Beneath the Graffiti: A De-churched Christian's Search for Christianity

by CJ Penn

We look to human means to find relief from life’s troubles. But the human means often aren’t enough. Some people look to Christianity. But modern forms of Christianity also prove themselves often ill-equipped to help us cope. However, what modern Christianity lacks can be found in real Christianity, Jesus’ Christianity, the way of life that Jesus lived and taught.

Jesus Christ created a masterpiece when He lived and taught what came to be called Christianity. Then, over the centuries, churches splattered graffiti on Jesus’ masterpiece, graffiti in the form of manmade rules and traditions, beliefs and doctrines, priorities and purposes. As a result, what many people experience is not the Christianity that Jesus lived and taught. But would you like to experience the real thing, untainted by 2000 years of human influence?

Sensing that the Christianity he had been experiencing was influenced more by man than God, many years ago CJ Penn left church and stepped off on a journey in search of the masterpiece. This book is a record of what he found when he peered beneath the accumulated graffiti of the past 2000 years. Scraping off that graffiti, this book reveals the authentic Christianity of the Bible, unspoiled by church history and human nature. It reveals the masterpiece.

But more than that, within the pages of this book you will a church may introduce you to Jesus, this book will help you get to know Him. And in following Jesus, you will find understanding, comfort, peace, and relief.Jesus’ Christianity isn’t about a relationship with a church, but a relationship with God.Where our faith in Jesus assures our eternal life in heaven, our relationship with His Spirit will determine the quality of our life while still on earth.Where manmade versions of Christianity sometimes inflict wounds, Jesus’ Christianity heals wounds.And you will find certainty in your salvation.
Whether you’re a devout churchgoer, a church refugee, or a curious non-Christian, this and much more waits for you beneath the graffiti.

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“A compelling read that challenges commonly held practices to uncover the true meaning of Christianity. It sounds a wake-up call for today’s church.”
- Peter DeHaan, author of Jesus’s Broken Church

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2024

Reviews

[Michael Donahoe]

Found this book interesting, making clear the difference between man-made religion and a people who want to follow the example of Jesus. The graffiti being the things that cloud the true goals and meaning of Christianity. Things like church doctrine, religious rules, political power and man-led systems rather than the true Christian goals of love, faith, humility and truth. To many within Christianity and the church system seek power from doing good works and using political power rather than to seek the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Many seek the powerless Christianity of man-made religion with its rules and doctrines, all the while ignoring the true Christianity that is Jesus-led through love and the power of the Spirit living within us.

[Carolyn Denton-Sawrie]

As a real unchurched, hopefully Christian (still dealing with doubts, unfortunately) I didn’t get what I had hoped for from this book.
To be quite honest I’m more confused now than I was before I started reading it.
I don’t get and have never gotten the support I have needed from a church that I have attended for over 30 years so I have quit going.

[Ron W.]

I wish to start by saying that I am reticent to critique the work of other Christian authors, but I feel I need to highlight a few issues with this book. I purchased it thinking it would align with some concerns I also have with the church, but as I moved through the book, I found I was less motivated to move further. When I did finally finish it, it finally felt like a bad movie had finally ended.
For starters, I feel the book's 30 chapters is a laborious read. There is an enormous amount of "waffle" with the author adding personal anecdotes, experiences, and opinion to the point where he wonders off topic. It reads more like a long conversation in a cafe rather than a concise theological discussion. To make it worse, he restates the same message in other parts of the book over and over, then diverts on a tangent with some of those. The final chapter does what no theological author should do - bring politics into a book which is supposed to be based on theology and religion. He is too America-centric as if only Americans are Christians. C.J. Penn has good intentions nonetheless as he regards himself as a "de-churched" Christian. With this, he makes a few good observations regarding what is behind this phenomena.
However, in terms of theology, he's made a number of glaring errors.
One prime example is in the 16th chapter, he categorizes some Christians as "CINO" (Christians in Name Only). His elaboration of this term is vague at best. He then cites the well-known verse, Matthew 7:21-23 often quoted by 'Lordship salvation' proponents and those who believe behavior is central to salvation to show those living less than a "Christian life" will be rejected at the last day. Penn states that some "believers" will be rejected by Christ on page 118 when in fact these people are actually unbelievers because they are rejecting Christ's Grace and replacing it with their own effort and self-righteousness. Penn contradicts himself in the very next chapter by saying that all believers are saved. This is really dropping the ball!!!! There are a number of other instances.
In all, I found this book would be a better read if it were a lot shorter, and was intellectually honest. So much padding and waffle needs to come out along with spurious theology.
I will be deleting it from my device and library.