Q&A With Frank Viola:
The image of the Bride and Bridegroom is only the first part of the book. The second part is that of the House of God (Christ being the cornerstone, captstone, and foundation; God’s people being living stones that comprise the House). The third and fourth images are the Family of God and the Body of Christ.
So concerning the first part of the book, the Bible is where I found it, namely Genesis 1 and 2. The pages of Scripture open with a boy and a girl, a man and a woman, a bride and a bridegroom, a wedding/marriage and the two becoming one.
The end of the Bible, Revelation 21 and 22, presents the same images again. In those chapters, we discover a boy and a girl, a bride and a bridegroom, a wedding/marriage and the two becoming one.
Genesis 1 and 2 are pre-fall. Revelation 21 and 22 are post-fall. The rest of the Bible traces this image throughout the Old and New Testaments. When Jesus comes on the scene, He’s announced as the Bridegroom and His first miracle is done at a wedding. It’s fascinating to see how it all works together, and the book traces these images from beginning to end to their final culmination. They give us great insight into God’s eternal purpose and ultimate passion.
2. Is this book a jump start to another book that you may have in mind?
Actually, it’s the fourth book in a series on the centrality of Christ and the importance of the church. The fifth book comes out in the Fall. Each book is a stand alone work, except for “Pagan Christianity.” That’s only part one of a conversation. “Reimagining Church” is the follow-up to it.
3. How does this book relate to the other books that you have written?
Well, let me walk through the previous titles and I think you’ll see how they work together.
THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH contributed a fresh approach to the New Testament. One that was rooted in a chronological narrative reading of the Biblical text. In so doing, readers became familiar with the free-flowing story of the early church, and certain neglected principles were highlighted.
Then in January 2008, the second book in the series was released by Tyndale House (publisher of Watchman Nee’s classic books).
PAGAN CHRISTIANITY (co-authored with the researcher George Barna) deconstructed the traditional practices of the modern institutional church.
The unique contribution of PAGAN is that it doesn’t just call for the typical changes that many church reform books call for, a la, better pastoring skills, more outreach, better methods to make disciples, more cost effective church buildings, stronger strategies for making converts, etc.
Instead, it goes to the roots. It deals with the systemic problems. It raises the brutally challenging question, “could it be that the very way we do church — from the modern pastor, sermon-focused services, the common architectural arrangement of church buildings, etc. — is part of the problem? Or to put it in terms of a Clinton slogan, “It’s the system, stupid.”
So while THE UNTOLD STORY sought to give readers a fresh look at the New Testament church, PAGAN leveled the ground of the prevailing church structure and form, calling all of it into question.
The third book in the series was published by David C. Cook (publisher of Leonard Sweet, Brennan Manning, and Francis Chan). It’s called REIMAGINING CHURCH.
This book does what PAGAN CHRISTIANITY did on the opposite end. PAGAN deconstructed; REIMAGINING constructed. PAGAN challenged the old, REIMAGINING presented the new. Len Sweet rightly calls it “a theology of church as organism rather than organization.”
Everyone who has read PAGAN CHRISTIANITY should read REIMAGINING CHURCH, else they are only getting one half of a comprehensive discussion.
The fourth book in the series, also published by Cook, just released in March. This fourth volume is by far my most important book. It reveals the heart of my ministry and gives the big “why” behind all my other books. Very thankfully, and surprisingly, it hit the CBA bestseller list last month, ranking #16 of all books in the Christian Living category.
FROM ETERNITY TO HERE is an unfolding of the big, sweeping epic of God’s eternal purpose and grand mission. It seeks to present the grand narrative of the entire Bible as an unbroken story rather than as a systematic theology.
Readers have repeatedly told me that after reading FROM ETERNITY, my other books now make more sense. Some, who were critics of PAGAN CHRISTIANITY before, now view it completely different after reading FROM ETERNITY.
FROM ETERNITY TO HERE is the big river; my other books are but tributaries.
The fifth books comes out this fall. It’s the practical follow up to all the other books.
