What the SHOCKING BELIEFS of the great Christians can teach us today. Frank Viola is one of the best teachers of my time, but this sounds quite like an internet headline designed to lure clicks. It seems he is using modern techniques to attract readers, which is either sad that someone of his quality has sunk so low, or smart use of a contemporary technique. Personally, it nearly put me off buying it, but I knew the writer better. Having read the book, I'm so grateful I did.
He takes names from Church history and after a brief intro to each, plus a note emphasising he is NOT devaluing the contributions they made, then lists at least five things they said that some / many / most Christians today would not accept.
If that applies to people like CS Lewis, Luther, Calvin, Augustine and Wesley (and others), surely we have a duty of care and discernment when we hear anyone adulating or criticising anyone. Even the greatest people say things they would later regret, while some of the worst people occasionally say things worth pondering.
In my case, I can think of one lady who I am not a great fan of (AHAIIK she is not a follower of Jesus), yet she has provided me with an insight into something mentioned in the Bible - but without the sort of detail I prefer. I've neither read her books nor seen her films, yet I have gleaned a small piece of information which opened up a whole new way of seeing the subject. If it was just me maybe we should be worried, but several people I respect have since seemed to have similar views - none of which came from this author.
There are other sections of this book - being a jerk online, the real heretics, etc, but in this age when views are often held and expressed so strongly, this is a reminder that none of us is infallible,