Pagan Christianity Book Summary
There is perhaps nothing worse than reaching the top of the l adder and discovering that you’re on the wrong wall.” —JOSEPH CAMPBELL, TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN WRITER
WE ARE LIVING IN THE MIDST of a silent revolution of faith. Millions of Christians throughout the world are leaving the old, accepted ways of “doing church” for even older approaches. Those older approaches are rooted in the Holy Scriptures and the eternal principles of the living God. Consequently, the motivation for this transition from the old to the older is not simply to get us in touch with our history or to reclaim our roots. It is borne out of a desire to return to our Lord with authenticity and fullness. It is a thrust to bond with Him through the Word of God, the Kingdom of God, and the Spirit of God.
The heart of the Revolutionaries is not in question. There is ample research to show that they are seeking more of God. They have a passion to be faithful to His Word and to be more in tune with His leading. They ardently want their relationship with the Lord to be their top priority in life. They are tired of the institutions, denominations, and routines getting in the way of a resonant connection with Him. They are worn out on the endless programs that fail to facilitate transformation. They are weary of being sent off to complete assignments, memorize facts and passages, and engage in simplistic practices that do not draw them into God’s presence.
These are people who have experienced the initial realities of a genuine connection with God. They can no longer endure the spiritual teasing offered by churches and other well-intentioned ministries. God is waiting for them. They want Him. No more excuses. But this revolution of faith is challenged. Those involved know what they are shifting from—lifeless, institutional forms of faith to breakthrough. But what are they shifting to? House churches, marketplace ministries, cyber churches, independent communitywide worship gatherings, intentional communities. These forms of church are all intriguing, but do they really represent a meaningful step toward God’s highest purpose? Or are they just the same stuff presented in a different setting? Are they developing the same roles, but attaching new titles adopted by different role players? Are we living in a culture that is so infatuated with change that we have forgotten that the church is about transformation, not mere change?
As we grapple with such issues, there is much to be learned from the history of God’s people. Followers of Christ appreciate the stories God has given us in His Word. We discover much about God, life, culture, and even ourselves by following the journey of God’s people in both the Old and New Testaments. Consider how much we learn from Moses and the Israelites’ pursuit of the Promised Land. Or the hard-won insights of David’s rise from lowly shepherd boy to king of Israel. Or the plight of Jesus’ disciples as they left their craft to follow the Lord before meeting with martyrdom. In the same way, much can be gleaned from the efforts of the earliest Christians—our physical and spiritual ancestors—as they sought to be the genuine church that Christ purchased with His blood.
But what do modern and postmodern Christians know about the history of the church that would help to shape present-day attempts at honoring God and being the church? Precious little, it turns out. And therein lies a significant problem. Historians have long held that if we do not remember the past, we are doomed to repeat it. There is ample evidence to support that warning. Yet we often persist in our well-intentioned but ignorant efforts to refine life.
The recent story of the Christian church in America is a great example of this. The major changes in spiritual practice over the past half century have been largely window dressings. Pick a trend—megachurches, seeker churches, satellite campuses, vacation Bible school, children’s church, affinity group ministries (e.g., ministries for singles, women, men, young marrieds), contemporary worship music, bigscreen projection systems, EFT giving, cell groups, downloadable sermons, sermon outlines in bulletins, Alpha groups.
All of the above have simply been attempts to rely on marketing strategies to perform the same activities in different ways or places, or with particular segments of the aggregate population. Whatever difficulties were present in the larger institutional setting that spawned these efforts are invariably present in the smaller or divergent efforts as well.
This book will challenge you to consider making more significant changes in the way you practice your faith. Altering the ways in which we worship is no simple task. When people suggest significant changes in some of the hallowed practices, cries of “heretic” can be heard coming from all directions. Such protest is common largely because people have little knowledge of the true foundations of their faith.
That’s where this book comes in. Rather than foster continued resistance to methodological innovations, it’s time that the body of Christ get in touch with both the Word of God and the history of the church to arrive at a better understanding of what we can and should do—as well as what we cannot and should not do.
From personal experience, the authors of this book can tell you that such a journey of discovery is enlightening, to say the least. If you spend time searching God’s Word for most of the common practices in conventional churches, you will rarely find them. If you go further and spend time tracing the history of those practices, you will soon discover that most of our religious habits are man-made choices. In fact, you’re likely to discern a pattern about the way that we “do church” these days: If we do it, it’s probably not in the Bible as one of the practices of the early church!
