Book Review: Confessions of a Reformission Rev, by Mark Driscoll

Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church
by Mark Driscoll.
Zondervan, 2006. 208 pages.
ISBN 0310270162.

When I sit down to read a Christian book, I generally end up either finding myself mostly agreeing with it, or mostly disagreeing with it. And generally, I know before I even start which direction I will end up in. The old saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” may be true, but you can usually judge it by its title, author, description, blurb, and sometimes even the publisher.

With Mark Driscoll’s Confessions of a Reformission Rev, however, I had no idea where I would end up. And now that I have finished the book, I’m still not sure.

Mr. Driscoll, if you are not familiar with him, is the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, which is apparently one of the most unchurched cities in America. He is young, brash, and seeks to engage “the culture,” particularly that of Seattle, birthplace of Microsoft Windows and Nirvana. Despite that, he also happens to be Reformed in his theology, and is far more comfortable in fellowship with men like John Piper than other “emerging” types like Brian McLaren, with whom he has (in?)famously locked horns on occasion.

It is that interesting combination – his attempt to engage the culture, combined with his desire to be faithful and true to the truth of God’s word – that leaves you feeling rather schizophrenic about his book. You also get the feeling the Driscoll himself would agree. The book is subtitled “Hard Lessons From an Emerging Missional Church,” and the hard lessons are obviously not yet finished. Or, as Driscoll writes at the conclusion of the main portion of the book,

I wish I knew the future and how Jesus will prune me next so that I could wince to lessen its sting before the blow lands. But Jesus has called me to trust him by faith and to endure more pruning so that more fruit can be harvested for his kingdom. And for this reason, it is my deepest wish that Jesus keep pruning me, because I love him, want to be with him, want to be like him, and enjoy being on mission with him more than anything.

I regularly read a number of Reformed Christian blogs, and some of the so-called “watchblogs,” and it seems that most people out there either love Mark Driscoll or hate him. It is fashionable to either ruthlessly attack him, or put him on a pedestal. Or put him on a pedestal and then attack him. I will do neither. I will, instead, present some of the things I have found of interest in this book, some good, some bad, before offering some concluding thoughts.

Pros and Cons

Driscoll has a very good understanding of the problems with the contemporary church.
In the introductory section of his book, he does an outstanding job of outlining the differences (and major issues) with “The Parachurch,” “Liberalism,” and “Fundamentalism.” He understands what is lacking in each “model,” as well as the basic issues with the “Emergent” movement. He also pinpoints the number one problem with the false gospel preached by so much of the contemporary church:

The contemporary church generally proclaims a gospel of fulfillment. This gospel is influence by the non-Christian psychologist Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs…
The contemporary church’s gospel of fulfillment essentially accepts Maslow’s faulty hierarchy and teaches that God exists to enable each of us to actualize our full potential. So in this therapeutic gospel, you use Jesus to achieve your ends, which can vary from health to wealth to emotional contentment, or whatever personal vision you have for your own glory…
The therapeutic gospel is a false gospel and an enemy of mission for many reasons… [I]t takes pride, which Augustine called the mother of all sins, and repackages it as self-esteem, the maidservant of all virtue.

That said, he does not provide a solution for all of those problems.
He might argue that he does, or even argue (rightfully) that he is working on it. But he starts from, frankly, a simplistic view of the solution – “Reformission combines the best aspects of each of these types of Christianity…” While he has made wonderful and demonstrable headway in Seattle, there are problems with his own approach that he does not seem to identify.

He is very committed to following what he feels is the direction of the Scripture and God’s promptings.
He talks constantly throughout the book about reading through the Bible to try to find an answer to various questions, including church polity, church mission, structure, and even to find a biblical view of the term “generation.” Early on, he says he taught through the book of Romans in order to work out the theology of the church. The result was a purely biblical theology which probably led to more problems than solutions when trying to reach “the culture,” but still, he did not compromise.

That said, there are some concerns with His approach at times.
Mark Driscoll is, of course, well known for his language. He himself admits that he does not regularly filter what he thinks from what he says. This shows in his book, as well. His very crude humor at times, his fairly intense scoffing at those he disagrees with – these things all demonstrate his wit (for the better) and his lack of tact (for the worst). Don’t get me wrong – he is a very clever and very witty man. And that wit, I believe, can be used to further the kingdom of God – Spurgeon had wit, Luther and Calvin had wit, even Paul and Christ Himself had wit. But it must be tempered with some sort of propriety.

Concluding Thoughts

Mark Driscoll has built a wonderful ministry in Seattle that God has indeed blessed, about that there can be no doubt. Some of his methods leave something to be desired, particularly in the areas of communication, and many will be offended by some of his language and choice of topics. It is my sincere prayer that he will continue to grow in his knowledge, and in his propriety (apparently he is indeed getting better), so that he may continue to effectively serve Christ and build His Kingdom. I believe that hedesires to be faithful to his Lord and Savior, and that he is working out his salvation and what Christ demands of him, as we all are trying to do.

Yes, it is fashionable to be critical of Mark Driscoll, and don’t get me wrong – there are issues, as seen above. There are other issues – I could easily take offense at his view of cessationism, for example. But I genuinely think that he is trying to get it right. My prayer would be that he would, and sooner than later, given the responsibility that he has taken upon himself to shepherd the flock of God. As James warns, let not many desire to be teachers, for this very reason.

I wrote earlier that the subtitle of the book “Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church,” and that it is obvious that those lessons are not yet fully complete. But we can learn from the hard lessons that Mr. Driscoll has learned thus far by sitting alongside him, and we can pray for the lessons yet to be learned, by reading his book with discernment and prayer.

May God continue to bless the mission of Mars Hill Church, and may God bless her pastor, growing him into the man that He would have him be. God’s will be done.