Bowing Toward Babylon [Hardcover]

What is being done in worship when national holidays are celebrated, the American flag is displayed and honored, and songs are sung that extol the nation? Are these benign gestures? Or could they actually be idolatrous? In this insightful and persuasively argued study Craig M. Watts contends the inclusion of elements of American nationalism in worship is detrimental to the integrity of Christian worship. He maintains that in faithful worship the story of Jesus must be re-presented and performed in such a way that the only affections and loyalty that are fostered are those Christians everywhere rightfully share. To do otherwise opens the door to idolatry and leaves the church doing what Watts calls bowing toward Babylon. He reviews the development of the symbols, songs, and gestures that celebrate America and how they were introduced into worship. Watts concludes that the spirituality of American Christian nationalism does not complement the faith of the church but distorts it, hindering global Christian unity and the peaceable witness of the church in a divided world. With painful clarity, Craig Watts exposes how the worship practices of?many North American congregations have bowed not to the living God of the Bible but to the idols of latter-day Babylon. Going beyond exposing sin, however, Watts prescribes pathways toward faithful worship. --Ronald J. Allen, Professor of Preaching,?Gospels and Letters, Christian Theological Seminary ? Craig Watts illumines the radical difference between the Christian and American stories, commitments, and liturgies, and--by drawing on Scripture, theology, history, and current events--helps us see why there is no room for American nationalism in Christian worship. For the sake of the integrity of the church, every preacher and, indeed, every Christian in every church in America, should read and internalize this book. --Richard T. Hughes, author,?Myths America Lives By ? In this timely renunciation of Christian nationl3,