Does it surprise you that most of what we do in religious circles has no precedent in Scripture? This includes many of the activities within church services, the education and ordination of clergy, the routines commonly used in youth ministry, the methods of raising funds for ministry, the ways in which music is used in churches, even the presence and nature of church buildings. There were three historical periods when a bevy of changes were made in common Christian practices: the era of Constantine, the decades surrounding the Protestant Reformation, and the Revivalist period of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. But as you are about to find out, those changes were the result of passionate, though often ill-informed, followers of Christ. The believers during those periods simply went along for the ride, which resulted in new perspectives and practices that churches have held on to for many years. So many years, in fact, that you probably think of those routines as biblical in origin.
Not surprisingly, having changed the biblical model of the church, we have become adept at building support for our approaches through proof-texting. Proof-texting is the practice of taking disparate, unrelated verses of Scripture, often out of context, to “prove” that our position squares with the Bible. As you read this book, you may be stunned to discover how many of our esteemed practices are way off the mark biblically.
Does it really matter how we practice our faith, as long as the activities enable people to love God and obey Him? The preponderance of evidence shows that these perspectives, rules, traditions, expectations, assumptions, and practices often hinder the development of our faith. In other instances, they serve as barriers that keep us from encountering the living God. The way in which we practice our faith can, indeed, affect the faith itself.
Does that mean we must go back to the Bible and do everything exactly as the disciples did between AD 30 and 60? No. Social and cultural shifts over the last two thousand years have made it impossible to imitate some of the lifestyle and religious efforts of the early church. For example, we use cell phones, drive in automobiles, and utilize central heat and air. The first-century Christians had none of these forms of human convenience. Therefore, adhering to the principles of the New Testament does not mean reenacting the events of the first-century church. If so, we would have to dress like all first-century believers did, in sandals and togas!
Also, just because a practice is picked up from culture does not make it wrong in and of itself, though we must be discerning. As author Frank Senn notes, “We cannot avoid bringing our culture to church with us; it is a part of our very being. But in the light of tradition we need to sort out those cultural influences that contribute to the integrity of Christian worship from those that detract from it.
It is in our best interest to scour the words of God to determine the core principles and ethos of the early church and to restore those elements to our lives. God has granted us great leeway in the methods we use to honor and connect with Him. But that does not mean we have free rein. Caution is advisable as we strive to be humble and obedient people who seek His central will. Our goal is to be true to His plan so that we may become the people He desires us to be and that the church may be all she is called to be.
So be prepared for a rude awakening as you find out how off track our current religious practices are. You probably know that today’s jets use very sophisticated computer systems to constantly reorient a plane as it travels on its path. During the course of a trip from Los Angeles to New York, literally thousands of course corrections are made to ensure that the plane sets down on the appropriate landing strip.
Without those course corrections, even a tiny one percent deviation from the original flight plan would land that airplane in a different county! The contemporary church is like a jet airplane that has no capacity for in-flight course corrections. A little change here, a minor deviation there, a slight alteration of this, a barely perceptible tweaking of that—and before you know it, the whole enterprise has been redefined!
Is this hard for you to believe? Then we encourage you to invest yourself in the process and do some of your own research. My co author, Frank Viola, spent many years laboriously tracking down the historical data that identified how the church got onto this crooked path. The references from his journey are supplied for you in each chapter. If you are skeptical—and we encourage healthy skepticism that leads to fact-finding and truth—then commit yourself to identifying exactly what did happen over the course of time. This matters! Your life is a gift from God and is to be lived for God. Furthermore, the church is one of God’s deepest passions. He cares about her well-being, as well as how she expresses herself on the earth. So understanding how we got from the early church to the contemporary church, and figuring out what you will do about it, is very important. Every good author writes in order to bring about positive, meaningful change. This book is no different. We want you to be informed by the Word of God and by church history. We want you to think carefully and biblically about how you practice your faith with other Christians. And we want you to influence others to understand what God leads you to discover. Part of the challenge of living in concert with a biblical view of the world is correlating your spiritual life with God’s intentions, as outlined for us in the Bible. We pray that this book will help you to do your part in straightening out the crooked path of the contemporary church.
· The Sunday Morning Order of Worship - Evolved from Gregory’s Mass in the sixth century to the revisions made by Luther, Calvin, the Puritans, the Free Church tradition, the Methodists, the Frontier-Revivalists, and the Pentecostals.
· The Centrality of the Pulpit in the Order of Worship - Martin Luther in 1523.
· Two Candles Placed on Top of the “Communion Table” and Incense Burning - Borrowed from the ceremonial court of Roman Emperors in the fourth century. The “Communion Table” was introduced by Ulrich Zwingli in the 16th century.
· Taking the Lord’s Supper Quarterly - Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531).
· The Congregation Standing and Singing When the Clergy Enters - Borrowed from the ceremonial court of Roman Emperors in the fourth century. Brought into the Protestant liturgy by John Calvin (1509-1564).
· Coming to Church with a Somber/Reverent Attitude - Based on the medieval view of piety. Brought into the Protestant service by John Calvin and Martin Bucer (1491-1551).
· Condemnation and Guilt Over Missing a Sunday Service - 17th-century New England Puritans.
· The Long “Pastoral Prayer” Which Precedes the Sermon - 17th-century New England Puritans.
· The Pastoral Prayer Uttered in Elizabethan English (when the language was outdated) - 18th-century Methodists.
· The Goal of All Preaching to Win Individual Souls - 18th-century Frontier-Revivalists.
· The Altar-Call - Invented by 17th-century Methodists and popularized by Charles Finney (1792-1872).
· The Church Bulletin (written liturgy) - Originated in 1884 with Albert Blake Dick’s stencil duplicating machine.
· The “Solo” Salvation Hymn, Door-to-Door Witnessing, and Evangelistic Advertising/Campaigning - D.L. Moody (1837-1899).
· The Decision Card - Invented by Absalom B. Earle (1812-1895) and popularized by D.L. Moody.
· Bowing Heads with Eyes Closed and Raising the Hand in Response to a Salvation Message - Billy Graham in the 20th century.
· “The Evangelization of the World in One Generation” Slogan - John Mott around 1888.
· Solo or Choral Music Played During the Offering - 20th-century Pentecostals.
· The Modern Sermon - Borrowed from the Greek sophist, who were masters at oratory and rhetoric. John Chrysostom (347-407) and Augustine (354-430) popularized the Greco-Roman homily (sermon) and made it a central part of the Christian faith.
· The One-Hour Sermon, Sermon Crib Notes, and the Four-Part Sermon Outline - 17th-century Puritans.
· The Church Building - Started by Constantine around A.D. 327. The first church buildings were patterned after the Roman basilicas which were modeled after Greek temples.
· The Sacred Space - Christians borrowed this idea from the pagans in the second and third centuries. The burial places of the martyrs were regarded as “sacred.” In the fourth century, church buildings were erected on these burial places, thus creating “sacred” buildings.
· The Pastor’s Chair - Derived from the cathedra, which was the bishop’s chair or throne. This chair replaced the seat of the judge in the Roman basilica.
· Tax-Exempt Status for Churches and Christian Clergy - Emperor Constantine gave churches tax-exempt status in A.D. 323. He made clergy exempt from paying taxes in A.D. 313, a privilege that pagan priests enjoyed.
· Stained Glass Windows - First introduced by Gregory of Tours (538-593) and brought to perfection by Suger (1081-1151), abbot of St. Denis.
· Gothic Cathedrals - 12th century. These edifices were built according to the pagan philosophy of Plato.
· The Steeple - Rooted in ancient Babylon and Egyptian architecture and philosophy, the steeple was a medieval invention that was popularized and modernized by Sir Christopher Wren in London around 1666.
· The Pulpit - Used in the Christian church as early as A.D. 250. It came from the Greek ambo, which was a pulpit used by both Greeks and Jews for delivering monologues.
· The Pew - Evolved from the 13th through the 18th centuries in England.
· The Single Bishop (predecessor of the modern pastor) - Ignatius of Antioch around A.D. 115. Ignatius’ model of one-bishop-rule did not prevail in the churches until the third century.
· The “Covering” Doctrine - Cyprian of Carthage (200-258), a former pagan orator. Revived under Juan Carlos Ortiz from Argentina and the “Fort Lauderdale Five” from the United States, creating the so-called “Shepherding-Discipleship Movement” in 1970s.
