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Leatherbound Terrorism
There is no greater evil being wielded upon the planet than Conservative Evangelicalism, and Chris Kratzer's life and ministry journey are undeniable proof. In Leatherbound Terrorism, Chris tells of his 21 years as a conservative Evangelical pastor and the radical change of heart and mind that led him to walk away from it all. With a new sense of faith centered on Jesus and His pure Gospel of Grace, in Leatherbound Terrorism, Chris chases the evils of conservative Evangelicalism out of the shadows and gives powerful voice to the cries of the religiously oppressed. Confronting issues like racism, sexism, homophobia, religious greed, hypocrisy, nationalism, white supremacy, privilege, and the weaponizing of the Bible, Leatherbound Terrorism pulls no punches. Endorsed by best selling authors Steve McVey and Baxter Kruger, Leatherbound Terrorism will challenge you, inspire you, and most certainly cause you to rethink your faith and life.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2018
35 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 26, 2018
Read this book. Whether you are hellbent assured of a belief system.
Whether you are doubting.
Whether you have no belief system.
This book will leave you questioning how any beliefs you hold in life in life manifest in your thoughts & actions.
Leatherbound Terrorism is one of the most authentic deep dives into the struggle of American evangelicalism. Chris takes you into the personal hell created by the toxic theology of trying to live life by conservative righteousness. A system you will find out strips people of the peace they so long for in religion, but will never find in the thousands of conservative evangelical systems.
Chris’s writing is courageous. Raw, vulnerable & authentic as he digs deep into his personal life to peel away the layers of what was alluring about the conservative evangelism grooming, what ultimately defiled his innate natural goodness, and how he found serenity outside the shackles of breaking down the conservative evangelical ideology.
He peels away the righteousness, the pretending, the hypocrisy, and most moving is how he shares about wrestling with the pain he inflicted upon others while a conservative evangelical.
For someone not brought up in a conservative evangelical faith, Chris’ writing will bring you into the depth of the pain, loss, righteousness, unworthiness, distress of the system. You will feel shock, sadness, compassion, horror, as you read through his journey.
Chris has an amazing gift of his words, you will cry with him, you will chuckle with him, you will be outraged with him, and you will question with him; in his journey, you will find your own, no matter what ideology system you believe. This book will leave you questioning how your beliefs in life manifest in your thoughts & actions, about yourself & others.
If you are struggling feeling like you are "sinful" in some way, shunned, rejected or ostracized for being who you authentically are (or who you are if people were to know the real you) -- read this book. If you have a family member, friend, or church member whom your group deems "sinful" -- read this book, challenge yourself - you will question if you are pleasing the system s or are you following your heart to love in grace.
Read this book to understand the issues of the political climate that has been perpetuated by conservative evangelicalism today.
This book will help anyone see the parallels to ANY conservative fundamentalist authoritative belief system. Muslim orthodox or conservative Judaism, Coptic, conservative Catholic, strict Buddhist, conservative Hindu, etc.
Whether you are doubting.
Whether you have no belief system.
This book will leave you questioning how any beliefs you hold in life in life manifest in your thoughts & actions.
Leatherbound Terrorism is one of the most authentic deep dives into the struggle of American evangelicalism. Chris takes you into the personal hell created by the toxic theology of trying to live life by conservative righteousness. A system you will find out strips people of the peace they so long for in religion, but will never find in the thousands of conservative evangelical systems.
Chris’s writing is courageous. Raw, vulnerable & authentic as he digs deep into his personal life to peel away the layers of what was alluring about the conservative evangelism grooming, what ultimately defiled his innate natural goodness, and how he found serenity outside the shackles of breaking down the conservative evangelical ideology.
He peels away the righteousness, the pretending, the hypocrisy, and most moving is how he shares about wrestling with the pain he inflicted upon others while a conservative evangelical.
For someone not brought up in a conservative evangelical faith, Chris’ writing will bring you into the depth of the pain, loss, righteousness, unworthiness, distress of the system. You will feel shock, sadness, compassion, horror, as you read through his journey.
