Review of Mark Driscoll’s Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions
Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, one of the fastest-growing churches in America. He is president of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and is the author of several books, including Vintage Jesus.
In the first three months of 2008, Driscoll preached a sermon series on nine different topics, which were culled from 893 submissions and voted on 343,203 times. This was the first sermon series from Mars Hill that I watched online and I was struck by many things, notably Driscoll’s preaching ability, the depth of material in the sermons, and the omnipresence of the Cross in everything that he preached. The Q&A’s that followed the last Sunday sermon contain challenging questions that Driscoll answered on the spot and his answers where pastoral, thoughtful, and biblical.
The Religion Saves sermon series became a book, part of the Re:Lit series, and I received a copy of the book to read and review a few weeks ago as part of a Blog Tour (here’s the blog tour schedule). I’m going to break out my review by chapter, listing both my thoughts and an embedded video of the corresponding sermon.
Chapter 1: Birth Control
This chapter has significant value for its pastoral approach to birth control and has a tremendous amount of technical information that is incredibly helpful to the subject. Especially helpful is the breakdown of levels of birth control. In an age where many churches are unwilling to discuss the topic of abortion, for fear of appearing intolerant, Driscoll takes an uncompromising stance on abortion, referring to it as “the sin of murder (p 40)”
Chapter 2: Humor
This was my least favorite chapter. Much has been written about Driscoll’s somewhat course tongue and many prominent Christian leaders have taken him to task. This chapter is a defense of humor in the pulpit. Humor is an area that I personally would be more conservative than Driscoll on, but he does bring some needed levity to the conversation through illustrations in this chapter.
Chapter 3: Predestination
Tremendously helpful chapter about a difficult topic using OT and NT references. The illustration at the end about pulling his daughter out of traffic being similar to “God the Father reaching down to me through Jesus” is powerful.
Chapter 4: Grace
For people who struggle with the thought of God giving them something good that they do not merit, this chapter provides ample support for the concept of grace appearing throught the Bible.
Chapter 5: Sexual Sin
Another chapter that will be of tremendous benefit to pastors and those in recovery ministries. Driscoll’s call for celibacy outside of marriage and monogramy in marriage is counter-cultural, and completely Biblical. He also accurately diagnoses society’s worship of sex and how that “worship” is fed by prostitution and pornography
Chapter 6: Faith and Works
This chapter is jammed packed with Scripture, and for good reason. The contrast of faith and works has been debated since the beginning of time and Driscoll does a great job of showing the necessity of both. Much of the chapter is focused on “God’s regernating work in the new heart of those who are born again as Christians to a thoroughly new life. (p 169)”. Driscoll’s connection of a regenerated heart enabling us to do good works is very helpful.
Chapter 7: Dating
Challenging, challenging chapter, especially Driscoll’s discussion of the different methods of dating. I must admit that this chapter, and the sermon on which it was based, have almost completely convinced me that “courtship” is the pattern of male/female relationships that Julie and I will be using in our family. Also helpful are the “Christian dating” questions that each gender should ask as they seek to enter into a relationship. Before I was married, I was as guilty as anyone of not pursing women with a godly intent. This chapter is an excellent rebuke and an exhortation to glorify God in all that we do.
Chapter 8: Emerging Church
I’ve read a ton on this topic, so this chapter had a lot of repetition. For people who are drawn to the writing of Doug Pagitt, Brian McLaren, and Rob Bell, Driscoll includes quotes from their work and interviews that are cause for concern and do seem to indicate some departure from orthodox Christianity. Using direct quotes keeps this chapter from being one big rant, instead making it seem very balanced and fair.
Chapter 9: Regulative Principle
This very short chapter is actually focused on what is right worship. Driscoll discusses the Normative Principle (church worship includes everything prescribed in the Bible and anything not prohibited by the Bible), the Regulative Principle (church worship includes only things prescribed in the Bible), and Missional Worship Principle (which seems a lot like the Normative Principle). His concern throughout is not necessarily the principle that we use for worship, but the object of our worship, namely God.
Concluding Thoughts
I enjoyed reading this book, but having watched all the sermons already, it wasn’t as “new” an experience as someone else would have. I would definitely recommend this book to others. It’s a pretty quick read and provides thoroughly footnoted and researched items. Looking to the future when I will, Lord willing, be planting a church in Ann Arbor, I can definitely see myself coming back to certain chapters in this book for pastoral assistance.
Blurb about the book
After 343,203 online votes on the Mars Hill Church website, nine questions for Pastor Mark Driscoll emerged as the ones most urgently calling for answers.
Inspiredby 1 Corinthians, in which Paul answers a series of questions posed by the people in the Corinthian church, Pastor Mark Driscoll set out to determine the most controversial questions among visitors to the MarsHillChurchwebsite. In the end, 893 questions were asked and 343,203 votes were cast. The top nine questions are now each answered in a chapter of Religion Saves.
After an introductory chapter devoted to the misconception that religion is what saves us, Driscoll tackles nine issues: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle. Becausethe purpose of this book is to address commonly asked questions, all readers will find relevant, engaging material, written in Driscoll’s distinctively edgy, yet theologically sound style.
In his distinctively edgy, yet theologically sound style, Pastor Mark Driscoll addresses the nine most controversial questions posed by visitors to theMarsHillChurchwebsite. This book is part of the Re:Lit series.
July 15th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
What a great, thorough review! I enjoyed reading it.