The Missing Spine of the Evangelical Church

Evangellyfish by Douglas Wilson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A fictional critique of the modern evangelical world, shot through with spiritual anemia, hypocrisy and adultery. A bit over the top in places, especially deep in cynicism, it still brings a smile every few pages. He does a good job showing how sexually charged the world is, and how self-deceived about this the church can be.

The book actually wound down right when I was expecting further development (first book read on a Kindle, and didn't check how far I was). This was a little dissatisfying on the surface. But then I realized the point being made: resolution doesn't come to those who don't repent. They just stumble on in their confusion. Repentance and forgiveness is central at the end, and results in a stark contrast to the rest of the book. Healthy sexuality briefly and discretely portrayed in the last 1% of the book, in contrast to the other 99% where it is treated with tawdry and sardonic humor. This got old pretty fast, but it made the point, too. Sin erodes the joy from God's gifts.



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