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Old Time Religion: Healthy Churches In Rural Places
Old Time Religion is the beautiful and severe religious heritage of my home. If we want the rural church to be renewed, we must understand our religious inheritance. Only then will we begin to see healthy churches in rural places. Old Time Religion is not only an expression of faith but a way of life in rural places. The legacy of Gospel ministry in many communities stretches back nearly two hundred years. Yet, that legacy is starting to fade. Too many churches are unhealthy, declining, or in crisis. From altar calls to apple butter, Old Time Religion examines the life and ministry of the rural church while offering practical suggestions for pastors, leaders, and members to work together towards building healthier churches. Rural Church VoicesOld Time Religion and Rural Mission are the first works in a series of resources to encourage and equip the rural church. Rural Church Voices is a small collaboration of leaders who care deeply for the rural church and long to provide voices of support through writing, speaking, and practical training.
127 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 12, 2021
Truly hated such a low rating because I believe that Jason and I share much in common in terms of what we want to see happen in our region, namely that people would come to know Christ and have a robust knowledge of the Bible.
The reality is OTR wasn't well written. Many sections and paragraphs seemed irrelevant to the chapter title or section heading. Typos abounded. It was often difficult to read, not out of depth of thought but because I wasn't entirely sure what point was being made.
As stated above, I hate such a low rating but it won't do anybody any favors to not speak plainly on this work.
The reality is OTR wasn't well written. Many sections and paragraphs seemed irrelevant to the chapter title or section heading. Typos abounded. It was often difficult to read, not out of depth of thought but because I wasn't entirely sure what point was being made.
As stated above, I hate such a low rating but it won't do anybody any favors to not speak plainly on this work.
July 12, 2021
I was looking forward to reading the Rural Voices books seeing as I am a fellow Appalachian, West Virginian, and Christian like Jason Cook. There are unique issues and advantages for guys like us who grew up in Appalachian churches that might be classified as "Old Time Religion". In the opening chapters, I found myself sharing similar experiences as Cook did, recognizing that many churches in the Appalachian area share similar struggles in both theology and culture.
Old Time Religion chronicles the upbringing of Jason, his early Christian ministry in the United Baptist Churches, and how the Old Time Religion shaped his Christian life and future ministry. Much of the book read like a condensed autobiography moreso than a brief handbook on healthy churches in rural areas. The anecdotes and personal memories were interesting to read, and to some extent I was able to echo some of my own experiences that were similar to those that he shared.
Another Goodreads review mentioned the poor structure and spelling/grammar problems throughout the book, and that is simply true. Some portions were a slog to get through or even follow at times. This appears to be Cook's first book and so I am willing to overlook some of that. But these issues were not very high on my list of reasons for the rating of the book. To be clear, there were several points of agreement that Cook and I would have in his account of Old Time Religion, but our mentalities and approaches to rural Appalachia could not be more different.
When I first finished this book, it was difficult to pinpoint or even summarize Cook's main thesis. To begin with, he never clearly defines what "Old Time Religion" is. There are vague references to it here and there, but it is never given a full description and I was left assuming that it was similar to Jacobellis v. Ohio where "I know it when I see it" is the criteria we are expected to use. Is Old Time Religion an Appalachian regional ideology? Cook doesn't seem to think so as he continually quotes the eponymous hymn that was culturally appropriated by White Southerners from an African-American spiritual song first heard in Southern South Carolina (not in the Appalachian region). Is Old Time Religion subjective and up to the reader to determine? Possibly. One also wonders what period of time or what strain of religion the author has in view. My best guess is that Old Time Religion is used throughout the book as synonymous with Tradition, KJV-Onlyists, Independent Fundamental Baptists, and other stereotypical ideas that people outside of Appalachia think of our area. Some of that is true, to be sure. We are in the fading remnant of the Bible-Belt after all.
But Old Time Religion shouldn't be seen as a pejorative term. The Faith of our fathers is not something that should be shed in favor of newer and more pragmatic methods. We stand in a long like of Godly men, and for those of us in the Reformed Tradition we understand that the succession of the apostles, patriarchs and early church fathers secured a foundation from which we should be unwilling to budge. If anything, we should be praying for our hearts to sing "It's good enough for me!"
