Going to the Root: Nine Proposals for Radical Church Renewal

by Christian Smith

The church today is often tired, lacking vision, and mired in bureaucratic structures, argues Christian Smith. Smith offers an alternative. The church can return to its roots. It can draw fresh vision from the Bible, Jesus, the early church, various and grassroots movements of Christians open to new directions. Congregations which go to the root will reexamine ways they handle such important issues as leadership and the role of clergy; decision making; Christian community; the role of women; worship, evangelism, and spirituality; and traditional church buildings.

Paperback

First published December 3, 2005

About the author

Christian Smith is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame. Smith's research focuses primarily on religion in modernity, adolescents, American evangelicalism, and culture.

Reviews

[Tait Sougstad]

Some challenging and insightful thoughts. Also, some bad exegesis.