If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus

I had never heard of Philip Gulley before buying this book. Once I started reading it, I wished I had heard of him much earlier. This book literally exudes Grace and Compassion. As I said in a comment to another review, if you lean toward narrow fundamentalism, this book will most likely not appeal to you. But, if you are looking for some profound wisdom on how to live in a world created by a loving, compassionate God, I recommend it with all my heart. One can read the Gospels literally, and one can read them through the lens of a compassionate heart. Philip Gulley has chosen to do the latter. If I were a theologian, I would attempt some clever arguements as to why this book is an extension of Truth. But, I'm not. So, I will say only that I cannot wait, now, to read If Compassion Is True and If God Is Love. For compassion is true and God is love. Jesus is quoted as saying as much in the Gospel of John. And Philip Gulley is simply offering a reinforcement. Thank you.

God is not dead; we're just looking for God, as the old country song said, "in all the wrong places." For many of us, unfortunately, that place is the church. Many will be turned off, even repulsed, by the title, "If the Church Were Christian..." But the value, and there is great value in this book, comes in the subtitle: "Rediscovering the Values of Jesus." This is a provocative book, pointing the way, perhaps, to the future of the faith and, if we are fortunate, the church itself. Worshiping Jesus is a lot easier than emulating Jesus. And as Christians, that's what we should do: honor Him by living the life He said live, rather than worship him as we do in our churches today. If there is hope for the church, it is in encouraging Christians to live that life rather than in worshiping the man and the message.

In his first two theology books, If Grace is True and If God is Love (both co-authored with Jim Mullholland), Philip Gulley looked outward, to the theological questions that define the divine. Now, in his latest work, he looks inward, to the institutions and practices that define the religious life. If the church were truly Christian, it would focus on this life more than the afterlife; on following the example of Jesus more than believing creedal statements about Jesus; on loving whole human beings without reserve or judgment. Gulley covers these and many other points in a conversational, easy prose that communicates some profound thoughts without seeming heavy. To me, Gulley seems to be describing a church that would fall somewhere between the liberal end of Christianity and the Unitarian Universalist world. Having spent time in both, I think his thinking would be welcome in either, but much less so in the more conservative strands of Christianity. Gulley, along with John Shelby Spong, Scotty McLennan, Marcus Borg and a few others is pioneering what I think may eventually become a new shape of religion. For those of us who have a strong religious impulse but can't fit well into the traditional church, it's an exciting time to be paying attention.

I stumbled upon the author and this book when a Quaker acquaintance recently mentioned the author was coming to our area to speak about his latest work. Intrigued, I attended one session by the author, acquired this book and then set about selecting several chapters to devour prior to hearing him a second time the next evening. Here are the chapter headings in this work: If the Church were Christian... 1) Jesus would be a model for living rather than an object of worship 2) Affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness 3) Reconciliation would be valued over judgment 4) Gracious behavior would be more important than right belief 5) Inviting questions would be valued more than supplying answers 6) Encouraging personal exploration would be more important than communal uniformity 7) Meeting needs would be more important than maintaining institutions 8) Peace would be more important than power 9) It would care more about love and less about sex 10) This life would be more important than the afterlife Following the conclusion is an outline of three discussion questions for each chapter and an invitation to the reader to suggest other aspects of the church that may need to change in recovering the ethic of Jesus. I was stunned and surprised by Gulley's honesty and forthrightness in presenting his material as he carefully laid bare certain of the church's pervasive shortcomings. In the sixth chapter, for instance, Gulley alluded to the tendency of some churches to replicate their theological DNA, thereby promoting and securing a type of spiritual inbreeding that can lock out a given congregation from healthy growth in faith (page 108). Gulley refers to his Roman Catholic upbringing and Quaker background as enlightening his thinking on this matter. At the second lecture I attended, I asked him what informed the selection of his ten themes. The Quaker pastor revealed hearing many expressions within these aspects from congregants throughout his ministry. If you are evangelical/fundamentalist Christian in your persuasion you read at your own peril and possible healing. Gulley quickly comes clean that he no longer interprets certain traditional views like heaven and hell, for instance, as he once did. However, he is no cynic and expresses neither bitterness nor rancor in his measured prose. My personal spiritual journey has taken me through three different denominations. I have attended seminary and have been a minister. I find that Pastor Gulley is spot on in his insights, assessments and solutions. This is one of the most profound works I have read in recent years that evaluates the church at large in the light of the life and experience of Jesus--a rarity in the genre. I plan on adapting this book's contents for use in discussion groups in the church I attend.

In collaborative efforts with Jim Mulholland ("If Grace is True" and "If God is Love"), the two writers managed together to open a window in an otherwise stuffy edifice. So I've been looking forward to the release of this solo treatise by Philip Gulley for a number of months. And while I approached "If the Church Were Christian" with high expectations, I must say that Gulley has greatly exceeded those expectations! He's managed to "open that window" a little more. This book is a breath of fresh air! Be prepared to put aside any preconceived notions based on the impression the title may give, put on your thinking cap, and pay close attention. You may not agree with every conclusion Gulley draws, but it would be a shame to miss the message of this book. It echoes the call of the rabbi from Nazareth . . .