Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Church Digging Its Own Grave

I've recently been re-reading The Gravedigger Files by Os Guinness. This Screwtape Letters-esque book argues that the church of the West is being duped on several levels by diabolical schemes in which the church digs its own grave. Long out of print (I first read it in the 80s), this volume offers detailed and trenchant analysis of the problems the church in North America faces today. Unlike books such as The Late Great Planet Earth, The Gravedigger Files' prophetic vision is, unfortunately, being fulfilled before our very eyes. It is striking to read it more than 20 years after its initial publication, look back, and see how accurate Guinness was (and is).

Next post: How James Dobson's actions with regard to global warning fits the "Fossils and Fanatics" syndrome described by Guinness.