Deep Church Review

I love reading intelligent, theologically informed writings dealing with current ecclesiastical (church) issues. Dr. Jim Belcher’s book Deep Church is such a book. He does a good job unpacking postmodernism and its effects upon church and culture. Dr. Belcher analyzes the strengths and weakness of traditional and emerging churches. For example, in the chapter entitled “Deep Culture”, he says, “the traditional church is pacifist in the area of culture but not in the realm of politics, and the emerging church is pacifist in the realm of politics but not in the realm of culture.” Sweeping sentiments like this are made throughout the book and prove to be generally accurate in dealing with the seven areas of distinction between the two camps – truth, evangelism, gospel, worship, preaching, ecclesiology, and culture. Dr. Belcher’s proposal is to find an alternative or middle ground in what C.S. Lewis termed “deep church” (which is so much more than reaction to the shallowness of many churches). Drawing upon other good sources, both historical and current, (but ironically very little upon Lewis himself), Dr. Belcher navigates a third way, sometimes finding compromises between the two camps, at other times sympathizing with one camp over the other, and as a Calvinist, more often than not looking back to the “Great Tradition” (earliest church preceding Calvin) which informs and defines his Presbyterian theology and ecclesiology. As a Wesleyan, I maintain that John Wesley’s theology and ecclesiology so beautifully and effectively offers the third way that many are seeking, long before Lewis even came on the scene, by retaining and synthesizing a balanced stream of historical Christendom while speaking relevantly to the current issues of his (and even our) day. Dr. Belcher doesn’t mention Wesley even once in the book, which is unfortunate but not surprising considering he is Reformed. That said, this is a valuable book in helping us think deeply regarding issues of church and faith.