Evangellyfish by Douglas Wilson

Evangellyfish by Douglas Wilson 

Product Details

Hardcover: 228 pages

Publisher: Canon Press

Date Published: 2012 

Point: The average must not rejoice when the lofty falls.

Path: This is a novel. a very racy, too realistic, novel. Through use of irony, satirical characters and often too true circumstances, Wilson warns the reader that all that glitters is not gold, as a contemporary cliche reminds us.

Sources: This story could have been taken from any number of front page articles in the past ten years. It is full of typical Wilson, blazing critiques, witty remarks, underhanded jabs, and painful, thought provoking evaluations.

Agreement: I appreciated that although he painted the mega church in a poor light, he was not without criticism of the small reformed guys. Obviously there was a great difference between the sins of the former and the latter in magnitude and repercussions, but they both are present.

Disagreement: I am not sure that the exaggerations helped me to foster the same view as John Mitchell came to in the end. But maybe it was needed for me to see the path.

Personal App: How do I view the mega church, sin, and repentance? Soaring numbers, beautiful buildings, and expert presentations do not always reflect what is inside. And how do I view sin and repentance? The big churches are not the only ones with problems.

Favorite Quote: “Uncertainty was part of the appeal. That was just one problem with ministering to the youth of today – riding the wave of cool and contemporary youth ministry was like surfing the big ones, and with one false move, there you were with sand in your trunks.

Stars: 3 out of 5 – The idea gets a 5. The content around which the story grows (homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, lustful thinking, etc) gets a 2.5.

I don’t know that I would read it again. There may be a handful of people that I would recommend this book to. I am still trying to think through who that might be.

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