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Baal and the Gods of More: Rescuing Church Growth from Idolatry
How should we think about church growth in our current cultural moment?
The golden era ushered in by the industrial revolution led the Protestant church in America to experience unprecedented growth and prosperity in the twentieth century. This environment has formed our understanding of and dependence on growth for It's assumed that if we aren't growing, we are stagnant at best, and declining at worst.
In Baal and the Gods of More, leading practical theologian Andrew Root challenges our assumptions about growth, offering a deep analysis through the lenses of cultural philosophy, economic theory, and theological examination. Turning to 1 and 2 Kings, he shows that our desire for growth is an idolatry that mirrors the ancient idolatry of the Israelites in their worship of Baal and other fertility gods.
Baal and the Gods of More argues that looking to innovation, creativity, and other secular methodologies in the endless pursuit of "more"--more influence, more people, more reach, more money--will not save the church. Instead, the church needs to return to dependence on divine action and a relational encounter with the Word.
The golden era ushered in by the industrial revolution led the Protestant church in America to experience unprecedented growth and prosperity in the twentieth century. This environment has formed our understanding of and dependence on growth for It's assumed that if we aren't growing, we are stagnant at best, and declining at worst.
In Baal and the Gods of More, leading practical theologian Andrew Root challenges our assumptions about growth, offering a deep analysis through the lenses of cultural philosophy, economic theory, and theological examination. Turning to 1 and 2 Kings, he shows that our desire for growth is an idolatry that mirrors the ancient idolatry of the Israelites in their worship of Baal and other fertility gods.
Baal and the Gods of More argues that looking to innovation, creativity, and other secular methodologies in the endless pursuit of "more"--more influence, more people, more reach, more money--will not save the church. Instead, the church needs to return to dependence on divine action and a relational encounter with the Word.
- GenresEcclesiology
256 pages, Hardcover
Published April 21, 2026
7 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Root
65 books124 followersAndrew Root joined Luther Seminary in 2005 as assistant professor of youth and family ministry. Previously he was an adjunct professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington D.C., and Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J.
Root received his bachelor of arts degree from Bethel College, St. Paul, Minn., in 1997. He earned his master of divinity (2000) and his master of theology (2001) degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif. He completed his doctoral degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2005.
Root's ministry experience includes being a gang prevention counselor in Los Angeles, youth outreach directed in a congregation, staff member of Young Life, and a confirmation teacher. He has also been a research fellow for Princeton Theological Seminary's Faith Practices Project.
Root has published articles in the Journal of Youth and Theology, The International Journal of Practical Theology, and Word and World.
He is a member of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry and the International Bonhoeffer Society.
Root received his bachelor of arts degree from Bethel College, St. Paul, Minn., in 1997. He earned his master of divinity (2000) and his master of theology (2001) degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif. He completed his doctoral degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2005.
Root's ministry experience includes being a gang prevention counselor in Los Angeles, youth outreach directed in a congregation, staff member of Young Life, and a confirmation teacher. He has also been a research fellow for Princeton Theological Seminary's Faith Practices Project.
Root has published articles in the Journal of Youth and Theology, The International Journal of Practical Theology, and Word and World.
He is a member of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry and the International Bonhoeffer Society.
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May 6, 2026
As a retired pastor who is part of a mainline denomination, I am quite aware that we have been experiencing decline for many years. Perhaps a majority of congregations in my denomination can no longer afford to call a full-time pastor. So, we ask ourselves how we might turn things around. What can we do to grow our churches? What methodologies work? We attend conferences, listen to podcasts, watch webinars, and read books by the latest religious influencers. If only we could find the answer, everything would be okay. Or will it?
Andy Root has written numerous books, many of which I've read and reviewed, that address the state of the church in the 21st century. He's not convinced that we can innovate our way out of our current situation. He once again addresses these issues in his latest book, which takes the intriguing title "Baal and the Gods of More: Rescuing Church Growth from Idolatry." The presence of "Baal," the Canaanite deity that served as a rival to Yahweh, in the title serves as a reminder that our search for answers to our dilemma can lead us into idolatry. Although ancient Israel was Yahweh's covenant people, it too often strayed into the orbit of Baal, who promised fertility. Not surprisingly, the prophet Elijah appears in this book as a foil to Baalism. Growth is not a bad thing, but not all forms of growth are the same. Some forms can be, as Root suggests, idolatrous. That is, the churches can become enamored with fertility gods, like Baal or Artemis. These gods focus on instrumentality over relationality. Two forms of this instrumentality that he identifies are "techno-optimism" and "Identiitarianism," which he suggests are "fused with a modern logic of escalation--- they are both highly capitalistic and therefore build on a logic of escalation that opens us to idolatry." (pp. xi-xii).