Chris has an amazing gift of his words, you will cry with him, you will chuckle with him, you will be outraged with him, and you will question with him; in his journey, you will find your own, no matter what ideology system you believe. This book will leave you questioning how your beliefs in life manifest in your thoughts & actions, about yourself & others.
If you are struggling feeling like you are "sinful" in some way, shunned, rejected or ostracized for being who you authentically are (or who you are if people were to know the real you) -- read this book. If you have a family member, friend, or church member whom your group deems "sinful" -- read this book, challenge yourself - you will question if you are pleasing the system s or are you following your heart to love in grace.
Read this book to understand the issues of the political climate that has been perpetuated by conservative evangelicalism today.
This book will help anyone see the parallels to ANY conservative fundamentalist authoritative belief system. Muslim orthodox or conservative Judaism, Coptic, conservative Catholic, strict Buddhist, conservative Hindu, etc.
October 3, 2018
I love reading memoirs or biographies about lives that have been transformed, and Leatherbound Terrorism by Chris Kratzer is definitely one of those! Chris was a conservative evanglical pastor but his soul was dying.
The truth that finally set him free was in direct conflict with the conservative evangelical message. He discovered that he’d been preaching the cancer, not the cure. This book articulates both. He explains how the fundamental beliefs of conservative evangelicalism are deeply harmful. The gospel is simply unlimited, unrelenting, unapologetic, unconditional grace. Conservative evangelicalism might talk about grace, but they preach a grace with many strings attached, resulting in anything but freedom.
This book pulls no punches in it’s critique of conservative evangelicalism. I’ve been a recovering evangelical for years, and I even found it hard to read at times as I felt my past and my friends under attack. Chris’ story is not my story. We all have unique stories. So even if your experience was different, try to read this book with the understanding that this is what Chris experienced. Let him have his story as you reflect on yours. And most importantly, let his message of grace penetrate your soul.
This kind of grace changes everything, beginning with how we see ourselves and how we see God. The next domino is how we see one another. And then the dominos begin to fall rapidly, impacting our views on many things including the Bible, science, hell, sexism, racism, LGBTQ and gender issues, and many others. If it doesn’t impact everything, it isn’t truly transforming.
To my evangelical friends, I’l be honest, if you haven’t started questioning some of the things you’ve been taught, this might not be the book for you. But if you’re ready to take a hard, brutally honest look at how you and others have been harmed by conservative evangelicalism, you will find life and freedom in the message of this book.
“... grace postures our entire being onto a foundation of rest -- convinced that we can never over-portray, over-trust, or over-characterize the goodness, love, sufficiency, and graciousness of God, nor can we ever believe too much in the unsurpassed power of Grace to guide, change, and enable us in all things.” p. 72
The truth that finally set him free was in direct conflict with the conservative evangelical message. He discovered that he’d been preaching the cancer, not the cure. This book articulates both. He explains how the fundamental beliefs of conservative evangelicalism are deeply harmful. The gospel is simply unlimited, unrelenting, unapologetic, unconditional grace. Conservative evangelicalism might talk about grace, but they preach a grace with many strings attached, resulting in anything but freedom.
This book pulls no punches in it’s critique of conservative evangelicalism. I’ve been a recovering evangelical for years, and I even found it hard to read at times as I felt my past and my friends under attack. Chris’ story is not my story. We all have unique stories. So even if your experience was different, try to read this book with the understanding that this is what Chris experienced. Let him have his story as you reflect on yours. And most importantly, let his message of grace penetrate your soul.
This kind of grace changes everything, beginning with how we see ourselves and how we see God. The next domino is how we see one another. And then the dominos begin to fall rapidly, impacting our views on many things including the Bible, science, hell, sexism, racism, LGBTQ and gender issues, and many others. If it doesn’t impact everything, it isn’t truly transforming.
To my evangelical friends, I’l be honest, if you haven’t started questioning some of the things you’ve been taught, this might not be the book for you. But if you’re ready to take a hard, brutally honest look at how you and others have been harmed by conservative evangelicalism, you will find life and freedom in the message of this book.
