What do you think?
Rate this book
Pharisectomy: How to Joyfully Remove Your Inner Pharisee and Other Religiously Transmitted Diseases
With an entertaining blend of social-scientist-meets-sage, Peter Haas provides a penetrating look at our faith that just might reveal our own "hidden Pharisees." Through a series of autopsies, Haas bypasses the cheap "church-make-over solutions" and cuts straight to our deepest need: a Pharisectomy.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2012
34 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 2, 2018
Fantastic!! Wow!!
This is one of those books I wish I could give to every single Christian and especially everyone who makes their living from ministry whether that be a church or a parachurch ministry. The subject matter is SO incredibly relevant to what is a growing problem in so many churches today.
This book addresses the "yeast of the Pharisees" that is more prevalent in American Christians and churches than most of us would admit or recognize. The author skillfully addresses the problem and what to do about it with wisdom that is beyond his years. When I wasn't laughing, which was rare, I found myself saying, "That's it!!" Or, "Oh boy! Looks like I have some religious diseased areas to work on in myself." Besides his humor, the metaphors he used to describe the problems and to address them fit perfectly. That might not seem like a big deal to some but it really made his message stick.
I also liked that the author didn't come across as a cynical critic who wanted to just call down fire on Pharisaical types of believers or churches. It's clear that he truly loves them and wants to see a healthy Bride of Christ that doesn't shoot herself in the foot or cause unbelievers to stumble over her immature behaviors.
Although this book has been out a while, I hope it goes to the top of the all-time best sellers list in Christian books. What a great book!!
This is one of those books I wish I could give to every single Christian and especially everyone who makes their living from ministry whether that be a church or a parachurch ministry. The subject matter is SO incredibly relevant to what is a growing problem in so many churches today.
This book addresses the "yeast of the Pharisees" that is more prevalent in American Christians and churches than most of us would admit or recognize. The author skillfully addresses the problem and what to do about it with wisdom that is beyond his years. When I wasn't laughing, which was rare, I found myself saying, "That's it!!" Or, "Oh boy! Looks like I have some religious diseased areas to work on in myself." Besides his humor, the metaphors he used to describe the problems and to address them fit perfectly. That might not seem like a big deal to some but it really made his message stick.
I also liked that the author didn't come across as a cynical critic who wanted to just call down fire on Pharisaical types of believers or churches. It's clear that he truly loves them and wants to see a healthy Bride of Christ that doesn't shoot herself in the foot or cause unbelievers to stumble over her immature behaviors.
Although this book has been out a while, I hope it goes to the top of the all-time best sellers list in Christian books. What a great book!!
April 2, 2018
This book made me laugh out loud but also made me take serious look at my own inner Pharisee and what I can do to cut it out of my life.
July 13, 2012
This book was awesome! Peter Haas has all the characteristics of a great leader. He made the subject fun to read by his witty comments, making it almost like stand up comedy. Because of hypocrites, so many people are turned off by Christianity and don't want to go anywhere near a church. This book changes that. This book shows a different side to unbelievers and and shows what believers what they can work on.
June 6, 2013
Wonderful book with a real handle on a lot of aspects of the current church. I really enjoyed Peter Haas' blend of authenticity, humor, and data. I liked it so much, I bought copies for my team to go through together! There is a little Pharisee in all of us, and anything that can help to stave it off is a win.
July 16, 2019
Great presentation, using humor and wit to present some symptoms of the ancient art of being a Pharisee, along with the cure for this malady.
A one-sentence summary of the book: Stop complaining and nitpicking, and find a place to start serving.
Although this book is written to 21st-century Western Christians in general, the author does seem to be speaking on behalf of pastors everywhere (and church attendees need to listen!). It seems easy to find things wrong with the church, whether at the world-wide level or at the local level, and the author gives many examples of complaints he has heard over the years from church members with a narrow focus of what church should be, in their purview. This leads many to switch churches, bringing their distorted view to another local population, only to spread their disease to others and then leave again. In turn, this can lead to visitors and new believers quickly becoming hesitant to return to any church in any locality:
"The church is not a perfect place. And quite often Christians do a terrible job at reflecting His true nature. Perhaps now you'll understand that our heavenly Father has His arms open wide--not because you have done all the right things, but because He has compassion on all He has made. And once we understand that it's not about us but Him living through us, there simply isn't anything left that can become diseased. Why? Because 'you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.' (Colossians 3:3)"
There may be nothing in this book that hasn't already been preached from your local pulpit before, but hearing it again does reinforce the truth of the message: it's time to stop looking to be blessed and start looking for ways to be a blessing to others. That's where the satisfaction and abundance of the Christian life are found.
A one-sentence summary of the book: Stop complaining and nitpicking, and find a place to start serving.
Although this book is written to 21st-century Western Christians in general, the author does seem to be speaking on behalf of pastors everywhere (and church attendees need to listen!). It seems easy to find things wrong with the church, whether at the world-wide level or at the local level, and the author gives many examples of complaints he has heard over the years from church members with a narrow focus of what church should be, in their purview. This leads many to switch churches, bringing their distorted view to another local population, only to spread their disease to others and then leave again. In turn, this can lead to visitors and new believers quickly becoming hesitant to return to any church in any locality:
"The church is not a perfect place. And quite often Christians do a terrible job at reflecting His true nature. Perhaps now you'll understand that our heavenly Father has His arms open wide--not because you have done all the right things, but because He has compassion on all He has made. And once we understand that it's not about us but Him living through us, there simply isn't anything left that can become diseased. Why? Because 'you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.' (Colossians 3:3)"
There may be nothing in this book that hasn't already been preached from your local pulpit before, but hearing it again does reinforce the truth of the message: it's time to stop looking to be blessed and start looking for ways to be a blessing to others. That's where the satisfaction and abundance of the Christian life are found.
September 15, 2018
An excellent book. Humour, honesty, challenge, sound teaching and something I would thoroughly recommend reading - this book really spoke to me. Of course, as Haas points out right at the start, the point of the book is not to use it to judge others, but to examine oneself, so be careful to avoid the temptation to the former! As always, I wouldn't necessarily agree with 100% of this, and I felt that the "About the author" bit at the end was particularly bad, coming across very self-aggrandising, but that's not really "the book" so we can ignore that!
May 18, 2023
I’d suggest Christians to read this book, unfortunately there are many self-righteous people who are married to legalistic ways, that hurt the church and people. The book does a good job of confronting those ideals, in a thoughtful way.
Also the information is helpful for Christians or anyone looking for a church, and what they should consider.
Also the information is helpful for Christians or anyone looking for a church, and what they should consider.
August 29, 2017
Not what i expected....
Hilarious at the outset. Then he gets deep right away , I was convicted, surprised and then by the end, moved to apply what I learned with hope rather than guilt!
Hilarious at the outset. Then he gets deep right away , I was convicted, surprised and then by the end, moved to apply what I learned with hope rather than guilt!
November 9, 2018
Pastor Peter's witty and humorous voice really brought this book to life. Although the topic is serious in nature, he presented it in an memorable way that was full of ease. Some chapters were better than others, but overall the flow was good.
February 19, 2022
Hilariously painful.
Prepare to get your spiritual colon cleansed…
Prepare to get your spiritual colon cleansed…
February 15, 2023
Interesting and quick. Good discussions of divine distractions and checkbook Christianity.
March 7, 2025
I should have read this sooner. Peter is funny, insightful, and provides great scripture references. Some great advise for anyone in church leadership or looking to grow their church.
March 20, 2017
Amazing book!
If your church has grown stagnant or your personal relationship with God feels stagnant, read this book. It switches up every thing inside you. This is the Christianity I always desired and wished could exist!
If your church has grown stagnant or your personal relationship with God feels stagnant, read this book. It switches up every thing inside you. This is the Christianity I always desired and wished could exist!
March 5, 2017
Real. Humorous. Refreshing. Nice quick read full of reminders of how Christians can become "religiously diseased" and how to avoid it.
August 28, 2013
This book was recommended to me by our church's "equipping minister." I generally don't like comedy in my non-fiction religious books, but at times I did laugh out loud.
