10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to be Tipped by Jared H. Moore

by Jared H. Moore

A 'sacred cow' in the church is a tradition that has been exalted to a position of normalcy without Biblical warrant. Sacred cows are often hard to get rid of because they are accepted and considered respectable in Christianity. They are virtually immune from criticism. The sacred cows mentioned in this book are fairly recent phenomena. These are the new traditions—the new sacred cows that are leading Christians away from obedience to God’s word. The purpose of this book is to help Christians think through the methods they use in ministry and to recognize some of these sacred cows so they may tip them over.Some people believe that cows sleep standing up, and when pushed hard enough, they can be tipped over. “Cow tipping” in reality seems to be an urban legend. Sacred cow tipping, however, is no urban legend, and all Christians should participate.Please join me for some sacred cow tipping!

Genres: Theology

Mass Market Paperback

First published August 12, 2013

About the author

Christian, Pastor, PhD in Systematic Theology from SBTS, married and father of 4.

Reviews

[Clark Goble · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this little book, author Jared H. Moore identifies traditions, or sacred cows within the church, that are "leading Christians away from obedience to God's Word." Moore then invites the reader to join him for some "sacred cow tipping." Moore is a pastor in a rural SBC church in Kentucky and is an active blogger (and recent nominee for SBC President. I have a great deal of respect for the way he carries himself and stands up for God's Word in the nefarious confines of the internet. As such, I really wanted to really like this little book. Unfortunately, I neither really like it or disliked it. It was just so-so in my mind.

I did have some slight quibbles with Moore's approach here and there. For instance, the first sacred cow Moore identifies are "Entertaining Sermons." Moore writes, "When we seek to entertain our hearers, we prove we don't believe that God or Scripture can hold the attention of God's people - at least that's what our dependence on entertainment communicates." While I agree with Moore entirely that a pastor's primary purpose when preparing and delivering a sermon is not to "entertain" (I would suggest the primary purpose is to communicate the truth of God's word that the Spirit has deemed necessary), the author would have served his readers well by acknowledging that humor is one of many tools a pastor may use to communicate God's truth. Moore writes, "... if we use entertainment to communicate [God's] truth, then we're undercutting our message with our methods." Moore is simply wrong when he makes this assertion. Is it possible that a pastor may undercut the truth of his message by using too much humor? Certainly. But it is not necessarily true that well-placed humor will hamper the truth of God's Word. In fact, I've seen many speakers who were so dry and stale in their delivery they lost their audience long before they were able to communicate any truth. Moore seems to suggest that the use of humor in the delivery of a sermon is always inappropriate when, in truth, appropriate humor has a place in an expository sermon. Humor for humor's sake is most likely inappropriate, however, humor that supports the truth of the passage at hand and aids in the delivery of that truth is perfectly fine.

As for the other "sacred cows" identified by Moore in this book, I agreed with virtually all of them and appreciated Moore's voice on the matter. I was disappointed, however, by the brevity of this little book. Moore allows just a page or two for each "sacred cow." Had he dived deeper into each topic and fleshed them out some, I think I would have enjoyed this book quite a bit. This book will be of interest to church leaders, however, if the reader is looking for an in depth treatment of the subject he or she may be somewhat disappointed.

[Chris Trent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but to the point

Really enjoyed the truths brought out in this small book. Will for sure be turning these things into a sermon. I think it’s well written and ever church can benefit from the info.

[Michael Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

If one were honest, they would readily admit there are certain theological positions they hold to that just might be a result of tradition or a certain denominational stance rather than on what Scripture has to say concerning that particular issue. Quite often, these type of positions turn in to what can rightfully be labeled as “sacred cows” or something that despite being outside the bounds of sound Scriptural truth, is held high as being true. Jared Moore, in his book 10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to be Tipped, explores some of the more popular theological positions that have “been exalted to a position of normalcy without Biblical warrant.”