Root's book is composed of six chapters, the first of which is titled "Memes and Museums." Here, he introduces us to a meme that contrasts the multi-breasted Artemis of Ephesus with an icon of Mary with Jesus, contrasting the idolatry of escalating fertility (Artemis) and relationality (Mary with Jesus). The question is, which will save us? If you choose Mary, you are with Root. As is true of other books, Root intersperses sociology, theology, and stories that help us reflect on the nature of what he is working with.
The second chapter is titled "What's So Bad About Growth?" Here, he introduces us to the concept of "dynamic stabilization." Here, he takes note of some of the attempts that were made to stem the decline, including the seeker-sensitive megachurch and the Emergent church movement. The latter was considered a postmodern response, but Root is not convinced that such a thing exists. We're still stuck with the modern. What that means is that we find ourselves trapped in a modernity that assumes "that all things must constantly and continually grow if they are to endure and therefore remain stable. Modernity is about growth" (p. 35). This is where we get caught in idolatry, where there is never enough. For stabilization to occur, we must always be on the treadmill of growth. Growth isn't the problem; it can be good, but it is the path to growth that is problematic.
I found chapter 3 very interesting because it connected growth in GDP with growth in the American Protestant church. So, we have a chapter titled "The Machine and the GDP God: How the Special Century and the Christian Century Got Us Addicted to Growth." He shows us how the growth of the Protestant Mainline accompanied an acceleration of growth in the GDP, as the American standard of living increased substantially. Decline began as we moved into a period of reduction in the growth of the GDP, which has not been turned around as we moved into the current information age, though evangelicals have taken advantage of this era of the rise of the network.
With this discussion of the connection of growth and decline with the rise and fall of GDP in the background, we move in Chapter 4 to a discussion of "Techno-Optimists and Identarians Take Over the Church." He speaks of forms of idolatry that assume we can do better to reach dynamic stabilization, either through technology or a focus on identity affirmation. It's not that creativity and identity are bad things, but when they are connected to an "escalation of capital," they become idolatrous. The idea that we can do better suggests that we can save ourselves through some kind of methodology, but Root suggests that the only option for the church is to be led by the Spirit and obey Jesus.
Chapter 5 moves from a more sociological analysis to a biblical one. With Baal as the image of idolatry, it is appropriate that we take a look at the story of Israel found in 1 and 2 Kings, and its connection to Protestant decline. The chapter is titled "The Disobedience of a Lost Golden Age." Here, Root reflects on the attempts to return to a golden age that appeared during the reigns of David and Solomon. The path chosen by most of Solomon's successors, both in Israel and Judah, was Baalism. We see this present in Elijah's engagement with Ahab and Jezebel. Here, the question is whether Israel will follow Torah or not. With this, Root invites us to read our own attempts to reclaim a golden age with the Israelite attempts to reclaim their golden age by turning to Baal, who ultimately lost to Elijah. Root suggests the point here is the idea that "if the cult is powerful and true, it will produce" (p. 192). In the case of the contest between Elijah and Ahab and Jezebel, the issue was relief from drought. What will produce rain? Will it be obedience to Yahweh or the embrace of Baal's promise of fertility? In the case of Protestant decline, he suggests that the temptation is to "innovate the cult," while Yahweh calls on us to pray and "rest in the faithfulness of God, who makes all things new" (p. 209).
The concluding chapter is titled "You, Mother! A Sweet Apocalyptic Relationality." In this chapter, Root offers Mary and her relationship with her son, as pictured in two ancient icons. This relationality envisioned by the icons, especially one found in a church in Cologne, Germany, known as the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign," offers a vision of relationality that is open and roomy, a relationality that invites us in, as such it pictures what the church should be. So, we conclude with an intriguing engagement with Mary, who serves as our teacher, showing us that escalating fertility is not the answer; it is relationality that provides rest. As we embrace this relationality that Mary shares with her son, we can become a community that enables us to share sorrow, suffering, and joy.
If you are hoping to stem the tide of decline by embracing the latest methodologies, so you can do better by innovating the church back to a perceived golden age, you may find Root disappointing. This isn't Church Growth 101 like the influencers would offer. But if you are tired of trying to innovate to create dynamic stabilization, turning to relationality might be the answer to what people are looking for.
