Book Comment: If the Church Were Christian

Gulley, Philip, If the Church Were Christian. A chapter-by chapter response.

Gulley's propositions:

 1. "Jesus would be a model for living rather than an object of worship."

 2. "Affirming our potential would be more important than condemning our brokenness."

 3. "Reconciliation would be valued over judgement."

 4. "Gracious behavior would be more important than right belief."

 5. "Inviting questions would be valued more than supplying answers."

 6. "Encouraging personal exploration would be more important than communal uniformity."

 7. "Meeting needs would be more important than maintaining institutions."

 8. "Peace would be more important than power."

 9. "It would care more about love and less about sex."

10. "This life would be more important than the afterlife."

All, or most, of these propositions have some truth to them and all of them have some error.  They are all based on the "progressive" or "emergent Christian" outlook which views traditional Christianity as outdated and in need of being made relevant.

"Progressive" Christians are dismissive of doctrinal orthodoxy, seeing it as old-fashioned and in need of re-interpretation for the modern world.  They are very likely to adopt "reasonable"modern attitudes and beliefs, some of which are completely at odds with scripture.

Many become sarcastically dismissive of anyone who disagrees with them.  Some of their more progressive ideas cross over a line which makes them a "different gospel," no longer Christian.  

More on this later.