Jesus Hates Religion: Finding Grace in a Works-Driven Culture

by Alex Himaya

Alex Himaya writes for those who have been hurt by religious people– who have been betrayed by religion– because he too has been wounded. No longer content with pretending those things don't happen, pastor Himaya retreats with readers back to the Scriptures to see what Jesus thinks about man-made religion.
 Himaya, a popular speaker and Bible teacher, draws upon years of pastoral experience, providing insight into the ways religion cripples the church. While it may seem reasonable to earn one's way to God through a works-based system, a religion of rules, Himaya warns readers of the danger of putting their faith in good deeds.
  Jesus Hates Religion is not simply another book about Christianity, but a detour sign on the road of life. Himaya points readers away from himself, and towards Jesus saying, "Don’t trust me. Trust God, and let Him speak for Himself."

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Religion

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2014

Reviews

[April (The Steadfast Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Originally posted on The Steadfast Reader

Hm. What to say about this one? The title is a stroke of marketing genius, as it will have religious liberals picking up the book and saying, "YEAH!!" without reading it and conservative Christians picking up the book so that they can vehemently disagree with everything in it, before reading it.

Besides that? I found the material redundant and I think that this book could have benefited from some editing. It's 256 pages with one premise: Ditch the idea that you need good works to get into heaven and realize that it is grace (grace that is given freely and without strings) alone that gets you there. I'm pretty sure Martin Luther covered this material already. Throw in a little John Calvin style predestination for some zip, shake vigorously.

I get the idea from the book that this may have been a blog first, but the blog does not appear to be active any longer. This could be part of the problem. This is a hard book for me to review as an atheist, I think because this is less of an apologetic and more of... something else. I like reading apologetics because they get me out of my comfort zone (sometimes). Unlike other apologists, Himaya (despite the blurb) is not attempting to bring people back to Christ (or even to Christ for the first time) - he seems to be preaching to the choir. (Pun, totally intended.)

I read apologetics and I like to debate with myself over whether or not the work will help progress society forward (The Answer to Bad Religion is Not No Religion), pull society back (How to Talk to a Skeptic), or just piss off agnostics and atheists (See again, How to Talk to a Skeptic). This book is kind of null in all those categories.

This book is going to be ideal for conservative evangelicals who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. That's a demographic that I constantly struggle to understand and I don't feel like this book sheds any light on them. (See what I did there?) That being said, its emphasis is not on spreading the gospel (though of course it is mentioned), it's about people's personal relationships with their God and Jesus. Okay. Cool? I guess?

Though it's not addressed a whole lot in the book I feel a compulsion to continue to correct the notion that atheists are all people who have been 'hurt' or 'betrayed' by religion. Speaking for myself and other atheists I know well, I find that this is more often than not absolutely not the case. My reasons for being an atheist have nothing to do with anger at a god or the church. (That's a story for another post... or email me if you're really curious.)

I guess the big problem as a reviewer that I have is that it's not very original. Maybe for the demographic its a great reminder on what being a Christian should mean to them. But even trying on those shoes to read this book, it fell pretty flat.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the spectrum from grace and faith to truth and works, Himaya is firmly on the far end of grace and faith. He writes, “God created only one path to Him. At no point in your journey does God’s path evolve into a performance path. Be aware. Performance is a trap” (56-57). Himaya goes so far as to say, “When you try to be righteous by your own effort, you are gratifying the flesh. It’s sin” (136).

Of course this doesn’t mean that good works aren’t part of a Christian life. As the pastor of Life Church, Craig Groeschel, puts it: we aren’t saved BY good works but we are saved FOR good works. Since God first loved us, even when we didn’t deserve it, we can’t help but love other people and have grace for them, knowing what a gift we received.

Himaya defines religion as “a man-made path to God” (15). He goes on to say that “if religion is man making a path to God, Christianity is understanding the path is already made – through a relationship with Jesus. It’s the only way” (22). Of course when he says it’s the ONLY way, he’s creating a paradox: this is what he believes as a man. He believes the bible is God’s word, but that view is the opinion of a man, and he can’t escape the fact that this is his religion.

I liked the metaphor of whitewater rafters screaming and the lifeguards on the banks of the river only jumping into action when they hear the words “help me” (49). Himaya argues that God always responds to the cries of his children.



Potent Quotables:

Let the little boy sit down, and let the man stand up. Let the little girl sit down, and let the woman stand up. You have to make a decision – are you going to live your life based on what you feel? Or are you going to live your life based on what the Word of God says about you? It’s your choice (154).

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might be appalled by the title of the book, and like me, could be in two minds – whether to ignore it or out of curiosity check out what it is all about. Welcome to the class of the curious and doubters, we are of the same mind, of the same people.

But before you proceed further I have two important questions. Have you been hurt by religious people? Have you been betrayed by religion? You have selected the right book if your answer to the two questions is “yes!” We are facing an epidemic of abuse. Sadly, much of it is perpetrated in the name of religion, and directed at men and women who want nothing more than to be obedient to God’s call on their lives.

Jesus Hates Religion: Finding Grace in a Works-Driven Culture by Alex Himaya is a book written exclusively for those who have been hurt by religious people and who have been betrayed by religion. It is an instrument of healing, a tool to overcome old wounds. A careful study of the book will help you to rediscover your purpose.