Without a doubt, discussion of sacred cows is bound to step on someone’s toes along the way. Given the importance of being faithful to Scripture ensuring that what we believe and why we believe it is found in Scripture and because Scripture says it is true, there comes a time when toes need to be stepped on. Moore states the purpose of his discussion of these 10 sacred cows is “to help Christians think through the methods they use in ministry and to recognize some of these sacred cows so they may tip them over.” In 25 short yet powerful pages, Moore does an excellent job of setting the record straight, reorienting the reader to sound biblical doctrine in areas that while carrying the level of popular doctrine or approach, are nevertheless worthy of tipping.

While each of the topics Moore discusses is excellent, a couple of points he made stood out to me in particular, the first being the issue of relativistic interpretations. Moore rightly notes “The sense is that there is no single correct interpretation – no absolute truth (that we can access anyway; this assumption is an example of postmodernism. “ In response to that error, Moore aptly states “A Biblical text, however, does not have multiple meanings, but one meaning that has multiple applications…It doesn’t matter what we ‘think’ or ‘feel’ about Scripture; what matters is the author’s meaning, how his original readers would have understood his meaning, the Holy Spirit’s intention, and how all these truths apply to our daily lives.” To those statements, I can only provide a hearty amen with a few shouts of hallelujah that someone has attempted to tip the sacred cow of the Bible meaning what the reader wants it to mean without any element of understanding it as a consistent, timeless, cogent, perfect message that is applicable to believers of all generations.

The second “sacred cow” discussion by Moore that stood out to me is that of tolerant love. It would literally take all of my fingers and toes times ten in order to count the number of times I have heard the phrase “we have to love our fellow believers and not be rude to them” regardless of how far they have strayed from the truth of Scripture. As Moore declares, “Christians are tempted to redefine love as being accepting of all people, while holding no one accountable to God’s word.” Additionally, Moore reminds us of the sad fact “Very few churches consistently practice loving Biblical discipline even though God has always held His people accountable to His word. As His people – His church – we are commanded to lovingly hold one another accountable to His word as well.” While we certainly must do this in a spirit of love, the need for accountability within the body of Christ is not to be subservient to the misplaced idea that love means believers get to interpret Scripture however they want or live however they want since after all, grace reigns supreme. God’s word still is the final authority for right living and when our fellow believers stray from God’s commands and laws, we must in a loving yet firm way, remind them of what God has stated in His word being mindful of course of our own proclivity to stray as well. We desperately need this accountability and Moore does an excellent job explain why.

One can certainly argue there are more than just 10 sacred cows in Christianity that need tipping and they would probably be right. With that said, the list Moore provides and addresses are some of the more pertinent and current cows that need to be tipped over. Those who are willing to read this book devoid of presuppositions and preconceived notions will find Moore’s approach to be direct yet helpful. Those still clinging to their respective sacred cows just might feel the weight of the boot of God’s word stepping on their toes. That boot is the leading of the Holy Spirit telling them to tip that cow, leave it in the pasture, and to come back into the fold of the Great Shepherd and the timeless truths found in His word. Moore’s book is a valuable resource in a day and age where truth seems to be on the back burner and opinions and the theological fad of the moment is in vogue.

I received this book for free from the author for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Kj Gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay

This book was okay. Nothing controversial. It’s fine, sound reasoning, and I wouldn’t disagree with anything written. I guess it just wasn’t an engaging writing style for me.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, 10 Sacred Cows has some valid points, but it is poorly written with unsupported generalizations about the church. I don't disagree with the points (in their nebulous state), but Mr. Moore continually makes sweeping statements based on his personal perception. No research is noted--no informal polls, no national statistics, no cited sources, nothing. His contentions are all based upon what "some people" think. I don't allow personal opining and speculation in the essays that my high school students write; it's definitely not acceptable in a published book written by a PhD student in Systematic Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He offers an introduction to his book, but provides no overall conclusion; and therefore, there is no call to action to correct the problems that he sees in Christianity.

