Book Review: "How to Be a Christian Without Being Religious" by Fritz Ridenour

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This 1967 paperback takes the apostle Paul's epistle to the Romans and does a deep read, translating his words to the modern churchgoer. The text I had was punctuated by some fun illustrations by Joyce Thimsen, and Ridenour had me almost all the way throughout the book

Paul wrote ahead to the Romans to prepare them for a visit he would be making, and doing a little preaching about how to deal with Jews and Gentiles. Ridenour quotes from the Living Letters paraphrase, as well as a couple of other writers. The provocative title is easily explained throughout the book, as believers are told that good works and saintly appearances do not necessarily equal being a "good" Christian, and that some are so busy being a flawless churchgoer, they lose sight of Who we are seeking fellowship to worship. Every chapter takes a section of the epistle, quotes it, and then Ridenour explains what Paul meant. The chapters end with "For Further Thought"- a series of questions that incorporate what you just read, other related verses in the Holy Bible, and some critical thinking on your part. There are no right answers. I did a deep read of this deep read, filling a small notebook with over thirty pages of notes, For Further Thought answers, and quotes. Paul's words are heavy on who can have God's salvation, and what must be done to achieve it through faith and not just show.

Ridenour does a great job of answering many "yeah, but what about...?" questions. Jesus died for our sins, but not the temptation of sin. You must be very strong with your gift of salvation to the point where sinning isn't be an option. "I can still sin a little, God will just forgive me again;" no, you are saved from the penalty and guilt of sin but fight the power or draw. The "For Further Thought" questions would confirm what Ridenour wrote, but also allowed me to question some of what was written. I had huge problems with one chapter, however. Paul tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but "Chapter 11: The Only Law You Need" also says to obey the government because God is the one who put it there. As I read this in the spring of 2024, and considering this fall's election, I could not wrap my head or heart around this idea. Yes, be a good citizen and pay your debts, but considering some of what members of our government do, they make it VERY difficult. God may be using them to challenge the believer, which Ridenour says will make us a better person, but this was very hard to accept- and I think I speak for many people across the political spectrum. I would love for the social media shrieking to die down- I was part of the noise, and I'm getting away from that. I'm tired of being insulted by people I have known for decades, so I skip those posts and pay more attention to family events, recipes I have no business wanting to try, and teasing my wife online.

I was reading this book and taking notes while waiting for my children to get out of school or while sitting in waiting rooms during appointments, so it took me almost a month. It was humorous to see many people staring into their phone screens for whatever reasons, while I was using my phone to read recommended Bible quotes. This is a nice introduction to non-fiction Christian reading, especially when the thought of reading The Holy Bible all the way through with little context is so daunting. I even jotted down some notes for a short article about some stoic wisdom from Marcus Aurelius, and how some of Paul's words relate. This is a very readable little book, and I recommend a deep read of this deep read to broaden your horizons.