As a life-long Christian, who can be legalistic at times, this was a good refresher for me. The book went a few directions I didn't anticipate, so if you think you know everything the author is going to say just from the title, then you should dig in a little more.
The biggest take-away for me was that I need to get over criticizing my church service. There are MANY things in this life that I feel could benefit from my improvement, sermons being one of them. This book sort of freed me to accept my disgruntlement. As I've known, "church" is more than the Sunday morning service. Peter Haas helped me realize that if my "church" life is thriving in all areas except the Sunday service, I'm probably right where I need to be. Haas is a young minister and sometimes I think youth equals traditional church hatred. He addresses this stereotype, but consistently upholds the church as God's intended plan. I found his youth and his understanding of church's role refreshing.
Another point that I'd never heard explained quite like Haas does, is the use of "hedges." Once a Christian decides to live differently and is pursuing holiness in a certain area, he will set up "hedges" to protect him from sinning. These are self-imposed and are gladly enforced with an end in mind. The problem comes when one Christian enforces her "hedges" on another. The same can be true for a whole church -- making these hedges or restrictions doctrine instead of a self-chosen means to an end.
My one criticism of the book is that I think Peter Haas is a little lose with his Scripture references. I found that I needed my Bible close at hand because he would make a point and then reference a Bible verse. Most of the time, the reference held true, but there were several times I thought, "What? The Bible says that?" I'd look up the reference and found he'd taken a very different interpretation of a passage than I'd ever heard. I don't think the points he was making were wrong, but I thought the scriptural supports were stretched a bit. But he's charismatic and I'm not and after reading the book, I just say, "okay!"
As a life-long Christian, who can be legalistic at times, this was a good refresher for me. The book went a few directions I didn't anticipate, so if you think you know everything the author is going to say just from the title, then you should dig in a little more.
The biggest take-away for me was that I need to get over criticizing my church service. There are MANY things in this life that I feel could benefit from my improvement, sermons being one of them. This book sort of freed me to accept my disgruntlement. As I've known, "church" is more than the Sunday morning service. Peter Haas helped me realize that if my "church" life is thriving in all areas except the Sunday service, I'm probably right where I need to be. Haas is a young minister and sometimes I think youth equals traditional church hatred. He addresses this stereotype, but consistently upholds the church as God's intended plan. I found his youth and his understanding of church's role refreshing.
Another point that I'd never heard explained quite like Haas does, is the use of "hedges." Once a Christian decides to live differently and is pursuing holiness in a certain area, he will set up "hedges" to protect him from sinning. These are self-imposed and are gladly enforced with an end in mind. The problem comes when one Christian enforces her "hedges" on another. The same can be true for a whole church -- making these hedges or restrictions doctrine instead of a self-chosen means to an end.
My one criticism of the book is that I think Peter Haas is a little lose with his Scripture references. I found that I needed my Bible close at hand because he would make a point and then reference a Bible verse. Most of the time, the reference held true, but there were several times I thought, "What? The Bible says that?" I'd look up the reference and found he'd taken a very different interpretation of a passage than I'd ever heard. I don't think the points he was making were wrong, but I thought the scriptural supports were stretched a bit. But he's charismatic and I'm not and after reading the book, I just say, "okay!"
September 23, 2013
I selected "Pharisectomy" because I was intrigued by the topic on a personal level. I was saved in my teens and fully embraced many of the rules of my faith without truly understanding the relationship that God desired to have with me. In recent years I have been focusing more on the relationship aspect and trying to root out the old, well intentioned but harmful notions I have picked up along the way. Pastor Haas has a very "real" writing style that appeals to me. His humor and straight forward, plain speaking are refreshing. So often I have had trouble engaging in "religious" books because the writing was just too, I don't know, full of itself?? I am an avid reader (been known to read the cereal box with breakfast if nothing else is handy) but honestly I tend to avoid most "Religious" books for just this reason. They put me to sleep! But not "Pharisectomy"! I enjoyed it from beginning to end and if I am honest, found myself described more than once among the pages. This is exactly what I needed, a fresh look at my behavior and my beliefs. It is precisely why I wanted to read this book!
