The Church of Us vs. Them, David E. Fitch
The Church of Us vs. Them, David E. Fitch
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Church of Us vs. Them
Freedom from a Faith That Feeds on Making Enemies

Author: David E. Fitch

Narrator: Al Kessel

Unabridged: 7 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/16/2019


Synopsis

We are living in angry times. No matter where we go, what we watch, or how we communicate, our culture is rife with conflict. Unfortunately, Christians appear to be caught up in the same animosity as the culture at large. We are perceived as angry, judgmental, and defensive, fighting among ourselves in various media while the world looks on. How have we failed to be a people of reconciliation and renewal in the face of such tumult?

Claiming that the church has lost itself in the grip of an antagonistic culture, David Fitch takes a close look at what drives the vitriol in our congregations. He traces the enemy-making patterns in church history and diagnoses the divisiveness that marks the contemporary evangelical church. Fitch shows a way for the church to be true to itself, unwinding the antagonisms of our day and making space for Christ's reconciling presence in our day-to-day lives. He offers new patterns and practices that move the church beyond making enemies to being the presence of Christ in the world, helping us free ourselves from a faith that feeds on division.

About David E. Fitch

David E. Fitch is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary and cofounder of Missio Alliance. He is the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and is currently on the pastoral staff at Peace of Christ Church in Westmont, Illinois. Fitch writes and speaks extensively about issues facing the church. He has written for Christianity Today, Outreach, and Catalyst, and is the author of numerous books, including Faithful Presence and The Great Giveaway.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jeremy on June 16, 2019

Wonderful way of weaving together Missional ecclesiology (church for the world), political/public theology (church’s way of being in the world), theology (God’s omnipresence in the world and intensified presence in the church), social and historical analysis of the American church (narrative of diff......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on June 29, 2020

So much insight in this book. Fitch identifies major attitudes/mindsets that lie at the root of division in the church. He provides readers with the tools to identify these for themselves and practically (and intentionally) create space to recognize the work of God in the world, instead of contribut......more

Goodreads review by Tim on July 16, 2019

How many Americans would say the church is for them rather than against them? Why is the church better known for its hates rather than its loves? In David Fitch’s timely new book, the church of us vs. them: Freedom from a Faith That Feeds on Making Enemies, he identifies the fodder that fuels the chu......more

Goodreads review by Mark on March 01, 2024

This could have been a five star rating. There are many things to like here, and the main premise of the book is solid. That being said, the us vs. them position the author espouses is weakened by his own poorly articulated and biased positions on matters of politics. His disdain for Trump comes thr......more

Goodreads review by Aaron on January 04, 2020

I challenge the reader to approach this book with an open mind, otherwise an adherence to your traditional religious background will no doubt further promote the “enemy-making” thought processes and beliefs Fitch discusses that we currently employ in our current state of most churches. Hopefully thi......more