WHY WRITE THE BOOK?                                  

Since High School, some seventy years ago, I have watched many people, especially youth, stop attending church. Listening to hundreds of sermons over the years, I have wondered why so much emphasis was placed on obedience to church policies and practices, rather than loving and helping one’s fellow man, as Jesus did.

As I grew older, I noticed the name-calling and antagonism that increased in State and Federal government between the Democrats and Republicans. I wondered how respectful dialog and working together across the aisles had disappeared.

In recent decades, as more kids attended college, they developed independent thinking and behaving. Their new sense of independence easily accepted homosexuality, same-sex love relationships, and trans-sexuality, which in general, is quite honorable. It is estimated that over forty percent of college graduates shy away from church attendance, church marriage, and having children because children are too expensive and demanding.

After attending many diverse church services, I noticed how afraid and even jealous the various denominations were of each other.

Having been an associate pastor for eight years and a pastor for two years, I wondered why so many Christians had such a shallow faith relationship with God, with themselves, with their families, with their spouses, and with their fellow human beings everywhere. Having been a hospice chaplain for a couple of years and a head chaplain in a large hospital for ten years, I met many patients who felt that their God was somehow punishing them.

I began to read scripture more closely along with church history. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and a Master of Theological Studies. I then wrote a thesis, AWAKENING THE SLEEPING GIANT, about the Roman Catholic Church. Why were they so stuck on patriarchal attitudes on things like celibacy for priests, the inequality of women, and a magisterial approach that seemed out of touch with the modern world?

Finally, I began to read widely in theology, in the First (Jewish) Testament and New Testament scripture studies, in history, political science, sociology, psychology, and economics. I decided to write a book called RECHRISTENING AMERICAN CHRISTIANS.

In the book, I emphasized and encouraged the gospel message of Jesus of Nazareth. I did so to invite all American Christians, whether churched or unchurched, biblical or hierarchical, mainline or storefront, traditional or evangelical, small or mega, to unite as the real People of God.

I believe strongly that if we are so united in living the gospel message of Jesus more closely, American Christians may, at last, become the salt in the soup of culture, the light on the candle stand witnessing more clearly the welcoming, life-giving, healing, transformative, unitive, familial (family-like) Spirit of a loving, universal, peaceful God.