“... grace postures our entire being onto a foundation of rest -- convinced that we can never over-portray, over-trust, or over-characterize the goodness, love, sufficiency, and graciousness of God, nor can we ever believe too much in the unsurpassed power of Grace to guide, change, and enable us in all things.” p. 72
April 22, 2023
Encouraging
This book was so encouraging and uplifting to me. My wife and I are in a similar place so everything related to us in such a personal way. If you have left organized religion and the institutional church, this book will certainly uplift you and encourage you. If you are still within the religious system but having questions and doubts, this book may well be what you need to make some sense of the way you are feeling and clear up some questions you have. This book is certainly worth your time and it is written in a way that is easy and quick to read.
This book was so encouraging and uplifting to me. My wife and I are in a similar place so everything related to us in such a personal way. If you have left organized religion and the institutional church, this book will certainly uplift you and encourage you. If you are still within the religious system but having questions and doubts, this book may well be what you need to make some sense of the way you are feeling and clear up some questions you have. This book is certainly worth your time and it is written in a way that is easy and quick to read.
December 17, 2018
I read this book in two days. Two days. I simply could not put it down. 197 pages of a heartfelt plea that has been on my heart for many years. Unlike Chris Kratzer, I was scared to write it down. It wasn't my book to write.
In Leatherbound Terrorism, Chris Kratzer is a modern day voice of one crying out in the wilderness of white, conservative, Evangelical Christianity, paving the way of the Lord and His grace. I consider Chris a friend and a kindred spirit. For hundred of years, religious legalism has tried to offer the body of Christ all manners of religious tradition, legalism and Bible-thumping, graceless preaching and teaching to solve the problem of sin. Chris pulls no punches in calling out those who have abused the power of the pulpit and politics. He accurately lays out the very things that have rendered the modern church useless and and ineffective.
Chris was a pastor for many years, buried deep inside of the man-made solutions to the spiritual problems of the world. He opens his heart as he confesses to being a part of that evil system and how he discovered grace in his journey. He speaks from the heart of a man who has been both the abuser and the abused. If you didn't know Chris, you would be tempted to think that Leatherbound Terrorism is little more than the rantings of an angry man. I assure you, there is no anger in this book. There is only passion. Passion for people to know the one true Word of God, Jesus the Christ.
Leatherbound Terrorism chips away at the evil tenets of white, conservative, Evangelical Christianity: bigotry, legalism, exclusion, marginalization, and demonizing of human beings that Jesus died to redeem and set free by His grace. Chris paints a broad picture of modern Evangelicalism and the takes it apart, evil piece by evil piece, narrowing it down at the halfway point in the book to the root of Evangelical evil: power and privilege.
I highly recommend Chris Kratzer's Leatherbound Terrorism, to all who have been marginalized and demonized by white, conservative, Evangelical Christianity. I also recommend it to people like me, who preached and taught this brand of religion for 30 years. This book will hold a very powerful mirror for you and I to gaze into and become deeply aware of the harm we have done to both the body of Christ and the non-believing world.
I am reading it again, more slowly this time, highlighter in hand, to breathe in every nuance of this amazing book. It is Chris Kratzer's 96 Theses, nailed to the door of every church in America, and pointing out all errors in our faith and practice. If you are easily offended, than this book is especially for you. If I could narrow down Chris Kratzer's spiritual gift into one word, it would be the word offend. For he truly offends every evil facet of conservative Evangelical Christianity, and he shines the light of grace over all of it without holding back.
Read this book. I double-dog dare you.
In Leatherbound Terrorism, Chris Kratzer is a modern day voice of one crying out in the wilderness of white, conservative, Evangelical Christianity, paving the way of the Lord and His grace. I consider Chris a friend and a kindred spirit. For hundred of years, religious legalism has tried to offer the body of Christ all manners of religious tradition, legalism and Bible-thumping, graceless preaching and teaching to solve the problem of sin. Chris pulls no punches in calling out those who have abused the power of the pulpit and politics. He accurately lays out the very things that have rendered the modern church useless and and ineffective.