There's more to be said here, but suffice to say that I was truly hoping for more. While Cook and I may have shared sentiments about some of the detrimental areas and beliefs in our areas, I came away feeling as if he thought it best to leave all that is in that deep, rich, and full theological grounding for something new and fresh. I was also surprised at the complete lack of citations for various claims and data, as well a lot of "we should" rarely accompanied by Scripture. However, I do think there is a lot of potential in the Rural Voices organization and look forward to other things they may release.
Old Time Religion chronicles the upbringing of Jason, his early Christian ministry in the United Baptist Churches, and how the Old Time Religion shaped his Christian life and future ministry. Much of the book read like a condensed autobiography moreso than a brief handbook on healthy churches in rural areas. The anecdotes and personal memories were interesting to read, and to some extent I was able to echo some of my own experiences that were similar to those that he shared.
Another Goodreads review mentioned the poor structure and spelling/grammar problems throughout the book, and that is simply true. Some portions were a slog to get through or even follow at times. This appears to be Cook's first book and so I am willing to overlook some of that. But these issues were not very high on my list of reasons for the rating of the book. To be clear, there were several points of agreement that Cook and I would have in his account of Old Time Religion, but our mentalities and approaches to rural Appalachia could not be more different.
When I first finished this book, it was difficult to pinpoint or even summarize Cook's main thesis. To begin with, he never clearly defines what "Old Time Religion" is. There are vague references to it here and there, but it is never given a full description and I was left assuming that it was similar to Jacobellis v. Ohio where "I know it when I see it" is the criteria we are expected to use. Is Old Time Religion an Appalachian regional ideology? Cook doesn't seem to think so as he continually quotes the eponymous hymn that was culturally appropriated by White Southerners from an African-American spiritual song first heard in Southern South Carolina (not in the Appalachian region). Is Old Time Religion subjective and up to the reader to determine? Possibly. One also wonders what period of time or what strain of religion the author has in view. My best guess is that Old Time Religion is used throughout the book as synonymous with Tradition, KJV-Onlyists, Independent Fundamental Baptists, and other stereotypical ideas that people outside of Appalachia think of our area. Some of that is true, to be sure. We are in the fading remnant of the Bible-Belt after all.
But Old Time Religion shouldn't be seen as a pejorative term. The Faith of our fathers is not something that should be shed in favor of newer and more pragmatic methods. We stand in a long like of Godly men, and for those of us in the Reformed Tradition we understand that the succession of the apostles, patriarchs and early church fathers secured a foundation from which we should be unwilling to budge. If anything, we should be praying for our hearts to sing "It's good enough for me!"
There's more to be said here, but suffice to say that I was truly hoping for more. While Cook and I may have shared sentiments about some of the detrimental areas and beliefs in our areas, I came away feeling as if he thought it best to leave all that is in that deep, rich, and full theological grounding for something new and fresh. I was also surprised at the complete lack of citations for various claims and data, as well a lot of "we should" rarely accompanied by Scripture. However, I do think there is a lot of potential in the Rural Voices organization and look forward to other things they may release.
May 13, 2021
Jason fills a void in church growth literature by acknowledging the unique shape a church may take in a rural setting. Most contemporary Christian literature is written from the perspective of church leaders living in urban settings, for urban churches, and occasionally with misguided discipleship principles that often miss the mark in a rural context.
Jason's perspective on the rural church is heavily immersed in what he knows best, the rural church in West Virginia. While Jason admits that his experience in rural West Virginia will differ from rural churches scattered elsewhere across America, he offers helpful observations. Jason not only addresses the many mistakes and faults of the rural church, he reminds us of the hope we have in Christ to labor in these rural areas for the good of the gospel.
Old Time Religion is one of the first books published in the Rural Church Voices series. I understand this was Jason's first book, and the aim was to bring a much needed perspective of the rural church to the mainstream. So I can overlook the unimpressive quality of the writing/editing. Still, I look forward to reading "Rural Mission" by Will Basham, and whatever comes next!
Jason's perspective on the rural church is heavily immersed in what he knows best, the rural church in West Virginia. While Jason admits that his experience in rural West Virginia will differ from rural churches scattered elsewhere across America, he offers helpful observations. Jason not only addresses the many mistakes and faults of the rural church, he reminds us of the hope we have in Christ to labor in these rural areas for the good of the gospel.
Old Time Religion is one of the first books published in the Rural Church Voices series. I understand this was Jason's first book, and the aim was to bring a much needed perspective of the rural church to the mainstream. So I can overlook the unimpressive quality of the writing/editing. Still, I look forward to reading "Rural Mission" by Will Basham, and whatever comes next!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews