Secrets of Our Faith: What the Pastor has been taught, What is preached from the pulpit, And . . . why the difference !

by Barry Blood

Much, if not most, of what is preached on Sunday mornings is different than what is taught in reputable Christian colleges and seminaries. This disconnect is fast becoming the leading factor in the continued decline of Christianity in the United States.
This is a reader-friendly book that turns the Sunday school Christianity of most churchgoers on its ear as it systematically combines ancient wisdom with 21st-century Biblical scholarship.
A must-read for anyone concerned with the future of the church.
Using a non-fiction-narrative style of writing, author Barry E Blood Sr. introduces the reader to a group of inquiring college students who are interested in learning (more) about the Christian religion. They are introduced to Professor Andrew Tracy who agrees to instruct them but with the understanding that he will only teach at the Academic level, not the "pabulum that you are used to getting in Sunday School." The students agree, though not quite knowing what Prof. Tracy meant by that statement. What ensues is an infusion of current Biblical and Christian scholarship into the traditional doctrine of the Church.
The reader will
• Enlightened
• Shocked (perhaps)
• Challenged
• Informed (for certain)
Love it or hate it, the reader will have a better understanding of the problems the Church is facing in these times of declining membership and decreased financial support.

179 pages, Paperback

Published November 20, 2020

Reviews

[Vance Christiaanse]

The author of this short, "independently published" book definitely poured his heart into it. It's designed to take a Christian who knows only what he or she has been taught at church to a place of understanding the very, very different beliefs taught in most seminaries. Each topic is presented in simple, easy-to-understand story form. The various fictional characters give readers of different temperaments someone to identify with.

I'm a Christian and I've read more serious books on the ideas presented here. To me, the material seemed crudely primitive and often inaccurate. But the book is styled as a study guide, with discussion questions at the end of each chapter. It would be better than many other options when used by a group of people, an adult Sunday School class for example, as a framework for a shared study of the points it makes.

In short, this is a flawed but heartfelt work that could be genuinely useful as a the backbone of a class for Christians who want to become aware of what's been happening in the academic world over the past couple of hundred years.

[Blessed]

This book challenged my faith in Christ Jesus as the author compared Jesus the Christ with other famous religious leaders. There is a lot to learn in this book. Take heed before reading this book because it can destroy your faith in Christianity.