Core Christianity: The Tie that Binds

For those who don't know already, I love the church.  I'm not talking about where I go to worship in community every Sunday though.  I'm talking about the full body of believers, from every congregation, country and location that you can think of.  It is my belief that through the entire and united church, God can be witnessed in His full character.  Over the course of a year, I've been thinking about how different denominations interact with one another, and only now do I feel I'm getting close to sharing my thoughts with everyone.  When I told a friend about my little investigation, they suggested that I read Core Christianity by Charles J. Colton.  (For all you local readers, he's a professor right here in Binghamton at Davis Bible College.)

And I'm glad that I did take the time to read through Core Christianity.  The book is split into two main sections: Figuring Out the Core and Living Out the Core.  The bridging element, as you might have guessed,  is what constitutes the core doctrines of Christianity and how we can use these essential values to heal and grow the Kingdom of God.

Figuring Out the Core takes up the first five chapters, and is quite a challenging read, even for those who have been in the faith for longer periods of time.  Although I enjoyed reading about the past creeds and some of the most important Christian documents outside of the Bible, the language is worthy of a seminary scholar.  This made some sections difficult and slow for me to understand.  I'm guessing that Colton's target audience isn't the layman, but pastors and those who have gone through the rigors of earning a degree in divinity.  However, I'm certain that anyone can get something out of it.  Once I got used to diction, this section was a great asset in organizing my thoughts.  So for that I am thankful because it would have taken me longer to do so on my own.

Living Out the Core was more practical and quite a bit easier to read.  Still, I feel that most of this section is directed toward those in church leadership.  Colton strongly encourages all churches to solidify their doctrine, even if they are non-denominational, and then live it in on Sunday and in their personal lives.  He also brings to light many of the hardships found within and between churches, while providing practical solutions.  As a pastor himself, he has plenty of personal experience to draw upon, but also mentions more than once that each church should follow and stay true to their own model.  Colton shows considerable respect for the diversity of the church as a whole, and if you are a leader in your local church, this section is wonderful for discovering meaningful insights and making wholesome decisions for your local congregation.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I feel it loses some bacon point on the premise that I can't recommend it to everyone.  In fact, I'm not even sure if I am the right person for this book.  So it's only getting 3 outta 5 from me.

Sorry, not every book deserves high marks.  We can't go around cheapening the the value of the bacon, now can we?