Accidental Pagans: Untangling the Roots of Our Fears About God--and Discovering Who He Really Is

We were never meant to be afraid of God―but many of us are.

The ancient world of the New and Old Testament was saturated with this kind of fear. And as strange as this might seem to us, today’s Christians are not so different. We agonize over the exact wording of our prayers to try and make sure God responds a certain way. We push ourselves to do all the right things in the hopes that a distant, unpredictable God might be impressed enough to side with us. But this is not the God we encounter in the Scriptures and in the life of Christ. This sort of fear-driven faith is more like ancient paganism, the religious environment the Apostle Paul found in Athens. Accidental Pagans uses illustrative examples from pagan mythology to draw parallels between pagan ideas of gods and our modern-day understanding of God.

In Accidental Pagans, pastor Ryan Lokkesmoe will:

• unpack the difference between a healthy fear of the Lord and an unhealthy fear-based relationship with him
• illuminate the ways that we Christians accidentally view God in our theology like the ancient pagans viewed their deities
• show how we Christians mistakenly embrace this fear-driven perspective, living like accidental pagans in the process
• look to the Bible to remind us of what is true about God’s character and learn practical ways to live in the freedom he offers

Rediscover who God really is―and live in freedom and faith over fear.

Bonus resource: Five-session Bible study with video curriculum included, helping small groups, churches, or individuals practically apply lessons from the book.

Ryan Lokkesmoe, PhD, is senior pastor of Community Church at Lake Wylie in the Charlotte area. He earned a master's degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a doctorate in New Testament at the University of Denver. Ryan has taught as an adjunct professor of New Testament and theology, and he is the author of several books, including Paul and His Team, Jesus Was Human Too, and 16 Bible Studies for Your Small Group.