TY  - BOOK
AU  - Viola,Frank
AU  - Barna,George
TI  - Pagan Christianity?: exploring the roots of our church practices 
SN  - 9781414314853
AV  - BV600.B259.P343 2008 
PY  - 2008///
CY  - Carol Stream, Illinois
PB  - BarnaBooks
KW  - Church
KW  - Biblical teaching
KW  - Theology, Practical
KW  - History
N1  - 1 (pages 281-291); Have we really been doing it by the book?  --; The church building  --; The order of worship  --; The sermon  --; The pastor  --; Sunday morning costumes  --; Ministers of music  --; Tithing and clergy salaries  --; Baptism and the Lord's Supper  --; Christian education  --; Reapproaching the New Testament  --; A second glance at the Savior  --; Afterword: The next step  --; Final words : Q and A with Frank Viola and George Barna; 2
N2  - Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we "dress up" for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, choirs, and seminaries? This volume reveals the startling truth: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is not rooted in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence in the first-ever book to document the full story of modern Christian church practices. Many Christians take for granted that their church's practices are rooted in Scripture. Yet those practices look very different from those of the first-century church. The New Testament is not silent on how the early church freely expressed the reality of Christ's indwelling in ways that rocked the first-century world. Times have changed. Pagan Christianity leads us on a fascinating tour through church history, revealing this startling and unsettling truth: Many cherished church traditions embraced today originated not out of the New Testament, but out of pagan practices. One of the most troubling outcomes has been the effect on average believers: turning them from living expressions of Christ's glory and power to passive observers. If you want to see that trend reversed, turn to Pagan Christianity ... a book that examines and challenges every aspect of our contemporary church experience. - Publisher
UR  - http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0721/2007025967.html
ER  -