According to David L. Bahnsen, in the past, the Church seems to have held more promise, purpose and value than it does now, at least to him. That is, it plays less of a role than before in society.

In this presentation, Bahnsen outlines and expands on 8 things that need to be eliminated from the Church (or, as he originally titled the lecture, “8 Things the Church is Doing to Screw-up Society).

Here are his 8 ‘isms’:

1. Denominationalism: That doesn’t mean eliminate distinctives. But in an institutional sense. It takes the focus off the local church where the real church belongs and exist – in the community.

2. Ecclesio-centrism: “The defining of the church as a synonym of the kingdom, instead of defining it as one piece of many in the kingdom.”

3. Tribalism: Pietism, privatism. It’s being self-conscious about being separated from the world. These folks can’t get their hope past anything other than being dead and going to heaven.

4. Sub-culturalism: Worldview training with Amish lifestyles. Creating alternative cultures rather than engaging culture as it is. Example: sub-cultural ‘Christian’ music. It’s all about money. Created to tap into a market of other sub-culturalists who will buy awful music, but will not buy secular music.

5. Corporate Bored-ism (or ‘Dr. Phil-ism): A putrid trend towards viewing pastors as executive leaders, strategic visionaries, as anything but a shepherd. Devoid of Word, devoid of discipleship. Passionless preaching in today’s church is dumbfounding. Get off the internet, get out of staff board meetings and get back to work.

6. Feminism (Male-absenteeism): Manliness has disappeared. The State is so big because men abandoned their responsibility, not because the state took it. Theology of manhood is the need of the hour.

7. Divisionism: Looking for a point of disagreement with others in order to cease fellowship. Seeking for what we disagree with, rather than what we agree on.

8. Cannibalism: You and me. Insistence that relationships are over within the Church. Restore a friendship.

You can listen to it here.