I just finished reading Philip Gulley's If the Church Were Christian: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus. Gulley was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition and explored various denominations before settling in as a Quaker. Although I disagree with some of Gulley's major assertions (I'm personally a fan of the historic creeds of the Church and in the doctrine of Jesus as part of a Tri-head God), he raises some excellent points.
Gulley suggests that we attempt to emulate the life and message of Christ and not emphasize doctrine. He discusses the historical origins of some Church doctrines - some origins I've heard before. For example, the divinity of Christ was widely debated prior to the Council of Nicea (around 325 A.D.). It was at Nicea that early Church leaders - with the guidance of Emporer Constantine (who was working to consolidate power) - determined once and for all (to take an alternate position became heresy) that Jesus and the Father were one and of the same substance.
But this isn't a dry book about church history. Each of the ten chapters focus on a different negative attribute common to many churches and a "what if the Church" altered its focus counterpoint? Of course, the chapter resonating most with me was the one on emphasizing peace (Gulley, a Quaker, routinely emphasizes pacifism in his book.). More importantly, he challenges the concept of the "armor of God." Our weapons should be the attributes of Jesus: love, peace, compassion.
Gulley's stories from the ministry are compelling. In a chapter on emphasizing love over sex, Gulley tells of an elder who encouraged Gulley to confront an elderly couple (unmarried) who were living in sin. Gulley visited their home and saw pictures of the couple's respective kids, grandkids and former spouses. Both were widows. They explained that they could not afford to be married as they would lose too much in Social Security. Gulley described a loving companionship and a warm home. When asked by the elder if Gulley had confronted the couple, he said that he had and that they desired to be married if the elder could make up the difference in income. Neither the couple, nor Gulley, heard from the elder again.
Love. Peace. Compassion. Rediscover the values of Jesus. Despite some doctrinal differences, this was a good book.
