Reviews and Interviews …

David Crumm is one of the best interviewers anywhere. You can read our recent interview about A New Kind of Christianity at Read the Spirit – here
People have started posting reviews at amazon.com. In addition to some enthusiastic five-star reviews, the first one-star review has been posted. This review is much more “Christian” than many of the negative reviews I’ve received in the past. The reviewer, Darryl, gives his honest evaluation without name-calling, gross misrepresentation, demonization, etc. You have to appreciate that. And in spite of the fact that he found the book highly frustrating, he was able to find some value in it. His conclusion will be shared by many, I’m sure:

I believe that our biggest need is not for a new Christianity, but instead to rediscover some of the contours of the gospel we may have forgotten. We don’t need a new contract; we need to “guard the good deposit” that’s been entrusted to us (2 Timothy 1:14). We really don’t need a new kind of Christianity. We need to do a better job of rediscovering, and living in light of, the one we already have.

If my book helps stimulate honest and good-hearted readers like this one to pursue that kind of rediscovery a little more vigorously, I’ll be happy. Because a better version of “the old kind of Christianity” is a great step in the right direction!
In contrast to this critical but civil response, when my last couple of books have been released, some conservative bloggers have posted their critical reviews and then urged their readers to go to my site and vote early and often to keep negative reviews at the top and positive reviews on the bottom. I don’t know if this is ethical or not, but my guess is this will happen again with this book. I hope I’ll be pleasantly surprised, and that critical reviewers will take the high road as Darryl has done.