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to root out the pharisee that so often lurks in our hearts. I would also recommend this book for church leadership and youth leaders. I think there are some valuable lessons here that all churches would benefit from.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to root out the pharisee that so often lurks in our hearts. I would also recommend this book for church leadership and youth leaders. I think there are some valuable lessons here that all churches would benefit from.
October 30, 2012
This book was recommended by Amazon, sounded interesting so I purchased it on Kindle. when I first started reading I thought this was just another law verses grace book with some humor. The more I read the more I realize that I and many Pastor's and leader's in churches today should read and talk about the contents. I have been in leadership in evangelical churches for 35 years, and I think this is a book that would be a great resource for church plants and older churches as well! Peter Haas probably isn't correct on every issue, but it's a great start. very enjoyable to read; I love the humor! we are here to help the lost, and Peter Haas tells how we can do something in this age we are living!
February 3, 2013
Becoming a Pharisee was one of the things I feared the most about becoming a Christian. It was one of the things that turned me off about the church before I became a Christian. The proud, "holier than thou" attitudes I saw in some (not all) Christians made me want to avoid church at all cost. Thankfully I found a good Bible-believing church that was big on love, grace and mercy and not big on legalism. Nevertheless, legalism is one of those things that is always ready to start growing in a church body if it can. Peter Haas does an excellent job describing this phenomenon and how to avoid it. This book is very enjoyable to read, funny at times, lots of good information.
July 20, 2016
We read this book in our small group and it was such a thoroughly enjoying book to go through together. What a funny and yet insightful book that looked at common faults of people who desire to live a life of faith but without the needed grace. Having grown up in church all my life, I could relate to so many of the things Haas brought up as concerning issues for those who ought to be living in the joy of Christ. So this is one that you'll want to grab. It's a quick read, but one with plenty in it that won't quickly be forgotten.
January 25, 2013
Often Christians lose sight of what church is really about, especially if they are “seasoned Christians.” This is a great book to read if you have ever become cynical or disillusioned about church (or if you are a pastor!). Peter Haas insightfully and with humor explains way so many young adults are leaving churches in droves.
February 13, 2013
Peter Haase is a very engaging author. After I began this book I couldn't put it down. I had to share what I was reading while I read it. Peter's humor is a joy and he challenged me personally in my attempt as a follower of Christ. I highly recommend everyone pick-up a copy of Pharisectomy and read it for yourself.
June 30, 2013
Pharisee-ism is a deep-seated cancer that plagues every Christian duty I set myself towards. It infects every area of my mind with its insidious pride. It is lethal. Haas does a good job at pointing out major areas to beware of, yet does not come across as pharisaical TOWARDS Pharisees. It is helpful, I'll need to return to it again. I liked it.
June 23, 2014
This is one of the best Christian books I've read in a while. It focuses on the need for the church to become relevant again and offers insights into how to do that. The way NOT to do that is by becoming a Pharisee. The author is engaging and I felt like I knew him by the end of the book. It was a humorous, challenging, and insightful book
May 18, 2014
Peter Haas does a great job of separating the human-made religious actions that separates us as Christians, and people in general, to get back to the heart of what Christianity is. Following Christ.
His humorous look at how we are actually supposed to behave as Christians makes for a fun read and an enlightening experience.
**Disclaimer** I work for the publisher, My Healthy Church.
His humorous look at how we are actually supposed to behave as Christians makes for a fun read and an enlightening experience.
**Disclaimer** I work for the publisher, My Healthy Church.
October 13, 2013
Excellently written book. This was be ideal for many people that are around my age (26), especially if they have felt that Christianity is something to be avoided. Unfortunately there some people with good intentions that damage to Christ's name.
November 2, 2013
The authors humor and love of Christ permeates this book. He challenges us, church-goers that have grown up in a Christian environment, in the church, to really think about what we are doing, saying, and living. This book has challenged me to think about my own life. I recommend this book.
August 30, 2012
Pretty good! Lots of humor. Would make a good discussion book
December 21, 2012
Good read, clear message.
January 3, 2014
awesome!
July 18, 2013
This is a must read if we are going to reach unchurched millennials.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews