The Church of Us vs. Them:
Freedom from a Faith that Feeds on Making Enemies
By David Fitch (Brazos Press)
The Church of Us vs. Them is an excellent outline of the ways in which liberal and conservative churches have become divided and now perpetuate as entities based on one another’s failures. As a self-identifying evangelical, David Fitch examines the ways in which the American church has divided along lines of ideology with a particular sharpness for issues plaguing the conservative church.
Fitch identifies that a distinctive belief, usually arising out of a particular time and place, can become a banner for separation when taken out of that context. These divisions lead to a contentious battle over an ever-shrinking group of people interested in participating in the Jesus movement. Fitch identifies our concepts of salvation, the Bible and social justice as some of these key divisions, emphasizing the ways which we use these divisions as weapons against one another.
Fitch hopes that by correctly naming the swords we swing at one another, we might take up a third way of Jesus that goes beyond “us” versus “them” to a place where those swords are beaten into ploughshares for the benefit of the whole world. This book would be excellent for all audiences, especially those interested in working toward reconciliation within the church both as a local body and at large.
Micah Furlong
Matthews, N.C.
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