Book Review: Real Church by Larry Crabb

Title: Real Church: Does It Exist? Can I Find It?
Author: Larry Crabb
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Nashville
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 199
ISBN: 978-0-7852-2920-9
Genre: Nonfiction/Christian living

In Real Church, Crabb admits his disappointment with the typical American church pattern. He explains how he has lost interest in going to church and how he suspects he isn't alone. He proposes that what God defines as church and pastoring is different from what the West has created.

Crabb doesn't dismiss church, however. In fact, he admits that his lack of interest troubles him. He wants more from church. He recognizes that the Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation from other believers: "And I also think (again I could be wrong) that whatever good work the Lord has done in my soul over these many years has been done increasingly outside the organized church, not outside community." Crabb continues this idea from the flip side, too-the work God has yet to do: "Worse, what I can see in myself that still needs growing (and it's a lot) doesn't seem to be affected much by church-by community, yes, but not by the organization we Americans usually call church" (4).

After an introductory section, Crabb divides his remaining chapters of Real Church into explaining why many Americans are still going to church, why those reasons don't work for him, and what marks would characterize the church Crabb wants to be part of.

Crabb's Role in Real Church

Crabb has approached a subject that desperately needs to be addressed. Furthermore, he's an older man from a fairly conservative standpoint. Critics certainly can't dismiss his observations as the complaints of a younger generation. And if they're fair, they really can't write off Real Church as the reflection of a liberal who has never valued or participated in church. Crabb's experience and background put him in a good position to discuss his troubling observations of the typical American church.

What I Thought about Real Church

To be fair, Crabb admits right from the beginning that this book has grown out of his personal frustration, his attempts to make sense of his many thoughts on the subject (xiv). Unfortunately, the book follows his thinking process a little too closely. We're left with a jumble of chapters that are somewhat organized but lack a strong sense of coherency. I finished Real Church with the feeling that it needed some additional thought to boil everything down to the bare bones.

Furthermore, I finished the book and said to myself, So what? Even if we believe he's hit the nail on the head, what are we supposed to do with this? Crabb offers few, if any, suggestions for remedies. Do we try to change the churches we're attending? Give up and try to find churches like what he describes? Pray that all the churches will change? Give copies of the book to our pastors? Quit going to church all together?

If there's truly a problem in our churches today, thinking and discussing is not enough. And in fact, pointing out problems without offering solutions can discourage and immobilize people, not spur them to further thought and action.

The Value of Real Church

That said, Real Church isn't without value. Readers just need to know what they're getting into before they start reading. For staff, students, or lay people hoping to build stronger communities in their churches, Real Church may help to get discussion rolling.