The social sources of denominationalism (Living age books, LA11)

Despite the possibly cold- and academic-sounding title, The Social Sources of Denominationalism is actually a passionate, engaging read. Its premise is that the rise of Christian sects shows that the Christian churches have failed in their ethical duty. They should all be preaching the single unified truth of Christ's love, says Niebuhr, whereas instead they each reflect the economic and social traits of the people in their sects. Throughout history, says Niebuhr (brother of the more-famous Reinhold Niebuhr), sects have arisen when their parent church has grown remote from a vital Christianity; sects are a continual attempt to renew the religion. Also, says Niebuhr, the revolution and the new sect have always come from below: the existing church tends to gain respectability over time, and gain middle-class adherents, thereby drawing further and further away from an emotionally appealing experience of Christ and more towards a cold, academic understanding of God. The poor, says Niebuhr, have always sought a more direct -- emotional, arms flailing, speaking-in-tongues -- connection with god, which "respectable" churches are loath to provide. And those respectable churches are much better at telling the poor to mind their own business and accept their station, than they are at elevating that station. So ultimately, the "ethical failure of the divided church" (title of the first chapter) is the church's failure toward its most needy members. The presence of sects is not the church's failure -- rather, its failure is to have made those sects necessary in the first place.

This is the only book I know of that plainly discusses the failure of the Christian Church - in context of the Bible. Nieburh clearly identifies two violations of the Church's three fundamental requirements COMMANDED by its Founder: 1) BROTHERLY LOVE (John 13:34-35; 15:12,17), 2)UNITY John 17:11, 21-23), and 3) SUPERNATURAL EMPOWERMENT (John 14:16; Acts 1:4). The Book of Acts showcases what can happen when a body of Christians *obeys* Christ's 3 commands. The author boldly provides many examples of how today's so-called 'Protestant' churches defy Christ's commandments - and export Church division through their missionary programs. Very unique book in its critique of 'churchianity', a topic apparently, too hot (politically) for today's hordes of religious writers. Every born-again Christian should read Nieburh's exhortation. Chapter 1 says it all...the remainder of the book is merely additional detail.

Niebuhr's work is one of the greatest works in theology that I read while at Divinity school. I highly recommend it for its clear, concise and rational approach to Protestanism and explaining it in its many varied forms.