Trolls & Truth: 14 Realities About Today's Church That We Don't Want to See

Dorrell, a Waco, Tex., pastor, calls the "corporate" Christian church to repentance for insulating itself against some of Christ's most profound and challenging teachings. Dorrell speaks from a position of considerable moral authority, as he's intimately involved in the lives of the urban poor and founded a flourishing church that meets under a Texas freeway overpass (the Church Under the Bridge) whose constituents range from mentally ill homeless substance abusers and tattooed bikers to college students and middle-class housewives. Dorrell's challenge to live more radically (i.e., biblically) is divided into 14 chapters on subjects like appearance, creativity, friendship and families, each illustrated with life examples from the "troll-like" people in his congregation. The Western church, he writes, "has lost its prophetic voice in the culture": church budgets don't always reflect Christ-like priorities, and members would rather merely give money to the poor than sit down and eat with them. Dorrell urges both individuals and Christian communities to break down the protective walls that shield them from dysfunction and to make the difficult choice to welcome all. Though the writing can be sermonic, Dorrell's temple-cleaning message is powerful and his stories compelling. (Sept.)