Book Review - "Thy Kingdom Come..."

After reading willzhead's "Disowning Conservative Politics Is Costly for an Evangelical Pastor" and subsequently posting this, I ordered both Randall Balmers "Thy Kingdom Come..." and Gregory A. Boyd's "Myth of a Christian Nation...". Yesterday, I finished reading "Thy Kingdom Come..." and was challenged.

As a sort of brief book report, let me say that my political leanings are somewhat to the left of many I associate with. Lately, especially since starting to blog, I have become increasingly concerned about how those with the same prinicple faith as mine are letting their political views and faith perspectives intermingle, to the point where we are pushing people away from the grace and redemption that Christ offers rather than drawing them nearer.

Let me start out by stating that I emailed Randall Balmer yesterday starting off with "... While I don't agree with everything in the book, it challenges my thoughts as well as confirms many of my feelings about the Church today. ...". His reply later yesterday included "... I'd be worried if you (or anyone else) agreed with everything I have to say...". If I read the book correctly, Randall is a democrat and approaches this book from that perspective.

His preface and conclusions are quite long and convicting. They are, however, well worth reading! Chapters are:

1. Strange Bedfellows: The Abortion Myth, Homosexuality, and the Ruse of Selective Literalism
2. Where Have All the Baptists Gone? Roy's Rock, Roger Williams, and the First Ammendment
3. Deconstructing Democracy: School Vouchers, Homeschooling, and the War on Public Education
4. Creationism by Design: The Religious Right's Quest for Intellectual Legitimacy
5. Voices in the Wilderness: Evangelicals and the Environment

In this book, he attacks many "Sacred Cows", even a few of mine. On the other hand, I am not afraid to challenge my thoughts with a well thought out argument, especially when he approaches the argument from a Biblical perspective.

I would recommend this book if you fall into one of the following categories:

• If you are willing to be challenged intellectually, politically or spiritually
• If you are interested in seeing the Kingdom of God grow
• If you are a political misfit (self-descriptive)
• If you have been bothered by the seeming fusion of politics and church

Thanks Randall for writing this book!

P.S: I just started reading "Myth of a Christian Nation..." and am looking forward to writing about it as well.