issues raised by the 'marketers' (those treating church as a business, aka mega-churches and seeker-oriented churches) and the 'emergents'. He delves deeply into the theological issues raised b More...
Nov 17, 2009
Kyle
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An excellent read and challenging critique. This book is a summary of Wells' previous 4 volumes, so at times I wished I could have gone deeper into some of his arguments in order to fully understand them. But nonetheless, a very challenging, edifying, and refining read for me. Wells challenges the church "Let God be God" in the church and cling to the solas of the reformation. Here is a quotation that is close to capturing both the thesis and the tone Wells uses throughout the book
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Sep 06, 2011
William
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The five books by Wells are a must read for every Christian today. They show the theological and moral bankruptcy of the modern church and calls for a theological reformation.
The books are:
1. No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?
2. God in the Wasteland: The Reality of truth in a World of Fading Dreams
3. Losing our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover its Moral Vision
4. Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ in a Postmodern World
5. The More...
The books are:
1. No Place for Truth or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?
2. God in the Wasteland: The Reality of truth in a World of Fading Dreams
3. Losing our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover its Moral Vision
4. Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ in a Postmodern World
5. The More...
Jul 02, 2009
Sean
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I've enjoyed every Wells book I've read. In CTBP, he continues to address issues of truth, theology, and authority in our current evangelical culture with a different way of describing things than my usual (small) circle of reading. His criticisms of marketers and emergents in the church were poignant, sometimes humorous, though probably easy.
The failure of the book, from my perspective, is that Wells never turned the guns on the truth-lovers. It can't possibly be that the marketers More...
The failure of the book, from my perspective, is that Wells never turned the guns on the truth-lovers. It can't possibly be that the marketers More...
Jul 27, 2011
Daniel
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If you want a book that explains what it is to be honest about our Christian faith then this is the book for you. If you would rather hide out and play games with people don't read this book. This book challenges Christians not to be wimpy in our time. Awesome!
Jul 24, 2011
Chris
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Read this one over the course of a year with a group of friends over breakfast on Thurs. mornings. An eye-opening an honest assessment of the modern evangelical church.
Jul 19, 2010
[summer 2008] reading this w/ some guys from church. as much as i've heard about wells, i've never read anything by him. this seems like a good introduction, as it is in large part a summary of his previous (four, long) books. (all authors should be so kind.) not too far into it yet, but he mainly has in view those he calls "the marketers" (i.e. the mega-church movement) on the one hand, and on the other those he calls "the emergents" (i.e. those associated with the emerg
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Mar 11, 2009
Jerry
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Wells does a great job of evaluating the path evangelicalism has taken in the last 75 years, including the exchange of truth for relevance.
Jan 10, 2009
Douglas
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A fitting contribution to Wells' ongoing demolition of the pretensions of contemporary evangelicalism.
Aug 28, 2011
Andrew
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I have to start right away with my biggest problem with the book because it affects how the premise of the book works. The title is awful: the book should really be titled The Courage to be Evangelical, not Protestant. Within this framework, Wells does an excellent job of evaluating and challenging Evangelicals in their theology and practice of life. He fails miserably at attempting to make these evaluations and challenges applicable to Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Charismatic, Nazarene, Pentec
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Feb 14, 2009
Joseph
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This book is a summary of about 10 years in research. I have not read those other books, but from what I see, this book is a dense edifice, covering many topics vast in breadth and depth with great skill. The author explains how philosophy has affected "how we do church" today, how that has negatively affected the church deeply, and where we ought to be instead -- centered on the word. Good book, but very difficult to read in some parts.
Oct 11, 2010
Mike
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Great book. It describes the culture (Postmodern) we live in very well and points out not only the problems, but solutions. He hammers the modern church for letting postmodernism rule instead of Jesus. I recommend this to anyone who doesn't think he/she needs to read it. You others should read it too.
Jul 19, 2008
I am thoroughly enjoying this analysis and assessment of the contemporary Evangelical scene. It is especially pungent on the megachurch and emergent/emerging church movements.
Nov 16, 2008
Junior
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" It is no surprise to learn, then, that almost half of America thinks that the Bible, the Koran,and the Book of Mormon all have the same spiritual truths"
Aug 16, 2010
Larry
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Excellent book. I've heard most of what Wells says, but it was well-worth hearing again. This is a good reminder of what's really important.
Sep 03, 2010
I love this work, fifth I believe, in a series by David Wells. The decline of evangelical, Reformed Protestant theology in the church is Wells's concern.
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