· Hierarchical Leadership - Brought into the church by Constantine in the fourth century. This was the leadership style of the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans.
· Clergy and Laity - “Laity” first appears in the writings of Clement of Rome (d. 100). “Clergy” first appears in Tertullian (160-225). By the third century, Christian leaders were universally called “clergy.”
· Modern Ordination - Evolved from the second century to the fourth. It was taken from the Roman custom of appointing men to civil office. The idea of the ordained minister as the “holy man of God” can be traced to Augustine (293-373), Gregory of Nazianzus (329-389), and Chrysostom (347-407).
· The Title “Pastor” - Catholic priests who became Protestant ministers were not universally called “Pastors” until the 18th century under the influence of Lutheran Pietists.
· Christians Wearing Their “Sunday Best” for Church - Began in the late-18th century with the Industrial Revolution and became widespread in the mid-19th century. The practice is rooted in the emerging middle class effort to become like their wealthy aristocrat contemporaries.
· The Clergy Costume - Began in A.D. 330 when Christian clergy began wearing the garb of Roman officials. By the 12th century, the clergy began wearing everyday street clothes that distinguished them from the people.
· The Evangelical Pastor’s Suit - A descendent of the black scholar’s gown worn by Reformation ministers, the black lounge suit of the 20th century became the typical costume of the modern pastor.
· The Clerical (Backwards) Collar - Invented by Rev. Dr. Donald McLeod of Glasgow in 1865.
· The Choir - Provoked by Constantine’s desire to mimic the professional music used in Roman imperial ceremonies. In the fourth century, the Christians borrowed the choir idea from the choirs used in Greek dramas and Greek temples.
· The Boys Choir - Began in the fourth century, borrowed from the boys choirs used by the pagans.
· Funeral Processions and Orations - Borrowed from Greco-Roman paganism in the third century.
· The Worship Team - Calvary Chapel in 1965, patterned after the secular rock concert.
· Tithing - Did not become a widespread Christian practice until the eighth century. The tithe was taken from the 10% rent-charge used in the Roman Empire and later justified by the Old Testament.
· Clergy Salaries - Instituted by Constantine in the fourth century.
· The Collection Plate - The alms dish appeared in the 14th century. Passing a collection plate began in 1662.
· The Usher - Began with Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603). The predecessor of the usher is the church porter which traces back to the third century.
· Infant Baptism - Rooted in the superstitious beliefs that pervaded the Greco-Roman culture, it was brought into the Christian faith in the late second century. By the fifth century, it replaced adult baptism.
· Sprinkling Replacing Immersion - Began in the late Middle Ages in the Western churches.
· Baptism Separated from Conversion - Began in the early second century as a result of the legalistic view that baptism was the only medium for the forgiveness of sins.
· The “Sinner’s Prayer” - Invented by D.L. Moody (1837-1899) and made popular in the 1950s with Billy Graham’s Peace With God tract and later with Campus Crusade for Christ’s Four Spiritual Laws.
· Use of the Term “Personal Savior” - Spawned in the mid-1800s by the Frontier-Revivalist influence and popularized by Charles Fuller (1887-1968).
· The Lord’s Supper Condensed From a Full “Agape” Meal to Only the Cup and the Bread - The late second century as a result of pagan ritual influences.
· The Catholic Seminary - The first seminary began as a result of the Council of Trent (1545-1563). The curriculum was based on the teachings of Thomas Aquinas which was a blending of Aristotle’s philosophy, Neo-Platonic philosophy, and Christian doctrine.
· The Protestant Seminary - Began in Andover, Massachusetts in 1808. It too was built on the teachings of Thomas Aquinas.
· The Bible College - Influenced by the revivalism of D.L. Moody (1837-1899), the first two Bible colleges were The Missionary Training Institute (Nyack College, New York) in 1882 and Moody Bible Institute (Chicago) in 1886.
· The Sunday School - Invented by Robert Raikes from Britain in 1780. Raikes did not found the Sunday School for the purpose of religious instruction. He founded it to teach poor children the basics of education.
· The Youth Pastor - Invented in urban churches in the late 1930s and 40s as a result of seeking to meet the needs of a new sociological class called “teenagers.”