Andy Root has written numerous books, many of which I've read and reviewed, that address the state of the church in the 21st century. He's not convinced that we can innovate our way out of our current situation. He once again addresses these issues in his latest book, which takes the intriguing title "Baal and the Gods of More: Rescuing Church Growth from Idolatry." The presence of "Baal," the Canaanite deity that served as a rival to Yahweh, in the title serves as a reminder that our search for answers to our dilemma can lead us into idolatry. Although ancient Israel was Yahweh's covenant people, it too often strayed into the orbit of Baal, who promised fertility. Not surprisingly, the prophet Elijah appears in this book as a foil to Baalism. Growth is not a bad thing, but not all forms of growth are the same. Some forms can be, as Root suggests, idolatrous. That is, the churches can become enamored with fertility gods, like Baal or Artemis. These gods focus on instrumentality over relationality. Two forms of this instrumentality that he identifies are "techno-optimism" and "Identiitarianism," which he suggests are "fused with a modern logic of escalation--- they are both highly capitalistic and therefore build on a logic of escalation that opens us to idolatry." (pp. xi-xii).
Root's book is composed of six chapters, the first of which is titled "Memes and Museums." Here, he introduces us to a meme that contrasts the multi-breasted Artemis of Ephesus with an icon of Mary with Jesus, contrasting the idolatry of escalating fertility (Artemis) and relationality (Mary with Jesus). The question is, which will save us? If you choose Mary, you are with Root. As is true of other books, Root intersperses sociology, theology, and stories that help us reflect on the nature of what he is working with.
The second chapter is titled "What's So Bad About Growth?" Here, he introduces us to the concept of "dynamic stabilization." Here, he takes note of some of the attempts that were made to stem the decline, including the seeker-sensitive megachurch and the Emergent church movement. The latter was considered a postmodern response, but Root is not convinced that such a thing exists. We're still stuck with the modern. What that means is that we find ourselves trapped in a modernity that assumes "that all things must constantly and continually grow if they are to endure and therefore remain stable. Modernity is about growth" (p. 35). This is where we get caught in idolatry, where there is never enough. For stabilization to occur, we must always be on the treadmill of growth. Growth isn't the problem; it can be good, but it is the path to growth that is problematic.
I found chapter 3 very interesting because it connected growth in GDP with growth in the American Protestant church. So, we have a chapter titled "The Machine and the GDP God: How the Special Century and the Christian Century Got Us Addicted to Growth." He shows us how the growth of the Protestant Mainline accompanied an acceleration of growth in the GDP, as the American standard of living increased substantially. Decline began as we moved into a period of reduction in the growth of the GDP, which has not been turned around as we moved into the current information age, though evangelicals have taken advantage of this era of the rise of the network.
With this discussion of the connection of growth and decline with the rise and fall of GDP in the background, we move in Chapter 4 to a discussion of "Techno-Optimists and Identarians Take Over the Church." He speaks of forms of idolatry that assume we can do better to reach dynamic stabilization, either through technology or a focus on identity affirmation. It's not that creativity and identity are bad things, but when they are connected to an "escalation of capital," they become idolatrous. The idea that we can do better suggests that we can save ourselves through some kind of methodology, but Root suggests that the only option for the church is to be led by the Spirit and obey Jesus.
Chapter 5 moves from a more sociological analysis to a biblical one. With Baal as the image of idolatry, it is appropriate that we take a look at the story of Israel found in 1 and 2 Kings, and its connection to Protestant decline. The chapter is titled "The Disobedience of a Lost Golden Age." Here, Root reflects on the attempts to return to a golden age that appeared during the reigns of David and Solomon. The path chosen by most of Solomon's successors, both in Israel and Judah, was Baalism. We see this present in Elijah's engagement with Ahab and Jezebel. Here, the question is whether Israel will follow Torah or not. With this, Root invites us to read our own attempts to reclaim a golden age with the Israelite attempts to reclaim their golden age by turning to Baal, who ultimately lost to Elijah. Root suggests the point here is the idea that "if the cult is powerful and true, it will produce" (p. 192). In the case of the contest between Elijah and Ahab and Jezebel, the issue was relief from drought. What will produce rain? Will it be obedience to Yahweh or the embrace of Baal's promise of fertility? In the case of Protestant decline, he suggests that the temptation is to "innovate the cult," while Yahweh calls on us to pray and "rest in the faithfulness of God, who makes all things new" (p. 209).
The concluding chapter is titled "You, Mother! A Sweet Apocalyptic Relationality." In this chapter, Root offers Mary and her relationship with her son, as pictured in two ancient icons. This relationality envisioned by the icons, especially one found in a church in Cologne, Germany, known as the Icon of Our Lady of the Sign," offers a vision of relationality that is open and roomy, a relationality that invites us in, as such it pictures what the church should be. So, we conclude with an intriguing engagement with Mary, who serves as our teacher, showing us that escalating fertility is not the answer; it is relationality that provides rest. As we embrace this relationality that Mary shares with her son, we can become a community that enables us to share sorrow, suffering, and joy.
