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How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing
262 pages, Hardcover
Published July 14, 2026
About the author
Randy Woodley
27 books76 followersRev. Randy Woodley (PhD, Asbury Theological Seminary) is Distinguished Professor of Faith and Culture and Director of Intercultural and Indigenous Studies at Portland Seminary. Woodley is a Keetoowah Cherokee (legal descendent) teacher, poet, activist, former pastor, missiologist and historian. Woodley received his baccalaureate degree from Rockmont College in Denver. He was ordained to the ministry through the American Baptist Churches in the USA in Oklahoma after graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree from Eastern Seminary (now Palmer Seminary) in Philadelphia. Randy's PhD is in intercultural studies from Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.
Professor Woodley is active in the ongoing discussions concerning new church movements, racial and ethnic diversity, peace, social justice, interreligious dialogue and mission. He regularly blogs in these areas and publishes his own blog, Ethnic Space and Faith. He is also a regular contributor to God's Politics Blog: Jim Wallis and Friends, Emergent Village Voice and The Huffington Post’s religion page.
He also hosts the "Peacing it all together" podcast about journey and place with Bo Sanders.
Rev. Woodley was pastor of the Eagle Valley Church in Carson City, Nevada, which for many years served as a unique role model as an authentic Native American Christian church. He and his wife Edith, cofounders of Eagle's Wings Ministry, are considered early innovators in what has been dubbed the “Native American Contextual Movement.” The Woodleys have spent over 25 years of culturally contextual service in Native North American communities.
Professor Woodley is active in the ongoing discussions concerning new church movements, racial and ethnic diversity, peace, social justice, interreligious dialogue and mission. He regularly blogs in these areas and publishes his own blog, Ethnic Space and Faith. He is also a regular contributor to God's Politics Blog: Jim Wallis and Friends, Emergent Village Voice and The Huffington Post’s religion page.
He also hosts the "Peacing it all together" podcast about journey and place with Bo Sanders.
Rev. Woodley was pastor of the Eagle Valley Church in Carson City, Nevada, which for many years served as a unique role model as an authentic Native American Christian church. He and his wife Edith, cofounders of Eagle's Wings Ministry, are considered early innovators in what has been dubbed the “Native American Contextual Movement.” The Woodleys have spent over 25 years of culturally contextual service in Native North American communities.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 28, 2026
The history of Christianity, like all history, is complicated. There is good, and there is bad. It's why the idea of patriotic history is a recipe for bad history. So, has Western Christianity gotten things wrong? Does the way that Christianity, at least since the late second century and most assuredly since the fourth century, has gotten things wrong, including the way it has presented to the world the nature of God? From my perspective, we could easily say that yes, the way Christianity as it emerged in Europe created a vision of God and the Christian movement that at times has had destructive consequences. Consider such things as the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest Destiny that gave permission to colonial powers to conquer and subjugate people, including the indigenous people of the Americas. The question is how we deal with this history, both the good and the bad.
Randy Woodley offers his take on these questions in his latest book titled "How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing." There is much I agreed with and liked about the book. At the same time, I struggled with the way he presented his message. As a historian of Christianity aware of the story's complexity, he lacked nuance at points. Yes, Augustine's doctrine of original sin has been used in ways that I disagree with, but Augustine needs to be seen in his own context. The same is true of Pelagius, whom Woodley seems to embrace. While Pelagius did teach a view of Christianity that appears to be more freeing than Augustine's, at the same time Pelagius' view of Christianity was extremely ascetic, while Augustine seemed more realistic and, in the end, more gracious.
Woodley writes out of a particular frame of reference, which is his grounding in Native American Christian spirituality. He embraces the message of Jesus, which he believes has gotten corrupted by an imperial form of Christianity that he traces in some ways to Augustine. Interestingly, he seems to give a pass to Eastern Orthodoxy, which has the same roots as Western Christianity. Whether it was the Cappadocians or Augustine, both were influenced by forms of Platonism. Why? Because it was the philosophical system available to the Christian world at the time it spread East and West. Should we continue to use that system today? Perhaps not, but let us not think replacing Plato with Whitehead gets us back to the first-century Jesus. In some ways, Woodley, though operating from an indigenous American context, is a restorationist at heart. Being that I am part of a movement that is at its heart restorationist (New Testament Christianity), I know firsthand the pitfalls of such a view.
I open this review with a rather critical foundation in part because I do think Woodley is on to something important, and that is the reality that the message of Jesus has gotten corrupted at significant points, especially as it became increasingly inculturated. Whether we must throw out the bulk of Christian theology and practice is another question. Finding a balance between "orthodoxy" and "orthopraxis" is not easy. As someone with a background in historical theology, I am not ready to set aside doctrine completely. At the same time, in part due to my reading of Liberation Theology, I recognize that doctrine, no matter how orthodox it is, if our practice doesn't reflect the message of Jesus, which is at its heart one of love and inclusion, then as Paul reminds us, it is nothing more than a clanging cymbal.
What I hope Randy Woodley's book does is open up a conversation about the way we understand our faith as Christians, including the complexity of its history, while also pushing us toward more fully practicing the faith in a way that reflects the message of Jesus. May we do this without blaming the Jews or driving a wedge between Jesus and the "God of the Old Testament."
Randy Woodley offers his take on these questions in his latest book titled "How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing." There is much I agreed with and liked about the book. At the same time, I struggled with the way he presented his message. As a historian of Christianity aware of the story's complexity, he lacked nuance at points. Yes, Augustine's doctrine of original sin has been used in ways that I disagree with, but Augustine needs to be seen in his own context. The same is true of Pelagius, whom Woodley seems to embrace. While Pelagius did teach a view of Christianity that appears to be more freeing than Augustine's, at the same time Pelagius' view of Christianity was extremely ascetic, while Augustine seemed more realistic and, in the end, more gracious.
Woodley writes out of a particular frame of reference, which is his grounding in Native American Christian spirituality. He embraces the message of Jesus, which he believes has gotten corrupted by an imperial form of Christianity that he traces in some ways to Augustine. Interestingly, he seems to give a pass to Eastern Orthodoxy, which has the same roots as Western Christianity. Whether it was the Cappadocians or Augustine, both were influenced by forms of Platonism. Why? Because it was the philosophical system available to the Christian world at the time it spread East and West. Should we continue to use that system today? Perhaps not, but let us not think replacing Plato with Whitehead gets us back to the first-century Jesus. In some ways, Woodley, though operating from an indigenous American context, is a restorationist at heart. Being that I am part of a movement that is at its heart restorationist (New Testament Christianity), I know firsthand the pitfalls of such a view.
I open this review with a rather critical foundation in part because I do think Woodley is on to something important, and that is the reality that the message of Jesus has gotten corrupted at significant points, especially as it became increasingly inculturated. Whether we must throw out the bulk of Christian theology and practice is another question. Finding a balance between "orthodoxy" and "orthopraxis" is not easy. As someone with a background in historical theology, I am not ready to set aside doctrine completely. At the same time, in part due to my reading of Liberation Theology, I recognize that doctrine, no matter how orthodox it is, if our practice doesn't reflect the message of Jesus, which is at its heart one of love and inclusion, then as Paul reminds us, it is nothing more than a clanging cymbal.
What I hope Randy Woodley's book does is open up a conversation about the way we understand our faith as Christians, including the complexity of its history, while also pushing us toward more fully practicing the faith in a way that reflects the message of Jesus. May we do this without blaming the Jews or driving a wedge between Jesus and the "God of the Old Testament."
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing is a very thought-provoking book, as you can tell from the very title itself. No one wants to hear that the way their religion is practiced is (almost) completely wrong, but sometimes it's what you need to hear.
I picked up this ARC from Edelweiss because I've been facing a dissonance for a while now between how Christianity is commonly practiced globally vs my understanding of Scripture (and the whole but What Would Jesus Do! thing) and I wanted to see what Woodley had to say. There are some bold statements in the book (especially re: Jesus' purpose with regards to religion) that would probably require further thought, but on the whole, Woodley's explanations on church history and how Western Christianity got to where it is today is eye-opening and resonates with a lot of things I've been working through (and that's been coming out of the woodwork with the whole MAGA thing). It's also very accessible reading, even whilst being heavy on historical details - so it feels both solid and in depth without turning into some academic slog.
One thing I am ambivalent about - and Woodley does address it briefly - is that reinterpreting Scripture through his Indigenous lens does at times feel a little like syncretism. Which, on one hand, is what Western Christianity has totally done through out history (while wiping out other cultures), so it probably balances back out somewhat. Part of it could just be verbiage, and how Woodley expresses himself, which feels jarring to me tonally. This is one of the things I think would work for his community - and indigenous groups specifically - but not for a large majority of urban and mostly displaced and/or already culturally-disconnected Christians.
Yet, looking at the examples given, what it really highlights is the fact that all cultures and all tribes have the knowledge of God hidden in their histories and understanding of the world - it's a matter of looking at them and seeing where they align with the Bible, even if the symbols used are something completely different.
Chapter 11: How We Recover from Western Christianity is where things get a little muddy for me. This chapter is very heavy on repatriations from White churches to Native American communities, and is very rooted in the American context. I understand that Woodley can only write from his context, but it's very weird to have, in the midst of how community is strength, and how we need unity and diversity, caveats about cultural appropriation. It also sometimes feels like there's a need to punish the current generation for the sins of the past. How that looks like in Malaysia is vastly different, so a lot of the examples in chapter are not directly applicable except in the broadest terms when reading this from a Malaysian context
But, as he points out, any movement forward must be "place-based, rooted in the specific lands, histories, and cultural contexts that shape community needs, rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions that ignore local Indigenous wisdom." This is something I'll need to contemplate on further.
Overall, I think this book is important reading to understand what has shaped the current church, no matter where you are based, especially since a lot of Asian/Southeast Asian churches are heavily influenced by American churches through their former missionary work and mass media.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Broadleaf Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I picked up this ARC from Edelweiss because I've been facing a dissonance for a while now between how Christianity is commonly practiced globally vs my understanding of Scripture (and the whole but What Would Jesus Do! thing) and I wanted to see what Woodley had to say. There are some bold statements in the book (especially re: Jesus' purpose with regards to religion) that would probably require further thought, but on the whole, Woodley's explanations on church history and how Western Christianity got to where it is today is eye-opening and resonates with a lot of things I've been working through (and that's been coming out of the woodwork with the whole MAGA thing). It's also very accessible reading, even whilst being heavy on historical details - so it feels both solid and in depth without turning into some academic slog.
One thing I am ambivalent about - and Woodley does address it briefly - is that reinterpreting Scripture through his Indigenous lens does at times feel a little like syncretism. Which, on one hand, is what Western Christianity has totally done through out history (while wiping out other cultures), so it probably balances back out somewhat. Part of it could just be verbiage, and how Woodley expresses himself, which feels jarring to me tonally. This is one of the things I think would work for his community - and indigenous groups specifically - but not for a large majority of urban and mostly displaced and/or already culturally-disconnected Christians.
Yet, looking at the examples given, what it really highlights is the fact that all cultures and all tribes have the knowledge of God hidden in their histories and understanding of the world - it's a matter of looking at them and seeing where they align with the Bible, even if the symbols used are something completely different.
Chapter 11: How We Recover from Western Christianity is where things get a little muddy for me. This chapter is very heavy on repatriations from White churches to Native American communities, and is very rooted in the American context. I understand that Woodley can only write from his context, but it's very weird to have, in the midst of how community is strength, and how we need unity and diversity, caveats about cultural appropriation. It also sometimes feels like there's a need to punish the current generation for the sins of the past. How that looks like in Malaysia is vastly different, so a lot of the examples in chapter are not directly applicable except in the broadest terms when reading this from a Malaysian context
But, as he points out, any movement forward must be "place-based, rooted in the specific lands, histories, and cultural contexts that shape community needs, rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions that ignore local Indigenous wisdom." This is something I'll need to contemplate on further.
Overall, I think this book is important reading to understand what has shaped the current church, no matter where you are based, especially since a lot of Asian/Southeast Asian churches are heavily influenced by American churches through their former missionary work and mass media.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Broadleaf Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Read
July 8, 2026How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing is a thoughtful, courageous, and deeply reflective examination of faith, spirituality, and the transformative power of healing. Randy Woodley offers readers a compelling invitation to reconsider long held assumptions about Western Christianity while presenting a vision of faith rooted in compassion, restoration, and authentic relationship. The book encourages meaningful dialogue and inspires readers to explore a more life giving understanding of spirituality.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its emphasis on healing rather than fear. Rather than relying on condemnation or division, Woodley thoughtfully explores how spiritual communities can cultivate hope, reconciliation, and wholeness. His compassionate perspective encourages readers to engage with difficult questions while remaining open to growth, grace, and deeper understanding.
The book is particularly engaging because it combines theological reflection with practical insight. Woodley presents complex spiritual and historical ideas in an accessible and thought provoking manner, helping readers understand how different approaches to faith can influence personal well being, relationships, and community life. His balanced style invites reflection without losing sight of the human experience at the heart of the discussion.
Another standout feature is the book's emphasis on restoration, compassion, and community. Throughout the discussion, readers are encouraged to move beyond fear-based thinking toward a spirituality that nurtures empathy, justice, healing, and mutual care. These themes make the book relevant not only to people of faith but also to anyone interested in personal transformation and healthier relationships.
Randy Woodley's writing is warm, engaging, and deeply insightful. His thoughtful approach creates space for readers to examine their own beliefs while appreciating the broader historical and spiritual context surrounding Christianity's development. The result is a book that challenges, encourages, and inspires in equal measure.
Beyond its theological exploration, How Western Christianity Got It Wrong reminds readers that faith has the potential to become a powerful source of healing, hope, and reconciliation. It encourages individuals and communities to embrace compassion over fear and restoration over division, giving the book enduring spiritual and practical significance.
Overall, How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing is an insightful and inspiring contribution to contemporary conversations about faith, spirituality, and personal renewal. Randy Woodley has created a thoughtful resource that encourages readers to pursue a more compassionate, healing centered understanding of Christianity. I highly recommend this remarkable book to readers interested in theology, spirituality, personal growth, and meaningful faith conversations.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its emphasis on healing rather than fear. Rather than relying on condemnation or division, Woodley thoughtfully explores how spiritual communities can cultivate hope, reconciliation, and wholeness. His compassionate perspective encourages readers to engage with difficult questions while remaining open to growth, grace, and deeper understanding.
The book is particularly engaging because it combines theological reflection with practical insight. Woodley presents complex spiritual and historical ideas in an accessible and thought provoking manner, helping readers understand how different approaches to faith can influence personal well being, relationships, and community life. His balanced style invites reflection without losing sight of the human experience at the heart of the discussion.
Another standout feature is the book's emphasis on restoration, compassion, and community. Throughout the discussion, readers are encouraged to move beyond fear-based thinking toward a spirituality that nurtures empathy, justice, healing, and mutual care. These themes make the book relevant not only to people of faith but also to anyone interested in personal transformation and healthier relationships.
Randy Woodley's writing is warm, engaging, and deeply insightful. His thoughtful approach creates space for readers to examine their own beliefs while appreciating the broader historical and spiritual context surrounding Christianity's development. The result is a book that challenges, encourages, and inspires in equal measure.
Beyond its theological exploration, How Western Christianity Got It Wrong reminds readers that faith has the potential to become a powerful source of healing, hope, and reconciliation. It encourages individuals and communities to embrace compassion over fear and restoration over division, giving the book enduring spiritual and practical significance.
Overall, How Western Christianity Got It Wrong: Replacing the God of Fear with a Spirituality of Healing is an insightful and inspiring contribution to contemporary conversations about faith, spirituality, and personal renewal. Randy Woodley has created a thoughtful resource that encourages readers to pursue a more compassionate, healing centered understanding of Christianity. I highly recommend this remarkable book to readers interested in theology, spirituality, personal growth, and meaningful faith conversations.
Read
June 21, 2026"How Western Christianity Got it Wrong" by Randy Woodley gives a critique of Western Christianity from the outside. Coming from an indigenous background Woodley wrote a book that highlights the difference in approach that believers from an indigenous background may have from "Western Christianity."
Woodley rightly points out so very many areas that the Western branch of Christianity, particularly in America and Europe have gotten it wrong. Areas such as white supremacy, genocide, colonization, ecological and environmental devastation. All of that is 100% spot on, justified, and should be shouted from the rooftops.
In a fairly innovative move he made an interesting link between salvation and healing. I think there is a strong case to be made there. Conventionally the term is used in Western Christianity to describe Jesus saving believers from their sins. Sin leads to death, separation from God, and divine judgement. But I think the conventional idea prevalent in the pews that salvation is merely from "Hell" is too simplistic. I like the idea that healing is closely tied as it works not just on the physical level, but also mental, community, and societal level. God is at work to restore and redeem creation, not just to dole out judgement on sinful behavior.
Woodley raised an interesting contrast between Matrist and Patrist societies in the discussion about war and imperial violence. Matrist societies are lead by women primarily, Patrist societies by men. He raises the argument that war is far less prevalent in Matrist societies while discussing Western Christianity's view on the innate wickedness of humanity.
Another issue he raised was the West is far more concerned about ontology "who is Jesus?" rather than on word and actions "what did Jesus say and do?" I think that is a fair critique. There is a much heavier lean toward orthodoxy than orthopraxy in Western Christianity. I think that being orthodox is super important, but it shouldn't outshine the actual practice of one's faith.
Having said all that there were a handful of items in this book that I do not agree with.
The entire tone of the book sets up a contrast between Western Christianity as one giant unified force that got it wrong from the beginning, v. the perspective from indigenous peoples. But "Western Christianity" is ANYTHING but a united bloc. It is fractious almost by definition. I don't know that even trying to consider it one group to critique in total is really even possible. There is so much variety within this label that spans over 1000 years, continents, countries, languages, cultures that the entire project this book undertakes feels problematic.
Woodley sided with Pelagius over Augustine. Pelagianism was deemed a heresy by the church very early on. As such I have trouble taking that whole line of reasoning too seriously.
Woodley stated that Jesus likely believed hell and the devil to be metaphorical. There are a LOT of positions that one can take on hell etc, but the Bible records Jesus as literally encountering Satan in the desert undergoing three temptations. And while the gospels don't give a full definition on the precise nature of what we refer to as hell, Jesus definitely believed in a literal judgement by God for humans.
In summary, there was a lot to agree with and to admire in this book, however I think fundamentally the author and I will have to agree to disagree on a lot of important points.
I'm grateful to Broadleaf Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Woodley rightly points out so very many areas that the Western branch of Christianity, particularly in America and Europe have gotten it wrong. Areas such as white supremacy, genocide, colonization, ecological and environmental devastation. All of that is 100% spot on, justified, and should be shouted from the rooftops.
In a fairly innovative move he made an interesting link between salvation and healing. I think there is a strong case to be made there. Conventionally the term is used in Western Christianity to describe Jesus saving believers from their sins. Sin leads to death, separation from God, and divine judgement. But I think the conventional idea prevalent in the pews that salvation is merely from "Hell" is too simplistic. I like the idea that healing is closely tied as it works not just on the physical level, but also mental, community, and societal level. God is at work to restore and redeem creation, not just to dole out judgement on sinful behavior.
Woodley raised an interesting contrast between Matrist and Patrist societies in the discussion about war and imperial violence. Matrist societies are lead by women primarily, Patrist societies by men. He raises the argument that war is far less prevalent in Matrist societies while discussing Western Christianity's view on the innate wickedness of humanity.
Another issue he raised was the West is far more concerned about ontology "who is Jesus?" rather than on word and actions "what did Jesus say and do?" I think that is a fair critique. There is a much heavier lean toward orthodoxy than orthopraxy in Western Christianity. I think that being orthodox is super important, but it shouldn't outshine the actual practice of one's faith.
Having said all that there were a handful of items in this book that I do not agree with.
The entire tone of the book sets up a contrast between Western Christianity as one giant unified force that got it wrong from the beginning, v. the perspective from indigenous peoples. But "Western Christianity" is ANYTHING but a united bloc. It is fractious almost by definition. I don't know that even trying to consider it one group to critique in total is really even possible. There is so much variety within this label that spans over 1000 years, continents, countries, languages, cultures that the entire project this book undertakes feels problematic.
Woodley sided with Pelagius over Augustine. Pelagianism was deemed a heresy by the church very early on. As such I have trouble taking that whole line of reasoning too seriously.
Woodley stated that Jesus likely believed hell and the devil to be metaphorical. There are a LOT of positions that one can take on hell etc, but the Bible records Jesus as literally encountering Satan in the desert undergoing three temptations. And while the gospels don't give a full definition on the precise nature of what we refer to as hell, Jesus definitely believed in a literal judgement by God for humans.
In summary, there was a lot to agree with and to admire in this book, however I think fundamentally the author and I will have to agree to disagree on a lot of important points.
I'm grateful to Broadleaf Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 28, 2026
Powerful and informative read for those who are inside and outside of the institutional church longing for change, and really desiring to follow the "Spirit-man Jesus." Randy helps us see some of the serious mistakes, blunders, and true evil that the church adulterated with Empire has made.
I think this is a great read for those going into ministry and anyone somewhere in the deconstruction and rebuilding work.
I think this is a great read for those going into ministry and anyone somewhere in the deconstruction and rebuilding work.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews