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Are you dissatisfied with The Purpose Driven Life? Have you read Rick Warren’s bestseller and wondered, “Is that all there is?” If you feel like something is missing from Rick Warren’s best-selling books, The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, you are not alone. Evangelical leaders are beginning to voice their concerns about the seeker-sensitive model of ministry. More Than a Purpose… Read an excerpt Click here to read a PDF copy of the Introduction of More Than a Purpose. Introduction More Than a Purpose is for those who have read Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life and are looking for something more. Warren’s sincerity and passion for evangelism are not questioned, but his “new Reformation” of Christianity is challenged. Chapter 1 – It’s Not About You … Or Is It? - The Psychologizing of the Gospel Rick Warren’s family and religious background is explored. The roots of Warren’s understanding of evangelism are found in the writings of Donald McGavran, Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller. The seeker-sensitive model of church growth emphasizes human needs as the determining factor in the presentation of the gospel. Chapter 2 – Doctrine For Dummies - The Sidelining of Theology Rick Warren’s denigration of the role of doctrine in church life comes from the broader evangelical disregard for theology in favor of relational aspects. The result is a theology that falls short of traditional Christian statements of faith. Chapter 3 – The Market Driven Life - The Advent of Consumer Christianity The American culture of consumerism impacts the presentation of the gospel. The gospel is marketed as a product. Packaging the gospel to appeal to the tastes of the consumer has changed the message of gospel. Chapter 4 – Gimme That Showtime Religion - The Entertainment Model of Worship The adoption of the entertainment model has transformed the experience of Christian worship. Entertainment-based worship has succeeded in drawing the crowds but has changed the understanding of worship. What remains is a streamlined and personalized form of worship. Chapter 5 – Spiritual But Not Religious - The New Age Influence on Evangelicalism Rick Warren borrows heavily from the “pop spirituality” of American culture in order to speak in the language of the “seekers.” He shares its anti-doctrinal attitude, emphasis on experience, religious eclecticism, and uncritical pragmatism. Chapter 6 – Recovering the Evangelical Essentials - Restoring the Basics of Christian Spirituality Evangelical Christianity is straying from its heritage in order to fill the churches. What is needed is a return to the evangelical essentials of the first Reformation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Marshall Davis is an ordained Baptist minister with thirty years of experience as a pastor. He is a native of New England, and has served churches in Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. He presently serves as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Rochester in western Pennsylvania. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion from Denison University, Granville, Ohio, and holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. He has done study at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, the Tantur Institute for Theological Research, Jerusalem, Israel, and most recently at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University, England. Dr. Davis has been a regular guest on “Religious Roundtable” radio discussions on WBVP in Beaver Falls, PA, where he has engaged in interreligious dialogue with representatives of many faiths, including Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Bahai, and atheist. He also has debated current social issues. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Reverend Davis had a series of radio debates with a Muslim imam from a Pittsburgh mosque. He has written newspaper columns on religious issues, and in 1991 did a series of newspaper reports from the West Bank on Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He has led workshops and retreats in the area of Christian spirituality. He also serves a tour host taking groups on religious pilgrimages to the Holy Land and the Mediterranean. Dr. Davis has been married to his wife Jude for thirty-two years. Jude is an art teacher, photographer, and jewelry craftsperson. They have three grown children. View his sermon website at: www.pastordavis.com.
Discussion Guide Now Available Discussion questions for use in small groups or Christian Book Clubs are now available. Click here to download the free copy of the discussion guide in PDF format.
Book Reviews What are people saying about Marshall Davis’ More Than a Purpose? More Than a Purpose has struck a nerve at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. Jason Pogue, the Director of Ministry at Saddleback Church, calls it: “One book you wish had never been written.” http://jasonpogue.blogspot.com/ posted August 17, 2006 What are others saying? I can't put it down! It is POWERFUL! The book articulates what I have been thinking for years about what has happened to the church in the US. You write with humor, intelligence, theological depth, historical perspective and balance. Thank you for your courage to write the book. I believe it is a blessing to Christ's body in these spiritually dangerous times. It is more than just a critique of a book but it helps people gain perspective on a movement that has not been very helpful to the gospel of Christ...inoculating many from the genuine message of the cross of Christ. I believe the Lord is saying, "well done good and faithful servant." - Jamie Bohnett, founder of The Fathering Forum and author of “Like Father, Like Son” Rick Warren is pastor of the largest Baptist church in the United States and author of the international best sellers The Purpose-Driven Life and The Purpose-Driven Church. Marshall Davis is pastor of a small Baptist church near Pittsburgh and this is his first book, setting up a "Davis vs. Goliath" confrontation. Mr. Davis contends that the Gospel presented by Mr. Warren is deficient. "In Warrenism there is no genuine commitment to Christ because the genuine Christ has not been preached and the way of salvation has not been explained." The teaching of Rick Warren, Mr. Davis asserts, is "Gospel lite: tastes great, less filling." Such assertions might draw a debate, especially from the millions worldwide who testify to the positive effect of reading the Warren books, but this next observation will be met with a chorus of amens: "The American Christian has gone from being a disciple to being a customer, from being a follower of the Lord Jesus to being a consumer of a spiritual commodity." In this new marketplace, Mr. Davis says, entertainment has replaced worship in the public gatherings of Christians. The antidote, he contends, is a fresh attention to evangelism, worship, theology and ethics. It's a good read on a timely subject.
I knew after reading "The Purpose Driven Life" was that something was not right. "More Than a Purpose" answered a lot of my questions. It shows how Rick Warren has been influenced by the Norman Vincent Peale/Schuller brand of Christianity. It shows how/why biblical teaching isn't a big part of the mega-churches. I also understand a little bit of why many of my friends liked PDL - it is a Christian flavored self-help book. It also described how spiritual consumerism and personalization has affected the megachurch and evangelicalism. - Amazon.com
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
In showing the deficiencies of the PDL and the megachurch movement, "More Than a Purpose" also clearly presents the gospel and a true picture of Christianity. This book is an excellent critique of The Purpose Driven model, the megachurch movement as a whole, and the state of modern "evangelical" Christianity in these United States. It also provides direction as to how the church can get back on track.
It is straightforward, easy to read and not beyond the average lay person.