Tag: Frank Viola
-
God’s Favorite Place on Earth
I recently received a copy of a new book by Frank Viola titled God's Favorite Place on Earth. The book uses a creative approach to reflecting on Jesus' visits to Bethany. Each of the six chapters begins with Viola role-playing Lazarus, narrating the various episodes from his viewpoint. Each chapter then presents the biblical text…
-
Who does the ministry?
Jesus Creed: Who does the ministry? Two contacts in less than twenty-four hours pressed me to write this post. One the post yesterday by RJS and the other a tweet by Frank Viola. Both of these contacts led my mind back to 1973, near Brussels. I was at a monastery for a week or so…
-
From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God
The various books of the Bible give witness to an unfolding story, but they do not do so in a neat narrative format. What is the storyline that holds these pieces together, and what might the storyline tell us about the purposes of God? Frank Viola addresses these questions in From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering…
-
“Reimagining Church” – Book Review
Obsessions with buildings. Churches run like corporations. Command and control hierarchies with professional Christians dispensing services to passive spectators. Are these endemic to our contemporary church culture? Frank Viola thinks so, and he believes they are without biblical warrant. Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity is Frank Viola’s follow-up to Pagan Christianity. The…
-
A “Withering” Review of “Pagan Christianity”
Ben Witherington: PAGAN CHRISTIANTY: by George Barna and Frank Viola First a word of disclaimer. I know Frank Viola, indeed for some years he has asked me loads of good and telling questions via email. I did not really know what his take was on various matters, but I gladly answered his questions. It is…
-
“Pagan Christianity” Book Review
Do you know why you do what you do at Church and where your practices came from? Frank Viola and George Barna have teamed up to describe the origins of many Church practices in Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices. (This book is a reworking of Viola's earlier book Pagan Christianity.) A…