God in the wasteland

By David F. Wells

Book Description

In this penetrating examination of contemporary evangelical Christianity, theologian David F. Wells confronts a troubling reality: the church has gradually surrendered its spiritual foundation to the pressures of modern culture. Following his acclaimed work "No Place for Truth," Wells delivers an urgent wake-up call to believers who may not realize how deeply secular values have infiltrated their faith communities.

Wells identifies a profound crisis at the heart of evangelical Christianity. God has become diminished in the minds and practices of believers, reduced to a distant figure whose truth feels irrelevant, whose grace appears commonplace, and whose gospel seems too simple to demand serious commitment. This "weightless" God no longer shapes how churches operate or how Christians view their purpose in the world.

The author traces how evangelical communities have embraced corporate management strategies and marketing approaches while abandoning their historic emphasis on God's transcendent nature. This shift toward focusing primarily on God's closeness and accessibility has produced a faith that lacks substance and transformative power.

Drawing from extensive research including surveys of students at seven evangelical seminaries, Wells reveals that future church leaders are equally caught up in these concerning trends. He argues that without genuine repentance and a renewed encounter with God's holiness and sovereignty, evangelical faith risks losing its distinctive character entirely.

Wells presents a compelling case for immediate reform, offering hope for churches willing to rediscover the weighty presence of the divine.