The major points of 10 Sacred Cows are very basic and not well-developed. Mr. Moore is very repetitive throughout the book. He states that the book is about 3,000 words in length; being that short, it's obvious when he uses overlapping ideas and arguments. Positively, he does cite many Bible verses, but he does not explain how those verses support his argument. Some of the supporting verses are obvious in their connection to his statements, but some are not. He assumes a Christian audience with knowledge of the scriptures and an understanding of the gospel. In today's Christian world, neither of these premises can be assumed.

Mr. Moore uses poorly constructed, and at times confusing, sentences with improper punctuation or word usage. He starts off 4 of his 10 chapters with the words, 'There is'. This structure is weak, passive, and does not provide a strong foundation for his arguments. Mr. Moore also contradicts himself in the very first paragraph of the Introduction, when he states that "A 'sacred cow' in the church is a tradition", but then 3 sentences later, he states that "The sacred cows mentioned in this book are fairly recent phenomena." So which is it? Are sacred cows based on tradition, or are they newly established church practices?

In conclusion, Mr. Moore seems to be trying to point out the problems with running a church like a business venture. I agree that these problems are evident in today's Christian world; however, I think that Mr. Moore's cursory, superficial treatment of the issues does not clearly define or express the problems. Without specifically stating it, he is outlining the problem with the Normative Principle of Worship, which is the position in Christian theology that states that the worship of God can include anything that is not specifically prohibited by Scripture. However, Mr. Moore does not offer any helpful insight on how to combat this problem in today's churches. If he is somehow trying to promote the idea of the Regulative Principle of Worship, which is the position that Christians are to worship as instructed in the Bible, I think he would do well to start with (or at least refer to) The Baptist Confession of Faith Chapter 22, paragraph 5: "The reading of Scriptures, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as also the administration of baptism, and the Lord's Supper, are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear." Mr. Moore alludes to this view of Christian worship in 'Sacred Cow #4', but like the rest of the book, he does not clearly and logically lay out the problem, nor propose any solution.

[Chris Coppenbarger · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to be Tipped by Jared H. Moore is a short read, but it's one that opens up dialogue in the Church about some issues that we tend to hold sacred in the American Church. It is only about a 15 minute read, and it is more or less a compilation of blog posts from this past year, but I believe it is something worth reading and exploring. First of all, who is Jared H. Moore? From his website:
My name is Jared Moore. I was dead in my sin and God raised me to life in Christ Jesus. Because of Him, I will live forevermore. I’m 32 years of age, and have served in pastoral ministry in a Southern Baptist context for 13 years. I pastor New Salem Baptist Church in Hustonville, KY. I’m happily married to Amber and have three children: Caden, Ava, and Ian. I’ve authored two books: 10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to be Tipped and The Harry Potter Bible Study: Enjoying God Through the Final Four Harry Potter Movies. In addition to writing at this site, I’m also a regular contributor at SBC Voices, Servants of Grace, Church Leaders, and Sermon Central, and I occasionally write for Speculative Faith, Gospel Husbands, SBC Focus, and Credo Magazine. I have a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Trinity College of the Bible, an M.A.R. in Biblical Studies from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, an M.Div. in Christian ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), a Th.M. in Systematic Theology (ABT) from SBTS, and I’m currently a PhD Student in Systematic Theology at SBTS.
Now that we got that out out of the way, on to the book. The book is broken down into 10 chapters, looking at each of the 10 "sacred cows" that Moore is targeting. These are:

Entertaining Sermons
Anything for Souls
Numbers Equal Revival
Experience-Centered Worship
Nostalgia
Relevant Sermons
Relativistic Interpretation
An Easy Life
Tolerant Love
Successful Ministry

A number of these, I would have targeted too. A few of them, I've seen in Biblical churches that maybe need to revisit the way they do things. Each chapter is short (1 or 2 pages), but is written in an easy to understand way. Perhaps a failure in this book is that there is not enough. As I stated earlier, it is a compilation of blog posts from his blog. In putting it into book form, I would wish that Moore had expanded each chapter, and opened the dialogue further. While he did not do that, I do believe that this is a book that needs to be read by Christians. We get too far off Christ and too much on what we hold sacred. I also don't believe that this list is exhaustive. There are too many "sacred cows" to even list here. This list also applies mostly to the American church, I believe. Moore should make that clear somewhere. Overall, it's an enjoyable and quick read, able to be read again quickly.

Note: I received a free PDF review copy and was not paid or compensated for an honest review.

[Craig Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live next to two cow farms and I have always wanted to try cow tipping, though I never really will. Sure it would be hard but it would be fun trying, so long as I don't cause a stampede! This idea of cow tipping works its way into other realms when one tries to tip over something about a person or movement that needs to change. Everyone has sacred cows that need to be tipped. Identifying them is the easy part, tipping them is not.

In his short and to-the-point book, 10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to be Tipped, Jared Moore has identified what he believes are 10 sacred cows of contemporary Christianity that need to be exposed and tipped. "A 'sacred cow' in the church is a tradition that has been exalted to a position of normalcy without Biblical warrant." (1)

These sacred cows of the church are such because they have existed for a long time. Thus they are hard to identify by those who practice and 'worship' them. Cows are heavy and don't move unless they want to. These cows need to be tipped in order to push them along.

Of the ten 'sacred cows' that Moore discusses I found a few of them to be most revealing. The first chapter deals with Entertaining Sermons. In my mind this is perhaps the foundation for why how much of the other sacred cows have begun. Moore explains, "The danger in seeking to entertain through our sermons is that we may be encouraging people to enjoy our sermons without enjoying Jesus - the One who they were created for." (3)

Another chapter that stood out to me was chapter three, Numbers Equal Revival. We naturally assume that the more people equals a fruitful and faithful ministry. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. We can be so concerned with getting people into church to make us think we are fulfilling the great commission when in fact we are leaving much of it out. Moore explains, "The Great Commission has been redefined today as a command to 'baptize those who confess Christ as Lord'; meanwhile, the command to 'teach these Christians everything Christ has commanded' is the Great Omission of the church." (10)

A final sacred cow that really stood out to me was the Nostalgia in worship. "Christians often worship worship in stead of worshiping God," Moore says. (13) We tend to worship our styles instead of God Himself.

All in all this is a nice peace to read. Moore does not mince words and his thought is clear. Some readers will be hit more than others and some may even disagree with his observations. I personally think he is right on all accounts. This is a helpful little book and good to pass around to your friends at church.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all about Jared's view of some "church traditions" which have become so engrained in many mainline denominations that we almost consider them to be drawn directly from the hands of the Apostles. We "Christians" have become mini modern day Pharisee's following many rites and rituals which we have not only learned and followed but also pushed off on our children for generations; without a second thought as to the real significance to the Kingdom of God or the cause of Christ. Jared approaches each "Sacred Cow" without fear and trembling because he is armed with the scripture as his ultimate litmus tester for each and every one. Moore never simply offers his opinions, but he uses his deep personal knowledge of God's word to point out our human error (or straying off the path) in every "Cow" he proposes we tip. Thank you so very much for this book Jared, albeit short. It serves as a great reminder of where our focus should be no matter where we are. Q: What is our focus as believers? A: Sharing the gospel with all creation! Are we doing that effectively, or are we hiding behind our sacred cows for fear that someone will see us, and actually want us to do so real work for Jesus? Are we willing to tip those cows, follow scripture and move on into a closer communion with the Lord? I am!!! I will personally be looking for additional insightful works which I can put to practical use in my learning and teaching about God's word!

[Alia D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quick but thought provoking read. It takes a look at some common tendencies and temptations in the modern church and a basic presentation of why they are unbiblical and undesirable.
I did like the boldness issues that are very common and easy to fall into and the way the simplicity of the argument focused attention on the problem without giving the reader an opportunity to be distracted by side issues.

I didn’t like how the book attaches all attempts to take into consideration the human desires for comfort, or familiarity or excitement. While I agree that this should never be the primary consideration nor should these considerations be a constant indulgence, there may be a time and a place for these to be a secondary consideration.

