Author: Gilley, Gary E.
Genre: Theology - Ecclesiology
Tags: Church, Methodology, Progressivism / Conservatism
Series: This Little Church Series
Rick Shrader‘s Review:
This is the second book I’ve read (and reviewed) by Gary Gilley. In This Little Church, Gilley evaluates the contemporary church movement primarily from his own background and familiarity with psychology. He finds the methodology and motivation of the contemporary church almost identical if not primarily borrowed from the world of psychology. Our society is so steeped in psychology that we hardly can tell its influence on most things we do, Gilley argues. He uses the term “bait and switch” to describe the religious terminology on the one hand, followed by the familiar psychological manipulation on the other. This side of the contemporary problem is not all there is to it, but this reminder of the danger of psychological manipulation is worth the read.