The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World?

THE SCANDAL OF THE EVANGELICAL CONSCIENCE: Ronald J. Sider Ron Sider has drawn a line in the sand for the evangelical church. He argues that the church has two options, live like the culture around them or live like the church. As a pastor in one of the "evangelical" churches that Sider refers to, I strongly resonate with his statements. I agree that we can tell little difference today between those in the world and those in the church. Sider refers several times to George Barna and the work he has done in measuring where the church is today. It might have been good idf he had included some statitics from other pollsters as well in order to make some comparison. Sider issues a call to the church. He says we must rally around six very important issues. · Jesus is our source and center. · The church is holy. · The church is a community · The church is counter-cultural in lifestyle (This is the point I think the church misses, and therefore succumbs to culture.) · Mutual accountability and responsibility are essential. In the light of these issues Sider does go on and say that there is hope. Christ Jesus is willing to transform and re-form His church. Renewal and revival are not enough. This is a book that every Christian leader should read. If you disagree with Sider, or accept all that he says will make no difference. What is important is that today's church be challenged, chastised, and corrected, and this book will help in all three areas.

Once again, Rod Sider comes at it with both barrels blazing. This is no mushy evangelical but rather a prophetic voice in the wilderness, a preacher who practices what he preaches. This is a much needed book in light of the WWJD bracelets and other Jesus junk that trivialize the message of the cross and the meaning of the resurrection.

This is a revision of my previous review of this book. I still give this book a positive rating because it is such a much-needed book for our unconvictional times. One of the problems that Sider has with contemporary evangelicalism is that it teaches a one-sided gospel that primarily focuses upon the individual and his or her spiritual needs. Sider states that the true biblical gospel embodies the whole person and is also communal/cosmic. The consequence of this one-sided gospel message, according to Sider, is that modern professing Christians are being apathetic and even carnal about issues like divorce, materialism, poverty, sexuality, racism, and physical abuse in marriage. In fact, one will be alarmed by the statistics Sider lays out in the first chapter that deals with these issues. The second chapter deals with what the New Testament writers have to say about the true gospel message. Sider ably demonstrates that the New Testament writers did not have a "cheap grace" view of the gospel but fervently advocated the whole gospel with its demands for repentance, obedience, and faithfulness. In other words, he shows that the New Testament writers - contrary to the prosperity gospel, the seeker sensitive movement, and the emerging church fad - advocated the necessity of experiential sanctification in the lives of true believers. The third chaper basically deals with the nature of the gospel. Sider effectively argues that the true gospel deals with the whole person and the whole world. Too many modern evangelicals have focused way too much on the individual and spiritual aspects of salvation and not the cosmic and earthly aspects. What this means is that true believers have a responsibility to serve the world by loving one's neighbour as oneself. Yes, we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone, but we must demonstrate that reality by how we live for God and others. Chapter four deals with how we are to be the church in the sinful world. Sider argues that the church must be Christocentric and radically different from the surrounding modern culture. While the modern culture promotes individualism, consumerism, and libertinism, Sider argues that the church must be a countercultural movement that lives according to Kingdom principles that overturns these sinful attitudes and ideologies. People caught up in the various prosperity and seeker-friendly movements should read this chapter. They will be surprised how wrong they are. The fifth chapter is basically the conclusion with some offerings of hope in the current crisis. Overall, I would highly recommend this book. Considering that so many professing Christians are caught up in the world-loving seeker-friendly and emerging church movements this book is a needed corrective to the many unbiblical ideas that are being promoted from many church pulpits today.

This book is a short, easy read...but is challenging at the same time. It is a much-needed indictment of evangelical Christianity in America. Our faith does not seem to be influencing our everyday life. Statistically, evangelical Christians are involved in just as much sin as non-believers. In fact, according to the book, sometimes the behaviors/attitudes of evangelical Christians are actually worse than the world! How can this be? The author gives various ideas and possible solutions. For instance, too often we present a one-sided gospel. We only emphasize God's forgiveness and love. And fail to mention the importance of repentance and obedience in the Christian life. There is "cost" in being a true follower of Christ. We need to start preaching a more complete gospel message. We also need an increased emphasis on accountability, within denominations and among individuals. I highly recommend this book. I actually bought two copies - one to keep and another to give away. I gave the other copy to my pastor.

A much needed view of Christianity in our current "Purpose Driven" individualistic culture. Sider points out that most evangelicals emphasize a one-sided gospel of forgiveness of sins without equal emphasis of repentance and discipleship. He goes on to state that evangelism is often defined primarily as "saving souls" calling that, "flatly unbiblical", since we are in the biblical sense "body-soul unities made for community". What a good point. Much is preached at least in my own Mennonite congregation about saving souls and coming to Jesus and little if anything taught about the costly obedience and radical discipleship of following Jesus and the social implications that brings. I agree with Sider in his statement that evangelicals need to grasp the biblical teaching that sin is social as well as personal. This is an excellent book which is easy to understand and deeply challenges the conventional evangelical wisdom of our time.