The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory

American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism

De: Tim Alberta

Narrado por: Tim Alberta

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Clearity Within The Fog

This book is a must listen for anyone that wonders why these days the Evangelical Christians seem to be so ... extra.

I grew up Evangelical Christian in the 80s and 90s, however I no longer consider my self part of that religion. My faith is in Jesus alone - no others. My disillusionment started when I was 19 (in the 80s), and I began to see my local Minnesota pastors setting themselves up as celebrities that treated their churches more like a high-growth business than a ministry. Huge auditoriums, high schools, TV shows, theatrical and musical performance were all designed to bring in people and (in my opinion) raise weekly income exponentially. The church I called home had a pastor that started out by leading a bible study, but by the time I decided to quit, he would arrive in a limo, directly speak to only the powerful in the church, owned a huge house on the lake, and seemed to care more about making his church big than actually being a shepherd of his flock. So I walked away holding my Lord in my heart rather than on my sleeve.

Once on the outside over the years, I've observed the church through the eyes of my family. My mother still holds to the values of the 80s style beliefs that hold Christ above all others, She used to be a power force in her church, but today she has a very private, personal relationship with Jesus and doesn't frequent services very often. My brother on the other seems to have dove head-first directly into the populist lake of a celebration of Trump. He goes to rallies, proudly displays his "Trump Leadership Certificate", surrounds himself with only like-minded Trump loyalists, while (as Tim Alberta points out continually in his book) pushes those that don't believe in Trump away from him.

It has been an interesting journey over the years trying to parse and interpolate those two dichotomous beliefs, but I could never get a handle on **why** the Evangelical church lost its way. What happened to the preacher that now treats the service like a campaign rally? When did the pursuit of money and power become a central focus rather than caring for those in your community with need? How did the message of Christ - of love and ministry - become a message of hate and exclusion? I would, on occasion, quiz my brother on these questions, but it always would end up in my frustration that he was afraid of everything "they" would take away from him and his family (though he couldn't really define who "they" were or how they materially affected his life). Once Trump entered the conversation, there was nothing that would reason with him. And, after being cut off a number of times, I simply stopped trying to understand or criticize. (though I still "...stand at the door and knock..." from time to time)

Alberta's book helped me understand clearly what my brother couldn't explain. Tim clearly walks through the link between who the Church used to be and how it is now. He deftly weaves his way between the various belief systems and churches of the Evangelical faith, and his reporting of his experiences with different, prominent Evangelical and SBC thought leaders helped me understand the state of the church today. The most revealing part of the book for me was Tim's journey from pastor to pastor across the country, and how some have turned away from Trump while others still hold loyalty to him. Tim contrasts the Evangelical Church's pursuit of power and wealth and actual words of Christ, and he give a broad survey of the state of church and how it may (or may not) move forward.

One day, I hope we can all look back with incredulity and disbelief of a time when Christ's Church went astray -- and then came back to Him. I join Tim in believing in an optimistic outlook, and I have faith that Christ will restore people's lives - even if we may not call it the "Evangelical" church anymore.

Evangelicals explained!

There are few more important books for voters to read to understand the bizarre support of Trump by evangelical Christians. Everything he is goes against Christian values as so many of us understand them. Yet they continue their support. This is also a crucial book to read in an election year.

Understanding, Insight and Hope

Tim Alberta pulls back the curtain on the damaging influence of Christian Nationalism to the Evangelical Church. Beginning with his own upbringing in an Evangelical church in Brighton, MI where his father, Rich Alberta, served as the Senior Pastor, he takes the reader on a whirlwind national tour of the hot spots where politics on the right have overtaken the biblical message of Christian faith and discipleship. As a follower of Jesus and a respected journalist, Alberta exposes the myriad ways the good news of Christ has been bent and perverted into a limited game of power politics.

It was surprising to discover the depths of group think that has taken place as a cultic non-biblical dogmatism has arisen which has caused pastors to either conform to keep their attendance up or to take a courageous stand resulting in loss of attendance, insults and personal threats. Alberta, the Journalist, allows charlatan preachers to tell their own story. Alberta, the theologian, brings in relevant scripture passages that reveal the deception of their culture-bound preaching and teaching.

The author demonstrates the damage to the church being done by political operatives. What appeared to be once healthy churches, now find their congregations either far from the Christian faith in a new and strange temporal political action committee type of community or decimated in both worship attendance and financial support as they seek to faithfully live into lives that mirror the life Jesus in our time.

The first two parts of the book tell stories of the lurch to the political right taken by so many Evangelical Churches. The third part of the book tells the stories of those who are helping followers of Christ find new ways of biblical discipleship, peace-making, and community service. The Epilogue brings a message of hope and new pathways for understanding how the church can move forward. Don't miss this last part. It is likely the most important chapter in this book.

A companion book or sequel could written that documents the influence of the political left on mainline churches. In any case, the issues of cultural influence on the church and the church as a cultural influence provides an endless field of inquiry as followers of Jesus seek "...to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with (their) God." Micah 6:8b

Jesus is Lord, not the grifters or America.

Alberta critiques the modern evangelical movement not just as a journalist observer, but as a lifelong believer that is horrified by what has become of the church in which he was molded. With measured humility, grace and a touch of righteous anger, he writes and calls to an American church that has lost its way and commission by not just mixing politics and faith, but conflating them altogether. Jesus is Lord, not the grifters or America.

What an excellent book!!!!

This is a combination memoir and in depth analysis of the Evangelical church. Such insight and well researched!