Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson
Crossway
Acknowledging sociologist Christian Smith’s comparison of contemporary Christianity to “moral therapeutic deism,” Matt Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, has penned this treatise to clearly expound the biblical meaning of the gospel.
The author traces the grand themes of the Bible: God, Man, Christ, and focuses on personal salvation and transformation. In addition, he emphasizes that the gospel is “cosmic”—it focuses on the larger scheme of the restoration and redemption of a fallen universe (see Rev. 21:5).
Chandler emphasizes the necessity of a balanced approach to the gospel; in so doing, he warns believers of the pitfalls of a “Christless Christianity” and syncretism, in which the gospel becomes indistinguishable from other belief systems and solely stresses “making the world a better place.”
In sum, Chandler challenges readers to re-examine what it means to be a Christian in this brief, provocative work endorsed by the likes of Rick Warren. —Brian Smith McCallum
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