Throwing Hammers: Separation of Church and Self

THROWING HAMMERS: SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND SELF is a game-changer focused on an analysis of what is (and is not) logical, realistic, and beneficial about church doctrine and polity. Like a dog emerging from a pond, these pages represent a violent shaking-off of conventional spiritual wisdom concerning matters of history, popular culture, psychology, sex, and relationships. Mirroring a growing uncertainty within the Christian community over the past 10 years concerning church relevance and sustainability from authors such as Rob Bell, George Barna, Brian McLaren, and Tony Campolo, THROWING HAMMERS seeks out a new path. This book runs roughshod over the entire notion of contemporary "church" and the homogenization of the message as anything more than a barrier to spiritual enlightenment. If God is who He says He is then the success of "the product" isn't dependant upon marketing strategies or sample testing. In short, this "peek behind the curtain" of modern church dynamics cries out YES to the product and NO to the packaging. The net result of this endeavor is a call to revolution. To quote the 1976 movie NETWORK, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." The handling of sensitive issues in a raw and irreverent manner is based on the belief that these things are best dealt with at the root level. Other contemporary ministerial authors dealing with the subject matter appear to be pruning the branches. The trouble is that the "treatment" has to be made at the roots, not at the branches, and that's what makes it hard to define. This is an "in your face" attempt to pick a fight forcing readers to question their preconceived notions about all manners of Christianity. Hence, THROWING HAMMERS comes across as a combination of ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE, BLUE LIKE JAZZ, and THE SHACK.