Chris was a pastor for many years, buried deep inside of the man-made solutions to the spiritual problems of the world. He opens his heart as he confesses to being a part of that evil system and how he discovered grace in his journey. He speaks from the heart of a man who has been both the abuser and the abused. If you didn't know Chris, you would be tempted to think that Leatherbound Terrorism is little more than the rantings of an angry man. I assure you, there is no anger in this book. There is only passion. Passion for people to know the one true Word of God, Jesus the Christ.
Leatherbound Terrorism chips away at the evil tenets of white, conservative, Evangelical Christianity: bigotry, legalism, exclusion, marginalization, and demonizing of human beings that Jesus died to redeem and set free by His grace. Chris paints a broad picture of modern Evangelicalism and the takes it apart, evil piece by evil piece, narrowing it down at the halfway point in the book to the root of Evangelical evil: power and privilege.
I highly recommend Chris Kratzer's Leatherbound Terrorism, to all who have been marginalized and demonized by white, conservative, Evangelical Christianity. I also recommend it to people like me, who preached and taught this brand of religion for 30 years. This book will hold a very powerful mirror for you and I to gaze into and become deeply aware of the harm we have done to both the body of Christ and the non-believing world.
I am reading it again, more slowly this time, highlighter in hand, to breathe in every nuance of this amazing book. It is Chris Kratzer's 96 Theses, nailed to the door of every church in America, and pointing out all errors in our faith and practice. If you are easily offended, than this book is especially for you. If I could narrow down Chris Kratzer's spiritual gift into one word, it would be the word offend. For he truly offends every evil facet of conservative Evangelical Christianity, and he shines the light of grace over all of it without holding back.
Read this book. I double-dog dare you.
January 15, 2019
Chris has been through some sh!t!!
I am grateful for his humility and honesty.
This book is much needed in a world laid to the waste by evangelicalism.
I am grateful for his humility and honesty.
This book is much needed in a world laid to the waste by evangelicalism.
May 8, 2019
This book resonated and clarified many things that I've been struggling with the last few years. In a raw, bold, and brutally honest telling, Chris Kratzer turns conservative evangelicalism on its ear, and offers up grace in its place. We all deserve grace. We all already have grace, if we can unlearn the religion (whichever of the 30,000+ you practice), and know instead that God/Jesus is ALL sufficient.
December 10, 2018
May need to reread this just to absorb it all. My mind is blown and I am speechless.
June 22, 2020
Be forewarned, this is a spicy meatball, particularly from chapter 6 onward. Even if you are already well on your way to extricating yourself from the American evangelical apparatus, there is liable to be some parts of this book that throw you straight in the deep end without a life jacket.
Kratzer consistently uses the phrase "conservative evangelical Christianity", but it's not a political dig. More like, it is what it is: this is the type of Christianity practiced by conservatives. That said, if you identify as conservative, you will feel attacked by this book. But it's very much worth examining why it makes you feel that way.
I give it four stars because when it was over, the book left me with a feeling of, like, "Okay, cool, I'm on board. ...Now what?" I'll look through various algorithmic recommendations but I'm definitely more than a little curious where to go from here.
Kratzer consistently uses the phrase "conservative evangelical Christianity", but it's not a political dig. More like, it is what it is: this is the type of Christianity practiced by conservatives. That said, if you identify as conservative, you will feel attacked by this book. But it's very much worth examining why it makes you feel that way.
I give it four stars because when it was over, the book left me with a feeling of, like, "Okay, cool, I'm on board. ...Now what?" I'll look through various algorithmic recommendations but I'm definitely more than a little curious where to go from here.
Read
December 19, 2018There is nothing pretentious about this book!
Living in Grace. His motto is ‘Grace is brave’. This book portrays the author as an honest and humble person.
This is a must read.
Living in Grace. His motto is ‘Grace is brave’. This book portrays the author as an honest and humble person.
This is a must read.
October 27, 2018
An important, bold, and honest look at the damaging effects of the American Evangelical version of the Christian Faith from a former 'sold-out' evangelical pastor who found true Grace. Essential reading for all who have felt excluded, marginalized, confused or rejected by this politicized religion and are looking for hope. Grace is brave, be brave.
February 18, 2019
I think my favorite part of this book is Chris's honesty and encouragement throughout. He doesn't just share his story with us, he takes us along and shows us how he came to his freedom through grace. He raises questions that really make you stop and think about what you may have just swallowed hook line and sinker. So grateful Chris wrote this for all of us to read and share and realize we aren't crazy afterall, just humans needing grace that is already lavished on us by God.
January 19, 2020
This is one jaw-dropper. And if anyone is qualified to present these conclusions, it's Chris Kratzer. Seeing the underlying motivations of all this, there's no escaping the conclusions he comes to- this is an absolutely terrifying phenomenon, generations in the making, that's taken over the American church. Thank you Chris for writing this book, and thank you for your posts. I pray that your work delivers thousands from the darkness and deception of the conservative evangelical mindset.
October 2, 2019
Grace where the rubber hits the road
This book beautifully depicts the grace of God where the “rubber hits the road.” Chris shares his real vulnerability in a way that will help many to be freed from the shackles that conservative evangelicalism has inflicted on so many. This is a book filled with much truth of the God who truly loves us without condition.
This book beautifully depicts the grace of God where the “rubber hits the road.” Chris shares his real vulnerability in a way that will help many to be freed from the shackles that conservative evangelicalism has inflicted on so many. This is a book filled with much truth of the God who truly loves us without condition.
Read
April 13, 2020This is an interesting book for me, since it gives voice to many things I feel inside about my evangelical journey. Chris chronicles his journey out of evangelicalism and into a true life of Grace.
In many ways this is an easy read, since it is Chris just telling his story and his growth (or someone would say his descent) in his spiritual and christian life. I am not sure that what he says would convince many hard core evangelicals to ‘change’ sides, but at the same time I believe he holds out a hand of hope to many who have been hurt by the conservative church.
(Much of what he says would be true of any fundamentalist group.)
Perhaps my favorite part is when Chris apologizes to the many he feels he has wronged. For many of us white, middle class guys, it is hard to admit that we have had a hand in the not just decades of wrongs, but even centuries of wrongs. And while I think I would like to apologize to someone for my part, it really makes me want to hug and say I love you to those who I once considered ‘outsiders.’
Thanks Chris for the book.
In many ways this is an easy read, since it is Chris just telling his story and his growth (or someone would say his descent) in his spiritual and christian life. I am not sure that what he says would convince many hard core evangelicals to ‘change’ sides, but at the same time I believe he holds out a hand of hope to many who have been hurt by the conservative church.
(Much of what he says would be true of any fundamentalist group.)
Perhaps my favorite part is when Chris apologizes to the many he feels he has wronged. For many of us white, middle class guys, it is hard to admit that we have had a hand in the not just decades of wrongs, but even centuries of wrongs. And while I think I would like to apologize to someone for my part, it really makes me want to hug and say I love you to those who I once considered ‘outsiders.’
Thanks Chris for the book.
October 11, 2019
Encouraging
This book was so encouraging and uplifting to me. My wife and I are in a similar place so everything related to us in such a personal way. If you have left organized religion and the institutional church, this book will certainly uplift you and encourage you. If you are still within the religious system but having questions and doubts, this book may well be what you need to make some sense of the way you are feeling and clear up some questions you have. This book is certainly worth your time and it is written in a way that is easy and quick to read.
This book was so encouraging and uplifting to me. My wife and I are in a similar place so everything related to us in such a personal way. If you have left organized religion and the institutional church, this book will certainly uplift you and encourage you. If you are still within the religious system but having questions and doubts, this book may well be what you need to make some sense of the way you are feeling and clear up some questions you have. This book is certainly worth your time and it is written in a way that is easy and quick to read.
May 16, 2019
This book is for those Christians struggling with the lack of compassion and genuine love found in the American church. It explains so much about where we are as a nation and the way Christians have allowed the church to become hijacked by politicians.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews