Thread: Worst book you've read? (Grenz, for me!)

What is the worst book you've read recently, or in your lifetime? I have a new most-despised book, taking the place of Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis, Charles Stanley's Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? and John Wesley: Heroes of the Faith. by C.E. Vulliamy (easily the worst biography I've ever read), at the top of my list. If you've been listening to the White Horse Inn broadcasts (the last three, in my opinion, are their best work yet on the show), one of the books Horton in particular mentions and criticizes is Revisioning Evangelical Theology by Stanley Grenz. I ordered the book from another library last week, and I must say I am utterly disgusted by what I’ve read. The book characterizes much of what is unbiblical and destructive in Christianity today. Grenz shallowly combines aspects of the emergent church, liberalism, German pietism, and early and medieval church mysticism, into one vague and poorly written package. There is little of value in the book, and only on a few occasions does he show himself to be a competent historian. I’ve found the book mainly useful for understanding contemporary Christianity and evangelicalism, even though it was written around 15 years ago. Have any of you read works by Grenz? I hear his 20th-Cnetury Theology with Roger Olson is worth reading.

The worst I've read recently was William P. Young's the Shack. An awful, awful book. Left Behind was pretty bad too as is anything by Philip Yancey. I only read this junk because I have to.

For, error Zane Hodges "Gospel Under Siege" Pure poison.

Dianetics by L Ron Hubbard. I read it before I became a Christian and even then it read like a bunch of psychobabble garbage.

A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren.

Originally Posted by CatechumenPatrick

What is the worst book you've read recently, or in your lifetime? . . . If you've been listening to the White Horse Inn broadcasts (the last three, in my opinion, are their best work yet on the show), one of the books Horton in particular mentions and criticizes is Revisioning Evangelical Theology by Stanley Grenz.

If you did not know, Grenz passed away in 2005. Grenz and Olson have banged the drum pretty loudly for contemporary post-modern tinged Arminianism.

Originally Posted by CatechumenPatrick

What is the worst book you've read recently, or in your lifetime? I have a new most-despised book, taking the place of Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis, Charles Stanley's Eternal Security: Can You Be Sure? and John Wesley: Heroes of the Faith. by C.E. Vulliamy (easily the worst biography I've ever read), at the top of my list. If you've been listening to the White Horse Inn broadcasts (the last three, in my opinion, are their best work yet on the show), one of the books Horton in particular mentions and criticizes is Revisioning Evangelical Theology by Stanley Grenz. I ordered the book from another library last week, and I must say I am utterly disgusted by what I’ve read. The book characterizes much of what is unbiblical and destructive in Christianity today. Grenz shallowly combines aspects of the emergent church, liberalism, German pietism, and early and medieval church mysticism, into one vague and poorly written package. There is little of value in the book, and only on a few occasions does he show himself to be a competent historian. I’ve found the book mainly useful for understanding contemporary Christianity and evangelicalism, even though it was written around 15 years ago. Have any of you read works by Grenz? I hear his 20th-Cnetury Theology with Roger Olson is worth reading.

When I saw this thread, I immediately thought, "Velvet Elvis!"

And I definitely agree with you about the recent episodes of White Horse Inn.

ANY book by Brian McLaren.

What Love is This Dave Hunt...

Chosen but Free has to be up there somewhere.

Also ANY "book" by Osteen.

Hi:

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, by John Piper.

Well, maybe not the worst, but it is up there in the top 3.
-CH

The Final Quest by Rick Joyner

The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee

"Myth of a Christian Nation" by Gregory Boyd. I was about 3/4 the way through the thing and kept thinking 'this dude is strange'. Then I found out he was an open theist.

Originally Posted by DMcFadden

ANY book by Brian McLaren.

Yes, I'd have to agree, although I have not read any of his works all the way through (for obvious reasons!).

Ive read like 2 Charles Stanley books. The few biblical truths they did contain were very simple, and overall modern psychology and Man centered biblical exegesis were the focus of his books.

The Powers That Be... By Walter Wink.

Purpose driven life is a stinker.

Velvet Elvis, Sex God and Purpose Driven Life. All horrible.

"Velvet Elivis" should be taken off "the list." It is a very good book. Rob Bell is so smart that you guys probably think he's messed up. Read it again...slowly...and you'll find some great stuff!

Also, "The Shack" is one of the BEST books I've recently read. Yes, I had a hard time with the idea that God could reveal Himself as a large black woman who bakes...but remember "The Matrix???" Also, what Calvinists often forget is that they're "perfect" theology must work on this earth, in real time and space and with people who are fallen and often live with horrible tragedy.

Greg Boyd is super intelligent and probably is often misunderstood. Most pure Calvinists seem to want to write off anyone who claims to be BOTH Calvinist AND Arminian. Why not recognize the Truth in both???

Just my !

The Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards

It made angry at God for a solid year. I knew he was right, but hated the truth. I desperately wanted to hang on to my notions of man's autonomy. It was miserable.

"Battlefield Earth" by L Ron Hubbard, I wasted a week of my life reading that book in the hope it would get better and it just got worse.

Originally Posted by Storm

"Velvet Elivis" should be taken off "the list." It is a very good book. Rob Bell is so smart that you guys probably think he's messed up. Read it again...slowly...and you'll find some great stuff!

Also, "The Shack" is one of the BEST books I've recently read. Yes, I had a hard time with the idea that God could reveal Himself as a large black woman who bakes...but remember "The Matrix???" Also, what Calvinists often forget is that they're "perfect" theology must work on this earth, in real time and space and with people who are fallen and often live with horrible tragedy.

Greg Boyd is super intelligent and probably is often misunderstood. Most pure Calvinists seem to want to write off anyone who claims to be BOTH Calvinist AND Arminian. Why not recognize the Truth in both???

Just my !

A ""pure Calvinist" is a strange concept in itself, you either believe in a sovereign God or you do not. You cannot be both a Calvinist and an Arminian, you can take bits from both and be inconsistent and unbiblical but you cannot be both.

The Arminian gospel (in its pure form) is a false gospel, thank God that most Arminians are not five point Arminians.

The Millenial Maze by Grenz was pretty good.

As far as bad books go....

So Great a Salvation by Ryrie.....

I had to go out of my way to read it because we were doing critiques on Lordship salvation. Zane Hodges book was terrible also. I was first discipled by guys who were dispensational in thinking so they introduced me to Clarence Larkin's Dispensational truths. I round filed it right away when Larkin said the Church wasn't in the Old Testament and that its birthday was at Pentacost.

I avoid bad theological books. I don't have enough time to read all the good ones.

As part of going to a mainline seminary I have read some bad stuff but nothing beats this little gem.

Practicing Gospel

Originally Posted by Storm

"Velvet Elivis" should be taken off "the list." It is a very good book. Rob Bell is so smart that you guys probably think he's messed up. Read it again...slowly...and you'll find some great stuff!

Also, "The Shack" is one of the BEST books I've recently read. Yes, I had a hard time with the idea that God could reveal Himself as a large black woman who bakes...but remember "The Matrix???" Also, what Calvinists often forget is that they're "perfect" theology must work on this earth, in real time and space and with people who are fallen and often live with horrible tragedy.

Greg Boyd is super intelligent and probably is often misunderstood. Most pure Calvinists seem to want to write off anyone who claims to be BOTH Calvinist AND Arminian. Why not recognize the Truth in both???

Just my !

No one would deny that Boyd is an intelligent man. He is an open theist though. Open theism is rank heresy of the worst sort. Piper has tried to get the GBC to run the open theists out.

Originally Posted by PuritanCovenanter

I avoid bad theological books. I don't have enough time to read all the good ones.

Originally Posted by Daniel Ritchie

Originally Posted by PuritanCovenanter

I avoid bad theological books. I don't have enough time to read all the good ones.

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge - Be a man: twist the scriptures, create your own "risky" God who is no longer sovereign and quote a bunch of movies!

Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli - Hey its all good man, look at all the dudes in the bible that screwed up, therefore we can screwup and be okay with it, like Noah got drunk and yeah... so me too!

Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren - This is the purpose of life... oh and here are a handful of scripture verses that make it look like God agrees.

Desiring God by John Piper <ducks>

Diary of Anne Frank - Old school requirement, it was like reading someone's diary from cover to cover, and ... well, that should say it all.

The Merry Adventuress of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle - Very interesting if you are in to seeing what a bunch of drunken lazy men do when they are bored - chapter after chapter after chapter.

That is all I can think of off the top of my head. Most of the time these days if I am reading a book and it is that bad, I stop wasting my time and refuse to finish it.

Oh yeah not to mention all the John Hagee and Benny Hinn books I read way back in the day. I almost forgot about those (blessed repression).

I'm the librarian at our church, and people frequently "donate" books to be placed in the Library. I review all books before processing them and putting them on the selves.

Many never make it to the shelves. I've read some real bombs, but I think--

Benny Hinn, Good Morning, Holy Spirit, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)

has got to be the worst book ever written, and not placed in our library.

Also, right up there on the list is:

Stephen A. Macchia, Becoming A Healthy Church (Baker Books, 1999)

and--

Karen Scalf Linamen, Just Hand Over the Chocolate and NoOne Will Get Hurt (Fleming H. Revell, 1999)

Truly a shame that trees are sacrificed to produce paper -- only to print nonsense such as that on!

Originally Posted by Storm

"Velvet Elivis" should be taken off "the list." It is a very good book. Rob Bell is so smart that you guys probably think he's messed up. Read it again...slowly...and you'll find some great stuff!

The ratio of useless postmodern tripe to useful content in Bell, McLaren and others of their friends is so high that they're not worth reading. Beyond that, a number of things they say are beyond stupid, and into the heretical.

Also, "The Shack" is one of the BEST books I've recently read. Yes, I had a hard time with the idea that God could reveal Himself as a large black woman who bakes...but remember "The Matrix???" Also, what Calvinists often forget is that they're "perfect" theology must work on this earth, in real time and space and with people who are fallen and often live with horrible tragedy.

Perhaps so - but one cannot replace truth with ridiculous blasphemy in order to "make it work".

Greg Boyd is super intelligent and probably is often misunderstood. Most pure Calvinists seem to want to write off anyone who claims to be BOTH Calvinist AND Arminian. Why not recognize the Truth in both???

Just my !

Greg Boyd is a heretic who denies God's sovereignty, and whose books ought to be dropped by the boxfull into the latrine.

I sincerely hope you do not actually subscribe to Boyd's views on God's person and work. Beyond being unconfessional, they are dangerously heretical.

This is one of the negative consequences of the invention of the printing press.

Scott Hahn, Hail, Holy Queen and and The Openness of God by Rica, Sanders, Pinnock and Hasker are pretty much tied for most horrible. Of course, there are several books I've started and had to lay aside which might have been worse.

Originally Posted by ChristopherPaul

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge - Be a man: twist the scriptures, create your own "risky" God who is no longer sovereign and quote a bunch of movies!

Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli - Hey its all good man, look at all the dudes in the bible that screwed up, therefore we can screwup and be okay with it, like Noah got drunk and yeah... so me too!

Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren - This is the purpose of life... oh and here are a handful of scripture verses that make it look like God agrees.

Amen, Amen, and Amen--sadly, these are the three most frequently read books in my fellowship, and in much of American Christianity.

God: A Biography| jackmiles.com: Jack Miles Online

What should I have expected from a Jesuit? Very difficult trudging through his morass of blasphemy.

Although I haven't read this (nor do I intend to) check out his new one. Read the excerpts if you can stomach them and his quotes.
Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God| jackmiles.com: Jack Miles Online

What St. Paul Really Said, by N.T. Wright

The last two volumes of Westermann's Genesis commentary

The Call of Grace, by Norman Shepherd

The Covenantal Gospel, by Cornelis van der Waal

A Faith That Is Never Alone, edited by Andrew Sandlin

Women in the Church, by Grenz and Kjesbo

The Federal Vision, by Wilkins and Garner

First off....GREAT topic idea

BUT, I really haven't read that many bad theological books. As has been said, I just don't have time for them. I do have to admit that I read Left Behind and a few of the sequels. Terrible! Not even worth using for kindling. Not only does it have a terrible theological foundation, but it's simply a boring story.

Originally Posted by greenbaggins

The Covenantal Gospel, by Cornelis van der Waal

Well that piqued my interest. Though I certainly wouldn't rank it as my favorite, I am interested as to why you would rank it as one of the worst you have ever read.

This is an interesting thread. I guess I'm surprised by both ends of the spectrum and find myself in the middle of the road...again. Of course being in the middle of the road makes one more likely to be ran over.

Well this isn't theological but I still kick myself for reading
The World According to Garp by John Irving way back in 1978.

And yes Bennie Hinn's Good Morning Holy Spirit haunts me like a stomach flu.