What this book is not:

• A rebuttal of all the possible arguments and excuses for the practices criticized

• An accusation of any particular person or group as having the criticized practices. (It’s an invitation for the readers to examine their own consciences, not disparage others.)

• A detailed road map of what to do instead.

But it isn’t trying to be any of these things. This isn’t a book that does your all thinking for you, but one that gives you a shove away from complacency.

[Niffer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not agree with much of what the author stated in this (very brief) book. While there were some valid points, like we shouldn't bribe people to come to church (seriously there are churches that do that?), much of the book seemed to be counter productive. For example the author states you shouldn't worry if your congregation leaves church saying they didn't get anything out of the service because the service shouldn't be aimed at anyone other than God. That would be like reading a calculus text book to first graders because you don't think you should teach them basic math.

It seems to me that if you have a congregation who are struggling with their beliefs or with understanding the Bible that part of a minister's job is to help guide them so that the people in learning how to have a more loving relationship with God. The Bible was written many years ago in a very culturally different world. There are people who may struggle with making sense of it. I don't think it's wrong to try to help the congregation to understand.

I could go on but I won't. I'm just thankful this book was so brief so I didn't waste too much time reading it.

[Stewart Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short, concise little morsel lays down in 26 short pages a challenge to the church to examine itself. We are challenged to take a careful look at 10 common issues seen in the church today, "Sacred Cows", worth tipping or uprooting.

As is often the case, this books greatest strength is also one of its greatest weaknesses. There are times that in its shortness there are why and how questions left unanswered or incompletely answered.

Scripture is used to support the points, which when writing about the functions, roles and practices of the church is critical as the church is God's church.

All in all, I appreciated Jared's efforts. This book is well written, clearly from a pastors heart and critical without being unnecessarily so. Without being condescending or belittling, Jared challenges churches to examine themselves and their practices.

[Sandra Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moore brings up several issues that the church desperately needs to address. This is an excellent little book to get the wheels turning (inside one's head)and to examine church tradition vs. what Holy Scripture says about how the church is supposed to be set up and operate. I read it in about 20 minutes, while making margin notes and highlighting.

IMHO Moore left out some of the bigger Sacred Cows...and left me hanging with just dissatisfaction and no advise on what to do about these sacred cows that need a-tippin'. I hope he follows up with another booklet on how to gracefully address weaknesses and error in the church without being labelled a trouble-maker.

[Dave Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My endorsement of this book:

“In 10 Sacred Cows in Christianity That Need to be Tipped, Pastor and author Jared Moore contends that we need to do a little “sacred cow tipping.” As he tips over and tackles many of the most pressing issues in the Church, Moore does so not with a finger pointed at us but rather points his reader to the sufficiency of Christ from the truth of the word of God. I encourage you to get copies of this book and pass them out to every member of your church.”
–Dave Jenkins, director, Servants of Grace Ministries

[Maggie Reed · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping I'd get more out of this, and despite its size, I expected it to hold more. It didn't. These aren't any sacred cows my grandfather nor my aunts and uncles who were all ministers would have ever considered, so they weren't in my household anywhere. I am amazed I read all 34 pages, to be honest. I'll leave this type of read to the Baptist audience for which it was written.

[Todd Randolph · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his new work, Jared tackles the new "norms" that have surfaced to keep Christians from what it means to be a true disciple. When we evaluate our traditions in light of Scripture, we will truly see those "sacred cows" that need "tipping."

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs more. A good call for returning to a biblically sound church, but if these ideas are taken too far then you have the other side of things in a church that can't (or doesn't) reach out and work within the community.

[Kelly Mayfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging. I had to take a second look on how I was teaching my children to view bible study and Sunday sermons.

[Rdschaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just for leaders! At one time or another we've all been guilty of all of these.

Very short but very convicting, a must-read.

[Stephen Willcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

good food for thought.

[J. Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

just read it already.