Back to Outline: Part One A Religion of Irrelevance
Why Modern Christianity is Failing
(A Brief Outline)
to Influence the Modern Mind
Part Two
With Links to Chapters and Sub-chapters
Chapter 6: Religiosity
The division of religion from reality in the modern mind on both a conscious and subconscious level. Argues that religiosity is a result of confusion in the Christian community over what constitutes the basis of final reality. Why Christians find it easier to escape into religiosity rather than to face a confrontation with modern philosophies on an intellectual level.
Religiosity Vs Truth: Religiosity, a result of tradition taking the place of truth, resulting in a distorted presentation of the Gospel. How religion effectively blocks people's view of truth. Sorting out the confusion between tradition and truth.
The Subconscious Mind and Truth: The importance of renewing the mind in order to understand and perceive truth over religious presumptions. The danger of Christians passively addressing the modernist's view of religion rather than the broader subject of reality. The necessity of a whole Gospel in an age increasingly defining reality more in scientific terms and less in religious terms.
The Problem of Relativism: How the now popular concept of relative truth has resulted in a Christianity focused on ritualistic religion rather than on truth.
Chapter 7: The Origin Debate
Why so many Christians either accommodate evolutionary thinking, or hold to simplistic (young earth) creationist views. Argues that most Christians have yet to understand the full importance of the creation/evolution debate, and how this affects the place of Christians in the modern world.
The Slippery Slope of Compromise?: The old universe/young universe debate among creationists. Are old universe advocates compromising biblical inerrancy? Why we must walk a fine line between the interpretation of the scientific evidence and the interpretation of scripture.
Creationism Versus Religiosity: The importance of creationism to the effective propagation of a Christian worldview. Why creationism can help to weaken the hold of religiosity on Christianity.
The Bible Idol: How Christians have placed the Bible and Bible teaching on a level God never intended. Why traditional Bible preaching is a poor way to reach out to our post-modern culture.
Ch 7: Part Two Why the Church has Failed in the Origin Debate
Is Science Spiritual?: Why many Christians are failing to realize the spiritual benefits of science. Why most founders of modern science were committed Christians.
The Need for Scientific Stimulation: Coming full circle in again addressing the basic need for intellectual revival. Why "creationism," loosely defined, is the only solid foundation for Christian thought.
Chapter 8: Approaching the Modern Mind
Argues that how we approach the modern mind will dictate how well we influence it.
Lessons from the Enemies Camp: Explains why and how modern liberalism has been so successful at influencing our modern culture. Draws a contrast between how Christians approach the subject of truth and how liberals have.
The Power of Subtle Persuasion: Discusses how Jesus approached people through subtle story telling, and asks why modern Christians seldom employs similar methods.
Chapter 9: Christianity and Politics
Why much of the perceived Christian bigotry that exists in the political arena is a direct result of how Christians have been approaching the political debate.
A Christian Response to Pluralism: The importance of Christians constantly emphasizing a belief in the freedom of conscience, and being more tactful and less threatening in their approach to the political system.
Confronting the Present "Secocracy": How secularists are violating the First Amendment when they attempt to keep traditional religious ideas out of the social and political arena. Why educating people in understanding the full intent behind the First Amendment is the only hope of eliminating exclusionary actions by those who are in political power.
Chapter 10: C.P.S.
Discusses the problem of confusing cultural and biblical concepts. Dubs this a disease called "Christianity Preconception Syndrome" or "CPS".
What is Ministry?: Defines the word "ministry" as simply service. Why equating ministry with specific religious duties is inconsistent with the original meaning of the word.
What is a Pastor?: Why the modern concept of "professional ministry" has often been formed around a non-biblical view.
The "Organized Church": Discusses the reasons for Christians to meet together, and questions if the modern concept of "having church" is biblically sound. Contrasts the early Christians lack of concern with organized structure with the modern Christians obsession with it.
Brick and Mortar: How the emphasis on building buildings is undermining the efforts of Christians to impact our culture.
The Origins of CPS: Why modern Christians tends to focus on the traditional aspects of Christianity rather than on its substance.
Chapter 11: The Insecurity Factor
Why being insecure in our faith will result in a reaction of fear toward our sinful culture.
The Minority Complex: Discusses how and why many Christians have developed the mentality that they are just a small minority that have no real chance of winning back their influence.
The Confident Christian: Argues that Christians must develop a broader more in depth understanding of their beliefs as well as a solid confidence that the rich Christian worldview can easily stand up against the shallow ruling philosophies.
Chapter 12: Cultivating a Relevant Faith
Just being "different" does not guarantee that we can influence those around us. Why we must be different in ways that will cause us to stand out as genuinely removed from the negative aspects of society.
"Doing Church" Vs Being the Church: Christianity will never have any great impact on modern society until it stops focusing so much attention on "doing church" and begins to concentrate more on being the the body of Christ.
The Need for Unity: Argues that even marginal unity realized within Christianity would powerfully impact our culture.
The Problem of Dogmatism: Why insecure people tend to be dogmatic, and why dogmatism is the root of disunity.
The Greatest of these is Love: Why the most important thing Christians can do to improve their cultural relevance is to show genuine love for one another.
Appendix: Positive Signs
Brings out a few of the signs that Christians as a whole are starting to move in a more real, down to earth, Christ centered direction.