Reimagining Church Book Review

I was more than a little disappointed with Reimagining Church by Frank Viola.  Viloa, the unofficial (or maybe even official, I’m not sure) spokesperson for the house church movement, supposedly wrote this book as a guide on where to go next with organic churches.  His prior book, Pagan Christianity, was all deconstruction of old ecclesiastic paradigms.  Unfortunately, the sequel wasn’t much different. 

Although Reimagining Churchdoes offer some working principles, it is nearly barren of real life examples.  The one drawn out example of an organic gathering that he does give, although interesting and inspiring, was mainly disturbing.  He took two years to teach a small group of Christians how to interject their spiritual gifts in a worship setting.  Where’s the outreach?  Where’s the discipleship?  Two years for a format change?

Viola has successfully shamed the established church in every chapter, and maybe rightly so, but we’re all still waiting to here what his church looks like and how it has turned out better.  I’m not sure I’m willing to buy a third book to get the answer. 

I’m a huge fan of house churches/organic churches, having a founded a few myself.  I think that what the movement needs most right now is more constructive input and a sharing of success stories.  I guess there’s value in a prophetic voice critiquing the established church, but most convincing apologetic for a new way of doing church is more stories by more people trying it.

For an excellent summary of the book, click here.