If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus

by Philip Gulley

“[Philip Gulley’s] vision of Christianity is grounded, gripping, and filled with uncommon sense. He is building bridges instead of boundaries, and such wisdom is surely needed now.” —Richard Rohr, O.F.M, author of Everything Belongs

Quaker minister Philip Gulley, author of If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, returns with If the Church Were Christian: a challenging and thought-provoking examination of the author’s vision for today’s church… if Christians truly followed the core values of Jesus Christ. Fans of Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell, and unChristian will find much to discuss in If the Church Were Christian, as will anyone interested in the future of this institution.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Christian, Spirituality, Christianity, Faith

197 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Philip Gulley has become the voice of small-town American life. Along with writing Front Porch Tales, Hometown Tales, and For Everything a Season, Gulley is the author of the Harmony series of novels, as well as If Grace Is True and If God Is Love, which are coauthored with James Mulholland.

He hosts "Porch Talk with Phil Gulley" on the Indiana PBS affiliate WFYI television's flagship show Across Indiana.

Gulley lives in Indiana with his wife, Joan, and their sons, Spencer and Sam—in a rambling old house with Gulley’s eclectic chair collection (64 at last count) and a welcoming back porch.

Gulley is also the Pastor at Fairfield Friends Meeting House in Camby, Indiana. If you find yourself in Camby, you're invited to attend a sermon.

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one from my tbr explode project, added in 2009 (the year before it was published!) A few years before that, I read Gulley's other non-fiction religion titles (If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person; If God Is Love: Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World), wrote him a letter, and he invited me to have lunch. I was in the midst of leaving church and wanted to understand how/why he stayed. So this was actually a pretty interesting follow-up.

He looks at issues in the church from condemnation to community, and compares it to various interpretations of Christian scriptures and teachings. He looks at some topics that were specific to my own reasons for leaving, such as fundamentalism, exclusion of lgbt+, and anti-feminist movements in various denominations. This is probably best for people working in ministry, those who are most likely to try to make changes. I've been there, tried that, and don't have the patience to stay in the bath, adding more and more warm water. But I do appreciate his perspective and what must be endless optimism.

I just wish he read the audio! The reader was fine but was not the author, who is warm and genuine. Despite coming to a different conclusion, I will always hold the time he took for me in high regard.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The author has some significantly different beliefs than my own, yet I came away with a boatload of ideas for improving my spiritual life. Such a good reminder to go back to the primary source, the words and actions of Jesus himself, as we practice Christianity.
My favorite passage is in the last chapter, where Gulley describes the lives of Ben and Dorotha, an elderly couple who “…lived on one Social Security check and gave the other away. They raised chickens so they could distribute eggs. They had extensive gardens and shared their produce. They opened their home to guests and persons in need. They embodied, in every way, the principle of mutual care and responsibility.”
He goes on to say that many people show kindness and compassion, but it is usually sporadic and doesn’t require much sacrifice. Ben and Dorotha, on the other hand, “…seemed intentional about their manner of living and its implications for the wider world. Consequently, they lived far beneath their means and put their assets to good use for others…”
If I have any criticism, it is this: there are almost too many anecdotes. It seems as if every paragraph is a new story of some church member, church leader, or entire congregation that perfectly embodies the principle he is putting forth. I found myself thinking, wow, this guy knows a ton of people! Regardless, any book that inspires me to go out and just do better gets five stars.

[Kit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agree with everthing Philip Gulley says in this critique of "church" - by which he means pretty much every Christian denomination in America (he is a Quaker). And if you wonder how he could lump all the Christian denominations together, just ask yourself if you think the Sanctuary Carpet-Choosing Committee meeting looks or sounds very different no matter which denomination you're in.

And that's what Gulley is really talking about here - not in-depth theology (although he does touch on big theological themes and how they affect congregations) but in the church's culture. Specifically, he's aiming to shine a light on our unconscious acceptance of certain things in church culture (why do we get so uncomfortable when people ask questions about our creeds, when Jesus didn't even lay out a creed? why do we so seldom call people in our congregations on their behavior when they're being rude and even downright disfunctional?) to get people to start thinking about whether our *customs* are really meant to be part of our *religion*.

I'm not sure that this is the best approach to reach people who don't already agree with what he's saying, and you can see that in some of the scathing reviews on Amazon (which focus mostly on his personal religious beliefs and the reader's opinion of them). I may be being too cynical, but I think it's more likely to convince some spiritural-but-not-religious people that Christians might not all be narrow-minded bigots than it is to convince conservative Christians that they should think Gulley's way.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to have found this book at a library sale. I had heard of his other work "If Grace is True", and have been wanting to read it. So when I saw this laying on that table, I had to have it. And I'm very glad I found it.

Reading this book was almost like finding someone had taken many of the different things I believe about religion and faith and had written them out for me - in a way I know I never could.

Books like this mean a lot to me - someone who is often considered a "heretic" for coming to different conclusions than what is considered "mainstream" or "traditional". I think it's important for authors like Philip Gulley to show that there really *is* another way of looking at faith, a way that can be different while still being valid.

Of course I agree with him completely on the various issues he mentions throughout this text. This is a side of Jesus, a side of Christianity, more people need to see. And since this book was written in a way that is so read so easily and quickly, it's something that anyone can read and consider, which I highly suggest.

I loved this book, and I am certain I will recommend it to many. I'm also that much more certain that I can't wait to read his others, as well! :)

[Tenille Shade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Phillip Gulley's other theology books, but this one is probably my favorite. His perspective on how the church has lost its way resonates with my own faith struggles. I have been battlings a deep sense of disillusionment for years now, and when I read a book like this I realize I am not alone. Gulley gives the reader permission to question the churches' deeply rooted traditions, and reminds us that grace should triumph fear.

If you consider yourself "open-minded", this book will challenge your definition of that term. I found myself questioning several doctrines I've believed my whole life. Most importantly, I have a refreshed view of who Jesus is, and I am inspired to live a life that radiates his mercy and grace.

As I read each chapter, I kept pausing and reading sections out loud to my husband. As the book drew to a close, I decided I would invite friends on Facebook to join me in a book study. Dialoguing and discussing the concepts presented in this book will help us all evolve and grow spiritually. If you are interested in joining the discussion group, we will meet on August 27th @ 7:00 in Denton. More info. can be found on Facebook!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When our children were about middle-school age, they and many of their friends began wearing bracelets that had the letters "WWJD" on them, which stood for "What would Jesus do?" If the Church Were Christian is all about what the author believes Jesus would want us and our churches to do. It's a wonderful reminder of the core values Christianity was based upon, stressing the importance of love, service to others, forgiveness, acceptance, and peace.

Philip Gulley is not afraid to talk about controversial subjects. I have to admit that when I started reading this book, I wasn't sure I would like it, because some of what he was saying was very much in opposition to what I've been taught about religion my whole life. But I kept reading, and I'm so glad I did! It made me think about Christianity in ways I hadn't before, and challenged me to search my heart and my life more deeply than I had in some time. If the Church Were Christian is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it!

[Alisa Kester · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's interesting how Gulley picks and chooses from the words of Jesus. Anything he likes becomes the truth. Anything that doesn't fit his viewpoint is discarded. He's an extremely misguided man, and the great pity is, he's misguiding others - even to the point of suggesting people seek out false religions.

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading this book was as much fun as walking into a china shop with an AK-47 assault riffle. There is sooo much to shoot at...you can't miss! Every paragraph has a error of logic and theology. Philip Gulley can look at the simplest situation and get it backwards. This is no surprise since people like Borg, Claiborne and Diana Butler Bass approved of this heretical nonsense.

The disturbing part is that many people on Goodreads gave this book a good rating - is the entire world theologically illiterate and ready to embrace the Buddha Jesus of liberalism? You bet they are.

(I've said this before) I could easily teach a two year college course on everything that is wrong with this book. Apparently i'm not the only one; anyone remember "The Battle For the Bible" by Harold Lindsell? Or "Why Jesus?" By Ravi Zacharias. It's amazing that so many people who claim to be Christians are blindly swallowing unbiblical teachings by Bart Ehrman and other Jesus Seminar thugs. (all in the name of kindness, tolerance and liberalism). Do you recall how Jesus dealt with religious abusers, and those who twisted the scriptures to match their human desires? Phil made it very clear his religion is all about humanity - at the expense of a Jesus who died on the cross for our sin.

The book is called "If the Church Were Christian", but most people do not want a Christian church. Philip Gulley certainly doesn't, and he says this clearly throughout the entire book. The only problem is he doesn't understand what Christianity is. He's confused by all things of God. It was quite interesting when he recommended teachings by a Catholic monk who practices Buddhism. Mr. Gulley has no solid core which to establish his belief system on - other than his own interpretation of NICENESS. He even applaudes a few atheists over Christian brothers. How strange is that?
I fail to recall anywhere in the Bible where God said he created the human race so he could collect NICE people to hang out with for an eternity. IF God wanted us nice: He would have just made us that way. It's all about Jesus' the king of kings and lord of lords.

Nasty quote by Gulley:
"Gone also is the clear blueprint for Christian conduct we assumed Matthew, Mark, Luke , and John offered. The Gospel accounts...are the early church's words about Jesus, not necessarily the actual words of Jesus. So to even say "Jesus said this" or "Jesus said that" is to make an assumption that might not be true."

And yet Philip goes on to demand we be like Jesus and do what HE SAID throughout the book. Philip, didn't Jesus say a lot about Sin, Judgement, Hell, Salvation, Heaven. Here's a fun thing Jesus said: "Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” John 18:36

Philip proudly boasts "I was told Jesus was born of a virgin...it would be many years before I understood the irrationality of such a claim..."
And the weird part is that Philip still loudly proclaims this Jesus as something to follow? Only an idiot would follow a myth about some magical hippy who gave Buddha like advice that was poorly recorded.
The other option is: Everything we know about Jesus, in the Bible, is trustworthy and preserved for us by a mighty God of the universe. But Philip doesn't like this idea. He also states how well he has researched this Jesus he abuses:
Phil says "I don't pretend to be a Jesus scholar" (page 28) and yet he goes on about how the historic church and thousands of theologians are obviously wrong based on??? Phil's non-scholarly Jesus understandings.

So here's his huge contradiction: "I could never be like Jesus. But what I've discovered in the Gospels is the expectation that we could and should be like him." But Phil ---- didn't you say all the Gospels are not trustworthy and Jesus has numerous myths attached to his accounts?

Philip spends the whole book belittling people who agree with Jesus. All those people who go and tell people "Go and Sin NO MORE!". I recall a certain Jesus saying that on a few occasions. And yet Phil doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior. I'm curious what exactly SIN is in Philip's world? The God of the Bible was very clear about this sin business. Enough to clearly explain Hell and how it works based on sin. But Phil must have a magic Bible that blacks out any reference to things that aren't in favor of his liberal humanism. Then he loudly declares any church or Christian who speaks as Jesus, Moses, and the Prophets spoke as behaving in a non-christian fashion.

Remember that amazing discussion Jesus had: Luke 16
Jesus told the story of Lazarus and the Richman: "so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

If Jesus recommends listening to Moses and the Prophets, then maybe we (and Philip?) should too!

Philip even mocks the basic Gospel message.
"Far too many churches, and far too many Christians , elevate God at the expense of humanity. For God to be good, we must be sinners in need of redemption."

Phil just doesn't get it. Even when Jesus says things like "“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26 ----Phil's Jesus would never say anything like that. And yet Phil has not given an minutes thought to what Jesus is clearly saying in scripture.

Remember that verse: "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." The Apostle Paul is even against everything Mr. Gulley falsely teaches in this book.

John 12:25 Jesus says "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
Everything this Quacker (yes, i spelled that correctly) preacher babbles is about loving THIS LIFE. And yet Jesus spoke a very different message.
I don't think Phil's Jesus died on the cross, or had any reason to. When there is no sin - there is no need for a savior. And that is what separates our Jesus from Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, modern spirituality -and all those other belief systems Phil cherishes more than Biblical Christianity.

Phil has a strange quote on page 41: "enough cherry-picking the Bible stories that reinforce negative stereotypes and promoting them as "God's Word" to us. Enough twisting of words, calling bad news GOOD NEWS."
That is the Gospel Phil. You really are too stupid and spiritually blind to get that aren't you - and worse, all the people who approve of your published crap.

But I recommend every Christian read this - some for laughs, and others to GET THEM OUT OF THE CHURCH. If you want to love and cherish an unbiblical Jesus - please go do it somewhere else. Stop referring to yourself as a Christian. Your Jesus isn't worth worshiping.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
I’ve had If the Church Were Christian on my TBR list for a while now, so when it was coincidentally chosen as our church book club pick this month, I eagerly dove into reading it. Some of the things Rev. Gulley had to say mirrored things that I’ve read in other progressive Christian books, and some were more unique to his personal perspective. I have to give him credit for being a great storyteller who sucked me right into the book. He also has a talent for boiling issues down to a very understandable narrative, which made for an easy read. He makes several valuable points, with which I agreed and which I think the church as a whole should take to heart and work on in a concerted effort to change the direction we’ve been going for years now. However, there were a few points with which I disagreed or at the very least, wasn’t entirely persuaded to the author’s way of thinking. I believe those things could be taken in a couple of different ways. Either it was a weakness of the book or these aspects simply weren’t the focus of the book, so he didn’t want to get into the weeds trying to explain more fully. In any case, it kept If the Church Were Christian from earning keeper status from me, but at the same time, I did enjoy Rev. Gullley’s writing style and overall appreciated the book.

I’ll start first with the downsides I found. The first chapter, “If the Church Were Christian… Jesus Would Be a Model for Living Rather Than an Object of Worship” got the book off to a slightly shaky beginning for me. While I do believe that more emphasis should be placed on following Jesus’s teachings – more practicing of the principles he taught and less orthodoxy – I don’t necessarily believe that precludes us from worshiping him. This is where the author and I differ fairly significantly. Rev. Gulley does not believe in the deity of Christ – and I respect his opinion – but I do. For me, it’s pretty much one of the basic building blocks of my faith. Without that, everything kind of falls apart for me, but I understand that Rev. Gulley, through his research and study of the Bible, has come to a different conclusion. However, for me this feels a little too much like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, or a false dichotomy, if you will. There were a few other places in the book where I felt this same false dichotomy came into play, but the first chapter is where it was most glaring to me. The author mentions that there were political reasons for the deification of Jesus, but he doesn't really elaborate much on what those reasons were. This is one of those weak spots I mentioned. I would have been interested in reading more about this, but perhaps it’s a subject that’s covered in more depth in one of his other books. For right now, though, I'm not prepared to toss out my belief in Jesus’s deity without a great deal further examination, even if it does defy logic (as the author states), because in my mind, believing in something greater than yourself or in things that may not entirely make sense to our human minds is all part of what faith means.

Now that I’ve said my piece about that topic, I can honestly say that I didn’t have any further major disagreement with Rev. Gulley. Most of the remainder of the book – which of course, was the bulk of it – made a great deal of sense to me. I agree wholeheartedly that the church should focus more on healing rather than condemning brokenness and value reconciliation over judgment. After all, this is what Jesus did regularly in his ministry. Gracious behavior over right beliefs is another area that the church is not particularly good at, and I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s just human nature to want to be right about things, but if we were being more gracious, perhaps there wouldn’t be a need for nearly 40,000 Christian church denominations, many of which I’m sure formed as a result of hardheaded conviction that there was only one right way to believe, a notion that I reject. I also wish the church was significantly better at allowing its members to question, but alas that hasn’t really been the case in my own experience. In fact, that’s a large part of what attracted me to the church I currently attend. I’ve had many question throughout my spiritual journey and until I started going to the church I’m at, I never felt comfortable voicing those doubts and queries for fear of being criticized for not having enough faith or allowing Satan to poison my mind. Also, until attending my current church, I didn’t feel like there was enough focus on helping those in need. It was more of an occasional thing that was done rather than a way of church living.

While I appreciated all of the chapters that covered these topics, the two that stood out to me the most and ended up being my favorites were eight and nine. Chapter 8 is “Peace Would Be More Important Than Power.” The active seeking after political power is what nearly drove me away from the church altogether. Jesus never sought political power, so I simply couldn’t get on board with this type of mindset. Then Chapter 9 is “It Would Care More About Love and Less About Sex.” In recent years, I’ve grown completely weary of the drumbeat of purity culture. I’ve read far too many stories and seen too many lives ruined by the church’s inability to accept human sexuality for what it is. IMHO, God made us sexual beings for a reason and to deny that is to deny an inherent part of us and to say that God made a mistake. I do believe in a certain sexual ethic but absolute purity and the wholesale rejection of the LGBTQ+ community for simply being who God made them to be has gone too far in my estimation.

So that’s my take on many of the topics covered in If the Church Were Christian, all of which are just one humble reviewer’s opinion. I did enjoy the book overall, even if some of the things discussed were a bit repetitive when compared against other similar books, and in spite of disagreeing with the author on one major point. As I mentioned before, though, where it stands out is in Rev. Gulley’s ability to tell stories. He successfully demonstrated most of his points quite well through the medium of storytelling, relating both good and bad sides to each issue with real-life examples from his own experiences, making the book very accessible. For that reason alone, I can heartily recommend it to anyone who is seeking a different path in these religiously contentious times, even if it wasn’t a perfect read for me. It was my first book by Philip Gulley, but it has also made me look forward to trying some of his other works, particularly his fictional stories, which I have a strong feeling will be well-written and enjoyable.

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book expresses so well much of what I believe to be wrong with the Christian church today. I can say no more, though, because in all honesty I must tell you I have been condemned to hell by one of my sisters for suggesting that Jesus may not have wanted us to worship him as an equal to God the Almighty.
He did say he was the Way, not the Destination, but far be it from me to second guess a true Christian. After all, she retains the power to condemn gay and lesbian people to hell and raise to eternal life those who refuse to bake wedding cakes for them.
I like this book.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm writing this immediately after giving the book away for someone else to read so it will lack some details- like the name of my favorite chapter. But I remember telling her- "I just love this man and his writing!" The subtitle of the book is something like "Rediscovering the Values of Jesus" so each chapter reads: 'If the Church were Christian: ... followed by statements like "there would be more reconciliation than judgement; or there would be more acceptance than exclusiveness. Think of any description of Jesus and what behaviors he seemed to illustrate in his life and parables and the book compares those to what he sees and experiences in the Christian Church today. But the book is also filled with examples of how church, at times and in places, does seem to act like Jesus would and he encourages those who have left church or find it irrelevant to their lives today to seek those places that are most Christian in the true sense of the Word.
I am going to find his other books to read now since this one was so positive and inspiring.

[Justin Banger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. Easy to digest and quite profound. The chapter titles alone are worth the price of the book. The chapters are:

If the church were Christian, Jesus would be a model for living, not an object of worship.

If the church were Christian, affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness.

If the church were Christian, reconciliation would be valued over judgment.

If the church were Christian, gracious behavior would be more important than right belief.

If the church were Christian, inviting questions would be more important than supplying answers.

If the church were Christian, encouraging personal exploration would be more important than communal uniformity.

If the church were Christian, meeting needs would be more important than maintaining institutions.

If the church were Christian, peace would be more important than power.

If the church were Christian, it would care more about love and less about sex.

If the church were Christian, this life would be more important than the afterlife

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one provocative little book. Just finished it and had the thought that I better dive into Rob Bell's controversial book "Love Wins" and now I see in the description on GoodReads that Gulley's books will appeal to Rob Bell fans.

Gully is a Quaker pastor who normally writes funny, inspirational books ala Garrison Keillor (Lake Wobegon Days). This is a seriously different format and content. Gulley is good at using simple, story-like examples to make his point, but it is his points that will rile some readers. He admits he regularly draws fire from various religious groups.

If you have gotten tired of church in-fighting, poor Christian behaviors, rules or beliefs that don't seem to fit with today's needs, and more, consider reading this. It is both a breath of fresh air and contemplative at the same time.

[Bruce Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book comes along once in a while that really speaks to my heart. This was such a book and Philip Gulley read my heart, mind and soul when he wrote it. If the Church Were Christian posits ten changes that would occur if mainstream churches acted on the message and model of Christ rather than continue to twist and untwist the same rope that organized religion has become. If the Church were really Christian, Jesus would be a model for living rather than an object of worship. We get so hung up on mythic details, magical doctrine and irrational dogma we miss the point: it doesn't matter if Jesus was God, what ever that even means; it matters that we model our lives after his: giving to the poor, the sick, the widow, the orphan and the disenfranchised. If the Church were Christian: affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness, reconciliation would be valued over judgement, gracious behavior would be more important than "right" belief, inviting questions would be valued more than supplying answers, encouraging personal exploration would be more important than communal uniformity, meeting needs would be more important than maintaining institutions, peace would be more important than power, the Church would care more about love and less about sex, and this life would be more important than the afterlife. I see the glimmer of this new theology beginning in the words of Desmond Tutu, Pope Francis, John Shelby Spong, Fr. Richard Rohr and at my home church Manassas Prebyterian. In my opinion it is the only way that Christianity can continue to make a meaningful and vital contribution to the 21st century. The old theology of literalizing myth, magical thinking, authoritarian dogma and judging doctrine will give way to a new theology of tolerance, grace, mercy, loving acceptance, and peace...or Christianity simply will become irrelevant and disappear from lack of interest.

[Stan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has an interesting backstory in that he was raised Roman Catholic but later left the catholic church and joined the Quakers. He has been a Quaker minister for over 20 years. On more than one occasion, he reports, congregants have demanded that he give up his credentials as a minister because of his provocative and outspoken beliefs (not too surprising, since he flatly dismisses the virgin birth as not credible, and tells congregations they should stop spending their money on missionaries to Africa and send malaria nets instead). His main point is that the organized church is not characterized by following Jesus' teachings and living example. The gist of his arguments can be gleaned from his chapter titles: (If the Church Were Christian) Jesus Would Be a Model for Living Rather Than an Object of Worship, Gracious Behavior Would Be More Important Than Right Belief, It Would Care More About Love and Less About Sex, etc. In this short, quickly read book, he puts into words why today's organized religion seems hollow, hypocritical, and irrelevant to many. He touches on the crucial aspects of tolerance vs. intolerance, rigidity vs. flexibility -- the whole concept of "the one true path to God" -- which may sit at the crux of the matter in America. He argues that Jesus would not have wanted us focusing on traditions, continuing rituals, and holding to arbitrary rules of rightness, but rather caring for and actively serving our fellow human beings. Definitely worth reading for its perspective of the church and to stimulate examination of one's own spirituality.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gulley has some good points and I appreciate his perception of Jesus' teachings in this book and how it applies to the church as a global whole. Some of his points were particularly refreshing, such as the tolerance of people to ask questions in faith and to explore. However, the basis of his book is shaky. In the first part of his book, he challenges readers to ponder where we, as Christians, gain our knowledge of Jesus. He nearly disputes the possibility that the Biblical texts that we rely on as Holy Word was factual, which, is a valid argument for any Biblical explorer. However, in subsequent chapters, he goes on to prove his points about how a church ought to be based on these Biblical texts. Confused? I was.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the church were Christian…

- Jesus would be a model for living rather than an object of worship
- Affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness
- Reconciliation would be valued over judgement
- Gracious behaviour would be more important than right belief (“Mirroring the compassion of Jesus would be more important than echoing the orthodoxy that has built up around him”)
- Inviting questions would be valued more than supplying answers
- Encouraging personal exploration would be more important than communal uniformity
- Meeting needs would be more important than maintaining institutions
- Peace would be more important than power
- It would care more about love and less about sex
- This life would be more important than the afterlife



Potent Quotables:

Many in the contemporary church assume Jesus’s identity and nature were immediately apparent, universally agreed upon, and clearly stated, but such is not the case. The issue of Jesus’s nature absorbed much of the church’s attention for nearly 300 years.

The Christian gospel ought not be that Jesus was God and we can find life in his death. Our good news is that we can find life in his example: accepting the excluded, healing the sick, strengthening the weak, loving the despised, and challenging the powerful to use their influence redemptively. These objectives do not require divinity but commitment, compassion, and courage. Jesus accomplished what he did not because of some supernatural power unavailable to the rest of us; he accomplished what he did because of his steadfast dedication to the priorities of God.

A good number of Bible verses recommend polygamy, an arrangement most people don’t have in mind when they speak in hallowed tones about the “biblical” view of marriage. We tend to root around in scripture until we find a verse that supports our preference, then crown our view the “biblical” one, even when other verses contradict it.

Any God who would condemn billions of people to hell because the first couple sampled a bite of fruit seems at the very least eccentric and at worst despotic.

When the goal of religion is appeasement, fear escalates, judgment increases, reason and mercy fall by the way, and all manner of absurd solutions arise to placate God. In traditional Christian theology, the solution to God’s theoretical wrath was to satisfy it with the gruesome, cruel death of Jesus, which somehow mollified God, allowing God to forgive and bless us.

Jesus never, not once, went to the mat for doctrine.

I came to see how the church had used afterlife theology as a bludgeon, wielding it with impunity to bless some and curse others. Always the emphasis was on control: controlling whom God might or might not save, controlling the energies and gifts of others, even controlling what could and could not be thought and taught.

I decided not to invest any effort in saving people’s souls from a hell I didn’t believe in. Rather, I would work to expand my understanding of God, deepen my commitment to grace, and uplift the human condition.

[Shelley Durbanis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as well as his more recent one, Unlearning God, and enjoyed them both. The author is a Quaker pastor and has some of the same issues with church doctrine that I do. I was glad to find someone that shares my views and has not given up on the church and organized religion. His writing style is easy to read, with many practical anecdotes of situations and people he’s encountered in his roles as pastor and lecturer. He applies common sense rather than being dogmatic and strictly adhering to “rules” that are out-dated and no longer make sense. Now I have to read more about the Quaker faith that gives him such wide latitude in his spiritual journey - esp given his role as pastor.

[Krysten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great in spirit but a bit glib and still not radical enough for me. The concept of """tolerance""' is not something I think should be celebrated - it's half a step away from a melee. Inclusion and welcoming and unconditional acceptance are much, much better. And Jesus was way more of a revolutionary than the palatable Jesus presented here. It's a nice book for nice people but doesn't pose all that much of a challenge to the status quo.

[Bree Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating little book.

Gulley talks throughout the book about what the church would look like if they followed the example of Jesus rather than the words of what the church has become.

I love his take on this and believe that the world would truly be a better place if it followed his example.

[Terris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this one!

[Sera Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I don't agree with everything in this book, I found it incredibly thought-provoking. The author tackles many issues in the church that have really struck a chord with me in the past, and have been reasons that I have chosen to take a step back from church and figure some things out for myself. While the areas I disagree with him on are related to theology and specific biblical ideas, I have to give him credit for being so bold as to question things and present alternative view points. Very good book, especially for anyone who's been jaded by church at any point. On another note, this was a very fast, easy read. I finished it in a day.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Philip Gulley is a Quaker minister who writes a very interesting, readable book drawing on his experiences and examining what it really means to be a Christian. Our church class has been studying this over the past several months and Gulley's analyses have sparked lively discussions. Still, it is a book that a person can gain from reading it alone. Lots of thought-provoking questions.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll say one thing for Gulley. He's not afraid to tell it like it is. And like it is less and less is what the church should be. An interesting read--would make a good group discussion and certainly a book that any person of faith--church goer or not--should read.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both scathing, but both authored by pastors who love the church despite its weaknesses. I, too, love the church, but find it disappoints me....We could be so much more but for our complacency and off-putting piousness, the very things Jesus stared down in his Jewish faith.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gulley is gentle, but firm-- and right on about the church. I would hope that good church folks would take his criticisms and his recommendations to heart.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that is was very good and helped to give me a different perspective.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Overview

Philip Gulley is a long-time Quaker minister who has written several books on Christian faith, including If Grace Were True and If God Is Love. In other words, this book is written by someone who has been involved with church life for many years and has a personal stake in how churches serve their communities.

The book explores why so many people are disillusioned with Christian churches. Despite claims of record growth, increasing numbers of Americans (me included) have questioned whether the church that claims to worship and emulate Jesus is really doing what Jesus would have wanted and done himself. (Note: In the book, Gulley uses "church" to represent any denomination of Christian church.) Turned off by elaborate programming, professional worship teams and political crusades, increasing numbers of people are finding that the church doesn't meet their spiritual needs and, in fact, seems to be operating at odds with what Jesus himself would have wanted.

The titles of the 10 chapters of the book provide a clear outline of what Gulley believes are the primary problems of the church. Each chapter is designed to finish the following thought:

If the Church Were Christian...

* Jesus would be a model for living rather than an object of worship
* Affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness
* Reconciliation would be valued over judgment
* Gracious behavior would be more important than right belief
* Inviting questions would be valued more than supplying answers
* Encouraging personal exploration would be more important than communal uniformity
* Meeting needs would be more important than maintaining institutions
* Peace would be more important than power
* It would care more about love and less about sex
* This life would be more important than the afterlife.

Just by reading this list of chapter titles, I think you get a pretty clear idea of where Gulley is coming from. In each chapter, Gulley cites various examples of how the church has strayed from the core values of Jesus and offers ideas about what a church truly based on Jesus's teachings might look like. He uses many personal examples to illustrate his points and cites various scripture passages to illustrate some of the contradictions that arise within the church's behavior. Gulley is careful to point out that not all churches are flawed. In fact, Gulley repeatedly provides examples of churches that are effectively "walking the walk" instead of just "talking the talk."

My Thoughts

I suspect that people who are very entrenched in the church will not care for much of what Gulley has to say. He mentions quite a few times how sharing his beliefs have led people to call for his removal from his post as a minister. But for those who feel dissatisfied or disillusioned with the church, I think Gulley's book will come as a breath of fresh air. Although Gulley offers ideas and examples for what the church should look like, he writes in the afterword that he doesn't really think the church will be able to fundamentally shift its focus and style. But, at the same time, his examples of churches that are making a difference offer hope that there are people working within the church to change how things are done.

It is impossible to read a book like this without bringing your own personal experiences to it. For me, this book described so many of my own problems with the church. (For me, church means the Roman Catholic church, which is the religion I was raised in.) I'm hoping by telling you a bit about my own experiences with the church, it will shed a light on why I found this book to mirror my own questions and doubts about the church and why it might do the same for you.

I was raised in a Catholic family and attended Catholic schools up until 9th grade. My parents were very involved in the church, but even from an early age, I saw that the pastor of a church made all the difference in your church experience. When I was very young, my parents switched the church we attended due to philosophical differences with the priest, who was a fire and brimstone type of preacher. For years, we attended a more liberal church that fit better with my parent's beliefs. Everything was fine until my parents, who were leading Pre-Cana (marriage preparation) classes within the church, ran afoul of the bishop due to their refusal to condemn all forms of birth control. Seeing my parents go through this led me to adopt a bit of a questioning stance about the church from a very young age. I saw that when my parents did not agree with some of the tenets of the church, and they were punished for it.

Our family then moved across the country and found another parish. We were very good friends with the priest, and he was everything I look for in a priest: open, supportive, a bit irreverent, free-thinking and connected to the modern world. I became very involved in the church—teaching classes for younger children, participating in the church youth group, and being a reader and Eucharistic minister. Our parish was vibrant, alive and active. This continued until the priest left the parish to become a canon lawyer. The new pastor was a very sick individual, and he drove many families from the church, including my own. The parish became bogged down in power struggles and money issues, much along the lines of those described in the chapter on "peace would be more important than power." If you've never experienced the nastiness of church committee infighting firsthand, I think you would find it shocking.

During college, I tried to maintain a relationship with the church by attending and participating in the college-affiliated church. Some friends who were raised in Protestant churches asked to come to Mass out of curiosity. At the end, I asked them what they thought. After some hesitation, they told me it seemed almost cult-like. It had never struck me like this before, but the next few weeks I began to see what they were saying. I'd been participating in the rituals of mass for so long that I was doing them on auto-pilot. I really began to listen to the prayers I mumbled along with each week and wondered if I really believed what I was saying or even understood it. Then one week, my friend and I heard the priest mocking me after mass for a reading I had done. (We were taught to enunciate and speak slowly because of the acoustics of the church but apparently I had spoken too slowly ... as evidenced by the mocking tones of the priest as he imitated me on the church steps after mass.)

Unwilling to return to that church where I felt extremely uncomfortable, I went to another parish for confession. I confessed that I was having a crisis of faith, that I wasn't sure I really believed the things I'd been taught to believe. I confessed that I felt uneasy at my current parish. I confessed that the church was losing its meaning for me. The priest told me to say some Our Fathers and Hail Marys. His response left me cold, and at that point, I walked out of the church and haven't formally returned since, except to undergo various "rites of passages" such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.

After leaving the church, I took a few courses in World Religions to learn about what else was out there. The more I learned, the more uncomfortable I felt with aligning myself with "one all-knowing and all-powerful church" that was "the only way to heaven." My parents, concerned with my break from the church, asked me to justify it to them. So I did, and they accepted my thought process and encouraged me to look for some spiritual path that would help me in life.

In reading this book, I realized that I do have a problem with churches/parishes that focus on dogma, rigid belief systems and expect people to not question things. Gulley talks about how we don't shun scientific and technological advances in science and medicine, but we do shun and reject changes to ancient beliefs that often served purposes that are not applicable in our modern world. I've always had a problem living in a black and white world, and the church often asks us to take a black and white view of things. I think most of us (myself included) live in a gray world, and I need a church that helps me to navigate these gray areas in a way that feels compassionate and true.

Looking back at what I've written, I see that the church Gulley describes as healthy and Christ-like is the kind of church that I would like to be a part of. In retrospect, I realize that I may have been too quick to leave the church when it might have been just a matter of finding a parish or a church community that is more in line with what I believe in my soul. As Gulley points out, there are loving and flexible church communities out there. I recently asked some gay friends who attend a Catholic Church and are quite active in the community: "How can you attend a church that condemns your very lifestyle and who you choose to love?" Their answer: "Well, our priest isn't like that. He knows us and he is fine with it and so we feel comfortable there." And I realized that was the issue with my parents as well. They were always looking for a church community that fit their beliefs, and, when they found it, it was a good and healthy place to be.

As you can see, reading this book gave me a lot of food for thought. I could probably continue writing about my issues with the church and how I've struggled to define what I believe to be true about God. The bottom line is that although I don't adhere to any organized religion, I do consider myself a spiritual person. Ever since I left the church, I've been looking for a way to be more formal about this spirituality but in a way that feels true to what I believe. Perhaps it is time to go seeking a church community again that feels like one that Christ himself would truly believe in and support.

My Final Recommendation

This is a thought-provoking book that will speak to people who have questioned or are questioning the Christian church. Gulley asks a lot of uncomfortable questions and challenges the church to consider a new way of relating to its members. I thought that Gulley did a good job of articulating some of my own issues with the church while also highlighting the characteristics of church leaders who are rediscovering the values of Jesus. Although the book doesn't offer any clear-cut answers, I think it would be helpful for those who are seeking to understand why they may be feeling uninspired or unsupported by their church. If this topic is of interest to you, I think this book would be a worthwhile read. I suspect the book would also inspire a lively discussion among book clubs or church groups. A list of discussion questions for each chapter is included at the end of the book.

[Kelli Trusedell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yowza! So many thoughts running around my head after finishing this book! I normally read books that are 300-500 pages long, so I thought I’d speed through this under-200-page book in no time. I could’ve, as it was super interesting and thought-provoking and I didn’t want to stop reading, but it ended up taking me a few days because I was constantly taking breaks to write down quotes, questions, and thoughts, and reflect on what I’d just read and also on my own experiences in churches. This book resonates so much with so many thoughts and feelings I’ve had when visiting different churches and being around different Christians, but have never been able to put into words. I didn’t agree with every single statement in the book, but I love hearing other people’s beliefs and perspectives, and this had a lot of interesting food for thought. I feel like it has opened my eyes even more than they were, and has inspired me to be more purposeful about the type of Christian I want to be, and the type of church I want to be part of and raise my boys in. I know I’ll be thinking about this book and many of the observations, insights, questions, ideas, and recommendations for a long time—likely throughout the rest of my life. So glad I read it! The discussion questions at the end are great too, to discuss with others or just to think/journal about on your own. Note: This isn’t a light fluffy read about Christianity. It brings up big topics, challenges, and questions (which I love), so be ready for a ride!

[Kali Dangar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I didn't agree with everything the author believed (I mean, would you ever completely agree with anyone who talks about religious theology?), the book had a lot of important and insightful things to say. I think about those little bracelets people wear that say WWJD, and this book sought to answer that question. Focusing more on the things that Jesus did and the way that he treated people instead of areas of minor doctrine, subjects that the Bible barely mentions, or differences in theology between Christian denominations is a good way to think.

I liked how it also brought up issues of cultural relevance with certain scriptures from the Bible and how people are hell-bent on holding on to traditional values of the institution of church that haven't been reconsidered in ages. Isn't it healthy to question the relevance of some things after thousands of years have passed? Isn't it healthy to identify possible issues with the institution of the church and seek to change them? I hold to the belief that spiritual revelation beyond just the text of the Bible is possible.

The denominational divide between Christian churches has always bothered me or at least the way certain denominations speak about other denominations. Instead of getting so wrapped up in questions that only God himself can answer, let's try to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our interactions with others. I like that. I could get behind that kind of Christianity.