[Candace Brown]

While this book sat in my classroom and only got read when I had time to sit down during my students' reading, it's a fantastic read for anyone who genuinely dislikes religion, Christian or not. Himaya makes excellent points and uses passages written by other people who know that Jesus hates religion.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the theme is a very good one. Be careful of what you think of as religion. Notions built in from our past. We should think with a clean slate. I would say the message gets somewhat repetitive, but I overall really liked it.

[Robert Conder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is true many religions focus on rules and what God wants is s relationship with us. Himaya did use scripture to back up his thoughts unlike some who give their thoughts without scripture. We need to get to know the real Jesus. It makes it easier to follow Jesus when our focus is on Him.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Message is relevant, but wow....way too long and redundant. I think the message could have been received in half as many pages.

[Timothy Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written account of the difference between religion and relationship with the Creator.

[Paul R. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book forces you to look at your faith in a whole new way. A must-read for all believers.

[Linda Hollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book so much!!

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Provocative and catchy title, but not very filling.

The title drew me in but I almost quit after the first chapter.

Religion is defined early in the first chapter by the author as "a man-made path to God." Alex Himaya places religion one one side and relationship on the other. According to him the two are diametrically opposed and have nothing in common with each other. It felt like he was playing to the SBNR (Spiritual-but-not-religious) crowd.

There was a period in my life where I would have mostly agreed with this basic premise. I often hear the phrase "Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship" in evangelical circles. However, I no longer think religion and relationship are opposed and I think there is an intersection. I think this is a false dichotomy, and a straw-man argument against religion.

Alex's definition of religion also seems like a self-referential argument: Jesus hates religion. What is religion? What Jesus hates. He makes artificial distinctions between religion and relationship. Good works, church attendance, worship, spiritual disciplines, and other "religious activities," according to Alex, can be either religion or relationship, depending on motivation.

The problem is that he is creating an artificial world in which concepts have to be black or white. There is no room for both-and. Which is why I was so tempted to just throw the book (well, hard to do with an e-book, but that's beside the point) after the first couple chapters.

I found that the last few chapters were an improvement over the first two-thirds or so. The religion-relationship dichotomy continues but overall it is more about living a life of grace rather than trying to point out what is bad about "religion." It is in these last chapters where Alex challenges some fairly common evangelical propositions about the Christian life. For example he sees living life "trying to do things like Jesus did" as a non-starter for a genuine Christian life. Instead of focusing on living like Jesus, Alex suggests simply living (abiding) with Jesus.

There is very little new or challenging in this book, at least from my perspective. There is plenty in the way of commonly heard evangelical cliches and ideas.

It is written from a Calvinist/Reformed perspective in that it presupposes predestination and an overarching divine foreknowledge. It presupposes the penal-substitution theory of the atonement. Those from a more Arminian/Wesleyan, Open Theology, and/or Christus Victor camps will have issues with some of the chapters in addition to what I pointed out earlier.

I think the book would have worked better if Alex used a term other than "religion" as the identifier of all that is bad and misleading in Christian discipleship. I suggest legalism or self-dependence. (Alex uses legalism in a very narrows sense, strictly in relation to laws and regulations.)

Overall I found very little here to recommend.

[Chris Pogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Jesus Hates Religion" is an astoundingly unique work that puts the reader face to face with the hypocrisy of manmade religion. In our works based culture, everything is measured by our accomplishments, but the message of Jesus, like so many other aspects of our humanity, flies in the face of what comes naturally to us. We did not earn salvation, we do not impress God with our works, and we cannot do anything to make Him love us anymore than he already does. It's His Grace, not our efforts, that saves us.
Dr. Himaya tells this story in manner that is easy to understand by both the new believer, and lifelong Christian. He brings the reader to the place of a spiritual reckoning with a belief system that has been part of our DNA since we received our first "atta-boy" as we took our first steps. It's wrong...all of it...flat out wrong, and not found anywhere in the Bible. Dr. Himaya clearly guides the reader to this truth, not through human interpretation, but through the truth of God's word.

I devoured this book in a matter of days (I was fortunate enough to have a couple of long plane rides), and loved every page. Having been raise Catholic, the message of God's grace brought to life in Jesus was a like weight being lifted off my shoulders. I have been a Christian since my early 20s, and now in my early 40s I feel like I finally get it. I am grateful that the Lord used Dr. Himaya to bring clarity to His message that has made my relationship with my Lord and Savior that much better.

This book will shock you. This book will cause you to question your long held beliefs about how God views you. This book will bring you to your knees in gratefulness for what Jesus had done. A must read for the believer at any stage of their journey, as well as any non-believers who have been skeptical of the hypocrisy of manmade religion.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Himaya is a pastor and based this book on a series of sermons he taught at his church. The main gist of the book is that humans have made religion ruled-based, which is not what God intended and as a result people tend to hurt other people in the name of religion because they aren't living up to these rules. I read this book months ago and wish I could remember more examples now that I'm finally writing the review because Himaya had some really excellent things to say in this book. To some people the title may sound incendiary and they might just ignore it as a result, but I don't think the book itself is nearly as edgy as the title may make it seem though I do imagine some people might take offense to some of the things Himaya says in the book. I really liked it a lot and would highly recommend it.

[Logan Kelly Troxell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's all about grace.
Religion is a man made path to God. Read this book to understand that Jesus came to fulfill the law. It's not about you being good enough. It's about God being enough. Period.