If you are hoping to stem the tide of decline by embracing the latest methodologies, so you can do better by innovating the church back to a perceived golden age, you may find Root disappointing. This isn't Church Growth 101 like the influencers would offer. But if you are tired of trying to innovate to create dynamic stabilization, turning to relationality might be the answer to what people are looking for.
April 24, 2026
Andrew Root’s Baal and the Gods of More is a rare work that manages to be both pastorally urgent and theologically exacting. Root, one of the leading voices in practical theology today, offers a penetrating diagnosis of the spiritual logic that animates not only ancient religion but also contemporary life. His central claim is as unsettling as it is illuminating. Much of what passes for faith, including within the modern church, is still captive to Baal.
Drawing on the Old Testament’s sustained critique of Baal worship, Root shows that Baal is not merely an ancient deity but a recurring theological pattern. Baal represents a god of fertility, productivity, and measurable outcomes. This god promises life through the cultivation of potential. If the right conditions are created, if the right techniques are employed, then growth will come. Root argues that this logic has not disappeared. It has simply been baptized into late capitalism and, more provocatively, into the church itself. Church growth strategies, leadership models, and even spiritual practices can become oriented around producing results, managing outcomes, and maximizing impact.
What makes the book exegetically striking is Root’s careful attention to Scripture’s alternative vision of God. Against the logic of Baal, the God of Israel does not operate through the management of potential. Instead, this God meets Israel in the wilderness, in barrenness, in the absence of visible possibility. Root traces this pattern through key biblical narratives, culminating in the cross of Christ. The God revealed in Jesus is not one who guarantees upward trajectories or measurable success. This is a God who brings life from death, who creates ex nihilo rather than cultivating what is already there.
Root’s argument carries significant implications for the contemporary church. If God is not a god of more, then the church’s fixation on growth, innovation, and optimization is not merely misguided but theologically distorted. Root does not call for apathy or disengagement. Rather, he calls for a reorientation toward faithfulness, presence, and participation in God’s action, especially where there is no obvious potential to leverage.
The book’s strength lies in its depth and precision. Root moves seamlessly between biblical exegesis, theological reflection, and cultural analysis. At times, the argument demands careful attention, but the reward is a vision of God that resists reduction to the metrics and desires of late modern life.
Baal and the Gods of More is ultimately a call to repentance. It invites readers to recognize how easily the church confuses the God of the cross with the gods of productivity and success. In doing so, Root opens up a more faithful and more hopeful way. Life does not come from our ability to generate or manage potential. It comes from the God who creates out of nothing and who meets us most fully not in our strength, but in our emptiness.
Drawing on the Old Testament’s sustained critique of Baal worship, Root shows that Baal is not merely an ancient deity but a recurring theological pattern. Baal represents a god of fertility, productivity, and measurable outcomes. This god promises life through the cultivation of potential. If the right conditions are created, if the right techniques are employed, then growth will come. Root argues that this logic has not disappeared. It has simply been baptized into late capitalism and, more provocatively, into the church itself. Church growth strategies, leadership models, and even spiritual practices can become oriented around producing results, managing outcomes, and maximizing impact.
What makes the book exegetically striking is Root’s careful attention to Scripture’s alternative vision of God. Against the logic of Baal, the God of Israel does not operate through the management of potential. Instead, this God meets Israel in the wilderness, in barrenness, in the absence of visible possibility. Root traces this pattern through key biblical narratives, culminating in the cross of Christ. The God revealed in Jesus is not one who guarantees upward trajectories or measurable success. This is a God who brings life from death, who creates ex nihilo rather than cultivating what is already there.
Root’s argument carries significant implications for the contemporary church. If God is not a god of more, then the church’s fixation on growth, innovation, and optimization is not merely misguided but theologically distorted. Root does not call for apathy or disengagement. Rather, he calls for a reorientation toward faithfulness, presence, and participation in God’s action, especially where there is no obvious potential to leverage.
The book’s strength lies in its depth and precision. Root moves seamlessly between biblical exegesis, theological reflection, and cultural analysis. At times, the argument demands careful attention, but the reward is a vision of God that resists reduction to the metrics and desires of late modern life.
Baal and the Gods of More is ultimately a call to repentance. It invites readers to recognize how easily the church confuses the God of the cross with the gods of productivity and success. In doing so, Root opens up a more faithful and more hopeful way. Life does not come from our ability to generate or manage potential. It comes from the God who creates out of nothing and who meets us most fully not in our strength, but in our emptiness.
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