OTHER BLOGS PARTICIPATING IN THE “FROM ETERNITY TO HERE” BLOG CIRCUIT
Today (June 9th), the following blogs are discussing Frank Viola’s new bestselling book “From Eternity to Here” (David C. Cook, 2009). The book just hit the May CBA Bestseller List. Some are posting Q & A with Frank; others are posting full reviews of the book. To read more reviews and order a copy at a 33% discount, go to Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Eternity-Here-Rediscovering-Ageless-Purpose/dp/1434768708/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233609867&sr=1-4
For more resources, such as downloadable audios, the free Discussion Guide, the Facebook Group page, etc. go to the official website: http://www.FromEternitytoHere.org
Enjoy the reviews and the Q and A:
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Out of Ur - http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2009/05/viola.html
Shapevine – www.Shapevine.com (June newsletter)
Brian Eberly - http://www.brianeberly.com
DashHouse.com - http://www.DashHouse.com/
Greg Boyd - http://www.gregboyd.org/blog/
Vision Advance - http://vision2advance.blogspot.com/
David Flowers - http://ddflowers.wordpress.com
Kingdom Grace - http://kingdomgrace.wordpress.com
Captain's Blog - http://www.captainestes.blogspot.com/
Christine Sine - http://godspace.wordpress.com
Darin Hufford - The Free Believers Network - www.freebelievers.com
Zoecarnate - http://zoecarnate.wordpress.com
Church Planting Novice - www.churchplantingnovice.wordpress.com
Staying Focused - http://kimmartinezstayingfocused.wordpress.com/
Take Your Vitamin Z - www.takeyourvitaminz.blogspot.com
Jeff Goins - http://jeffgoins.myadventures.org
Bunny Trails - http://bunny-trails.blogspot.com
Matt Cleaver - http://mattcleaver.com
Jason T. Berggren - http://blog.jasonberggren.com/
Simple Church - http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/
Emerging from Montana - http://wordofmouthministries.blogspot.com/
Parable Life - http://www.theparablelife.blogspot.com
Oikos Australia - http://www.oikos.org.au/blog/
West Coast Witness - www.WestCoastWitness.com
Keith Giles - http://www.Keith.Giles.com
Consuming Worship — http://www.consumingworship.org
Tasha Via - www.tashavia.blogspot.com
Andrew Courtright - www.andrewcourtright.blogspot.com
ShowMeTheMooneys! – http://www.showmethemooneys.com/
Leaving Salem, Blog of Ronnie McBrayer - http://leavingsalem.wordpress.com/
Jason Coker - pastoralia.missionaltribe.org
From Knowledge to Wisdom - http://isthistheway.typepad.com/
Home Brewed Christianity - http://www.homebrewedchristianity.com
Dispossessed - http://kblog.kevinjbowman.com
Dandelion Seeds - http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Dandelionseeds
David Brodsky's Blog- "Flip the tape Deck" - http://flipthetapedeck.blogspot.com/
Chaordic Journey - http://jeffrhodes.wordpress.com
Renee Martin - http://www.reneemartinmusic.com/profiles/blog/list
Bob Kuhn - http://organicchurchnola.wordpress.com/
Living with Freaks: www.livingwithfreaks.com
Real Worship - http://therealworshipleader.com
Fervent Worship - http://ferventworship.blogspot.com
Julie Ferwerda Blog - www.JulieFerwerda.com / www.OneMillionArrows.com
What's With Christina?! - http://w2christina.blogspot.com
Irreligious Canuck - http://www.irreligiouscanuck.com
This day on the journey - http://guychmieleski.blogspot.com
Live and Move: Thoughts on Authentic Christianity - http://liveandmove.blogspot.com/
Spiritual Journey With God - http://www.elvineve.blogspot.com/
Dries Conje - http://www.echurch.co.za / http://www.thejesusfeed.com / http://www.bookdisciple.com.
Journey with Others - http://journeywithothers.blogspot.com
On Now to the Third Level - www.080808onnowto.blogspot.com
Christine Moers - www.welcometomybrain.net
Breaking Point - http://marybethstockdale.wordpress.com
Hand to the Plough - http://www.handtotheplough.com.au
Jon Reid - http://jonreid.blogs.com/oneanother/welcome-pilgrim.html
Weblight - www.blog.worldwidewebservices.se
D. L. Webster - http://gzmproductions.com/dlwebster
Searching for the Whole-Hearted Life - wholeheartedlife.blogspot.com
