Book Review: Once You See by Jeff Christopherson

"Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church" by Jeff Christopherson is a novel that dives into the challenges facing modern Western Christianity through the criss-crossing lives of three main characters.

Luca Lewis has distanced himself from the church after witnessing its negative impact on his father. Despite being disillusioned, he senses a deeper, more authentic expression of faith is possible, if only he can find it.

Dr. Jimmy Norris leads LifePointe, a dying megachurch in suburban Atlanta. As Norris recognizes the need for change, he wrestles with how to move beyond superficial solutions around the edges to address deeper issues within his congregation and the very structure of church as he knows it.

Yushua Maalouf, a Yemeni refugee ostracized by his family due to his conversion to Christianity, comes to the U.S. as a refugee. He is perplexed by the priorities of the North American church, which often seem misaligned with the core teachings of Jesus and strangely out of step with the Christianity he knew in persecution ridden Yemen.

As their paths converge, Luca and Jimmy are confronted with a vision of what the church can truly embody. This encounter challenges them to look beyond cultural stigmas and the status quo and explore opportunities for genuine spiritual renewal.

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​In the book, Christopherson identifies seven prevalent temptations within the Western church:

• Philosophicalism: Prioritizing doctrinal correctness over compassionate action.
• Professionalism: Relying on skilled leadership rather than raising up the priesthood of all believers.
• Presentationalism: Focusing on polished worship services at the expense of authentic worship.
• Passivism: Embracing inclusivity without active, obedience based discipleship.
• Pragmatism: Measuring success by growth metrics instead of spiritual depth.
• Partisanism: Aligning too closely with political ideologies.
• Paternalism: Assuming a superior stance in global missions.

As Christopherson inserts these themes into the characters' journeys, the novel offers the reader an opportunity to imagine church beyond the long-standing cultural norms and the way things have always been. This is important. It is hard to move away from what you have always know and into the unknown without some vision for what the unknown might look like. Even a house with a leaky roof is better than standing out in the rain. This book offers a vision for a new house, a way church could be. While the writing isn’t going to win a Pulitzer, the story is compelling, the plot is well paced and the characters are good.

If you’ve felt that something isn’t quite right in the Western church model and have longed to explore other options, this book offers a peek into some refreshing ideas.

​Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church by Jeff Christopherson

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