This is the first in a series of book reviews I’m going to start doing. Hopefully. I’m calling them O Book Reviews. Why? Because all of the points I analyze start with the letter O. I’m a dork, I know. Hope you enjoy.
Overview:
Churched is a semi-memoir/semi-humor/semi-theological book by Matthew Paul Turner. (That sentence had more semis than a truck stop…) Matthew tells the story of his experiences growing up in a fundamental Baptist church, from “Baptist haircuts” to Barbie burnings. Through all of this, Matthew still manages to grow up and become someone who’s madly in love with Jesus. (But not John Piper.)
Originality:
Matthew’s book is unlike any other I’ve ever read, but in a good way. He approaches his experiences with fundamentalism with a lighthearted yet serious attitude. The book isn’t designed to give Christendom “5 Steps to Overcoming Fundamentalism”, but to address the situation and let you chew on it. While he’s using personal stories, he makes you feel like you experienced the story right along with him. It’s got a memoir-ish feel, yet you know you’re learning from it. Another great original work from Matthew Paul Turner.
Overall Readablity:
Churched is extremely easy to read. I read all the way through in about 4 or 5 days. While it may be a quick read, it’s an enjoyable, profitable read too. Matthew adds lots of great detail without using obscure wordage. It’s a great break from the extreme depth of many books in the Christian publishing world.
Outstanding Quotation:
“People said odd things about God. They said he was in control, but then when a teenager was killed in a car accident or a young mother died of cancer, they said that he allowed those deaths to occur so other people would come to know Jesus. That only made me fear God more, not have faith in him.” -p. 151, emphasis added
Observations:
I’ve grown up in what I would call a semi-fundamentalist background. Yes, my pastor graduated from “Fyles Sanderson”, as Matthew calls it in the book. Yes, I’ve read the Sword of the Lord newspaper. Yes, my pastor’s sermons are rated in decibels. Yes, we have a bus ministry. But we’ve managed to keep a bit more sane than the church Matthew describes in his book. We’re free to dress as we please, cut our hair as we please, and play with Barbie dolls. And yes, we can even listen to “satanic” Christian rock music. So I’m able to relate to many of the stories Matthew shares in his book, and laugh and be pained right along with him. Anyone who’s spent any time with Baptists will relate to Matthew’s stories.
However, I’m not entirely as ready as Matthew to discard fundamentalism entirely. In the form he describes, yes, for the most part I am. Yet I also see the value that it does have in some respects. I disagree with his assertion that “fundamentalism has little to do with Jesus.” (p. 213) Do I think it needs to change? Absolutely. It can’t continue like this. It doesn’t reflect Christ’s character. But I also know some “fundamentalists” who are the most loving, compassionate people I know.
Overall, I loved Matthew’s book. It was great, and he makes great points about Christianity in the end portion of his book. There’s something here for everyone to learn from.
Own it?:
Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Everyone should have this book on their shelf. When we begin to get too caught up in the “rules” of Christianity, Churched serves as a reality check reminding us to come back to what Jesus is all about: love.
O Book Reviews Rating:
4.5/5 Os
Buy your copy from Amazon (affiliate link):
Thank you for this man! Means a lot.
mpt
I lOve yOur review! And yOur lOve Of O's. Glad I dOn't have the O disease…..
I'm going to play devil's advocate.
You said: But I also know some “fundamentalists” who are the most loving, compassionate people I know.
I also know atheists who are exceptionally loving and compassionate. To me that's not a reason for "fundamentalism" to be okay. Of course there's going to be great and wonderful people in the fundamentalist camp.
Here's my deal (having grown up in quasi-fundamentalist churches (we more just flirted with the idea). If we look at Jesus and who he was and what he did and then translate it current times, what would Jesus do, where would he hang out and what would he say? I think he'd hang out in the gay bar, I think he'd ride along with the bikers, and go to all the other places a fundamentalist would frown upon. He'd hang out with the down and out and they'd like him becasue he was loving. Most fundamentalist wouldn't associate with these people or go to these places and if they did, these people probably wouldn't relate becasue fundamentalist can't very well relate to the down and out or vice versa. I know I've just generalized and stereotyped an entire segment/population, but there's certainly truth in there from what I know and have experienced.
That's it. Even, great review on the book though… I just thought I'd pick on that one statement.
Kenny, I entirely agree with you. There is definitely an issue with fundamentalism. It's (pardon the pun) fundamentally broken. I do think that we would find Jesus in a lot of places you wouldn't find most Baptists, i.e. sinful movie theaters. I'm not excusing the wrong, I'm just not throwing the entire package out because of a few bad parts. It's just my personality. I'm kind of a middle way kind of guy who tries to find the good in things while not ignoring the bad. Thanks for your wise insights Kenny. Pick on me whenever you like.
Noted. I'll make that one of my 2010 resolutions… pick on Evan more.