Who Is My Brother?: Facing a Crisis of Identity & Fellowship

Churches of Christ within the American Restoration Movement have struggled to identify the boundaries of Christian fellowship in a denominational, and now a multi-religious, framework. In the last few centuries, the range of limits has led us to identify ourselves as "Christians only, but not the only Christians" to "the only Christians". In the last decade or so, Max Lucado used his fame to overthrow everything Restoration people had learned the hard way. His "In The Grip of Grace" was the first significant embrace of denominationally defined Christianity. F. LaGard Smith not only addresses Max and his failures with spot-on analysis and respectful love, but sets the boundaries of Biblical Christianity exactly where they should be set. The universal longings for seeing all in Christ do not lead to cheap universalism, and the demands of Christ in Scripture do not lead to stingy inclusion. Smith did not draw the boundary lines, he just honors their placement where God, in love and wisdom, has chosen to place them.

This book could be titled "Advanced Topics in Christianity". The book is real meat and potatoes and will really make you think in depth. I couldn't put it down it down.Also, there are those that like to bash F. LaGard because he doesn't always preach what "itching ears want to hear". I have met him and heard him preach. He is not out to win any popularity contests nor compromise his beliefs to sell books. He is simply preaching the word and challenging us to think about what we believe and take action on those beliefs.F. LaGard is a true intellect!Put this on your must read list!

This book caused me to re-think many of my ideas about Christian fellowship. I am looking at the subject in light of "Who IS my brother?" as oppossed to "Who is NOT my brother?". I would highly recommend it to any Christian who is searching to find an answer to the question, "Who is really a Christian?" You may be surprised at the answer you come up with after reading this book.

This book makes a very, very good case for the Biblical view of baptism. This is something many today do not want to hear. On the other hand, the author acknowledges God has the prerogative to save whomever he desires -- something that irritates those on the far right. This is an extremely thoughtful book by a man who is one of the best thinkers in Churches of Christ today. The fact that he has people shooting at him from both sides says a lot. While he does criticize Max Lucado in an appendix to the book, it is not done in a caustic, hateful way. On the other hand, he does take a shot (and a well-deserved shot it is!) at some of the more legalistic brethren who seem to suffer from a Diotrephes complex -- those who want to immediately label as a "false teacher" any who disagree with them on nearly any obscure point.