Review: Religion Saves And Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll

I have an admission: I submitted to review this book partly out of somewhat morbid curiosity. Over the years, I’ve heard things about Mark Driscoll, the Mars Hill Church(es), and the movement formerly known as “emergent”. But that was also buffered by some great people from Mars Hill that I crossed paths with via Twitter.

What I found in this book, though, was disappointing in that sense. Instead of controversy, I found solid theology. Instead of defense of the emergent movement and its often heretical stances, I found a man and a church distancing themselves completely from that. I found the book mostly refreshing–and the bits that weren’t I’ll mention in a bit.

The book is based off a survey conducted by Mars Hill, in which they asked people to submit questions, and after 343,203 online votes, nine major questions emerged. This book simply seeks to answer those. And in that lies my first criticism: while the book does have an introduction that explains the premise of it, there’s no real flow between chapters/questions, and no conclusion to tie it all together. But that is more a reflection of the format of the book rather than the writing.

The only other criticism is something that is not at all new to Mark Driscoll…and that is his “distinctively edgy” style. Most of the time that edginess helped to lighten the mood or make a point, but there were a few times in the book I didn’t feel it added anything, and was more a distraction from the point being made.

But I was thoroughly impressed by one section of the book in which Mark addresses the emergent movement and his initial foray into it. It was completely forthright, honest, and refreshing to read a pastor saying he was wrong, and then explain in detail why he was wrong and why he is no longer a part of such a group. This section alone is makes the book worthwhile reading!

Despite my criticisms, the book was a good read and was theologically sound.

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Review of Religion Saves And Nine Other Misconceptions I have an admission: I submitted to review this book partly out of somewhat morbid curiosity. Over the years, I’ve heard things about Mark Driscoll, the Mars Hill Church(es), and the movement formerly known as “emergent”. But that was also buffered by some great people from Mars…