Frank Viola is blogging
Love him or hate him – and, if you’re a child of God, you have to love him 🙂 – Frank Viola is now blogging at “Reimagining Church“. If his books are any indication, Frank will raise some great questions on his blog. I’m looking forward to reading his posts. So far, Frank doesn’t allow comments. I hope that changes, even though I can understand the reasons for not allowing comments, especially for someone like Frank Viola.
(btw… I love him and his books.)
Alan,
You ought to read this, and other posts in Witheringtons withering critique of Viola and Barna’s recent book. See “previous posts” on side, for more.
Ted,
Witherington’s review is being critiqued quite effectively by another scholar. Parts 1, 2, and 3can be read at this site, http://www.paganchristianity.org/zensresponds1.htm
William
Ted,
I read Witherington’s review. I found the same problems in his review that I found in Viola and Barna’s book.
William,
Thanks for the link to Zen’s response.
-Alan
Thanks William, and Alan.
I have to acknowledge some inherent scepticism as I’ve heard this critique before in some forms. But I guess I’d have to read the book and sources, to really judge for myself.
Ted, are you honestly saying that you posted the link to “Witherington’s withering critique” of PC and you haven’t read PC yourself?
Or did I misunderstand your comment?
You will find Ben Witherington’s response to the rebuttal, here, in the comments.
Steve,
I trust both Witherington and Scot McKnight who both believe that Viola and Barna are off in this book. There are many books I want to read that I know can be helpful to me. I don’t have the time those people have to read books like that.
As you see from Witherington’s critique, he does go after the content in the book.
The title alone hits me in a way in which I don’t have the inclination to pursue, since I’ve already been in repeated dialogue with a brilliantly gifted intellectual man who takes this tack on Christianity. And what I’m picking up from the book seems to want to go down that path, albeit in a better nuanced way, probably.
Ted, I’m sorry, but it comes across to me as a bit unfair for you to just adopt someone else’s criticism of the book and then speak about it on those terms, linking to negative reviews, etc.
You don’t have the time to read all the books you want to read? That’s fine. We’re all in that boat. But that doesn’t mean we should post comments about it based on others’ reviews (or even link seemingly affirmingly to reviews) without disclosing up front that we haven’t actually read the book.
I’ve read the book. And some of what Witherington says is accurate. But he also misrepresents some of what was actually said in context.
Of course, you’ll have to read the book to see that for yourself.
Bottom line, if you want to take someone else’s review at face value, help yourself. But posting it for others without doing the homework yourself just strikes me as bad practice.
Steve,
I guess I’ll have to agree and disagree with you on that. Just pointing out that someone has reviewed a book, and someone who has written book after book of top notch commentaries, but really pointing that out, as well as another scholar backing him, I just don’t find wrong.
On the other hand, I would agree that it would be better if I just didn’t take for granted what they say in critiquing the book, but would look for myself.
Again, I’m not fond of the overall direction and drift of the book by Viola and Barna, if what all is being said about it is true, even with the balancing thoughts that come from your side.
Thanks.
Comments are open on his blog and some lively ones at that.