At the Blue Hole: Elegy for a Church on the Edge

by Jack R. Reese, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson (Foreword)

“Said plainly, churches are in trouble. All churches are, but certainly Churches of Christ. Whether or not they recognize the threats they are facing is a different matter. The future is fraught with dangers. Many won’t make it.”   On New Year’s weekend, 1831–32, two churches came together in Lexington, Kentucky, in what is often known today as the Restoration Movement. Among the churches that emerged from this movement were Churches of Christ, which grew in the nineteenth century and then flourished in the twentieth. At their zenith, around 1990, there were over 13,000 Church of Christ congregations in the United States with nearly 1.3 million members. Especially in the southern states where Churches of Christ were concentrated, it seemed inconceivable that they would ever face their own death. Like many communities of faith, these churches are now in rapid decline. The numbers are devastating. At the current trajectory, Churches of Christ in America, with a membership of just over a million, will be less than a quarter their current size in thirty years. As they awaken to their crisis, many of them are beginning to see themselves at the edge. This book is an elegy for those churches. But it is also a story of hope and promise. As from the “Blue Hole”—the tiny, hidden spring from which flows the San Antonio River, near where Jack Reese ministers—there is still abundant life and grace to be found flowing into Churches of Christ, waiting to be uncovered. Anyone wondering how to stem the seemingly inevitable ebb of the fading Western church will find solace and help in Reese’s account of a once-thriving fellowship of churches that, God willing, may yet emerge from the grave into the light of resurrection.

260 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2021

Reviews

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fact, churches are experiencing membership and attendance declines. It's not just liberal/mainline churches. It's nearly everybody. If you think you're immune, you could be next. So, what does the future hold? Is there a way of turning things around? These are questions to which there are few answers. However, churches might be wise to take a look at their roots so as to perhaps remember who they are at their core. Having written a book that speaks to that question -- see my Called to Bless: Finding Hope by Reclaiming Our Spiritual Roots -- I am very aware of the need to do just this.

"At the Blue Hole" is a beautifully written reflection, or as the subtitle puts it, an "elegy for a church on the edge," on this matter. Jack R. Reese writes about the Churches of Christ, a faith community often known best for their acapella music, calling on those who share this tradition to return to the Blue Hole, which is the source of its life. This blue hole is a great undergrown lake near San Antonio, Texas that serves as the source of a creek that becomes a river and finally runs into the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, during times of drought, the water level falls so low that it quits producing the water that feeds the creek and the river and the population of San Antonio. That image provides the foundation for this book about the state of things within the Churches of Christ.

While I'm not part of the Churches of Christ, as a Disciples of Christ minister, my group shares the same Blue Hole. We, Disciples, are cousins of the Churches of Christ. We have been living apart for more than a century but there is much that connects us, which means that Disciples could learn something from this book that touches on foundational pieces of our side of the family.

Reese is a long-time minister, professor, leader within the Churches of Christ. He writes out of concern for a community that is losing membership quickly, and if trends continue will eventually disappear. Disciples face a similar fate, though our decline began earlier, so our timeline is shorter. Reese begins the story with a meeting that took place in Lexington, Kentucky on New Year's Eve, 1831. It was a meeting that brought together two communities with many similarities but also differences. This meeting would lead to a merger between the Christians who were connected with the ministry of Barton Stone and the Disciples who were connected to Alexander Campbell. Despite significant differences, these two communities chose to unite. Thus, set in motion the development of the tradition out of which both the Disciples and the Churches of Christ (as well as a third branch, the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ) descend. So did we get from there to here?

Reese is an excellent storyteller. He weaves together various stories, including that of the Founders and their descendants especially on the side of the Churches of Christ. We learn about the emphases of this larger movement, both unity and restoration. Holding these together has proven difficult, and among Churches of Christ, the unity message has, to Reese's chagrin, been largely lost. In its place has developed a rather hard-line restorationism, which has focused on restoring externals such as church order. This emphasis has roots in the early work of Alexander Campbell. While both Campbell and Stone emphasized unity, the more generous spirit of Stone has been largely lost. Part of that, according to Reese, was the neglect of Stone's emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit.

While the first chapter lays out the dilemma faced by the Churches of Christ, in chapter two Reese contrasts the stories of two leaders who are connected by a funeral in 1929. The one who was being remembered sought to be a peace-maker within the tradition. A pallbearer that day was the new pastor of that church, and he took a more hardline perspective on things and would eventually become one of the defining leaders of the Churches of Christ. Choices were made and those choices have consequences, and some of those consequences are seen today in an unwillingness to change and adapt to new realities. But it's not too late, but if the churches are to take a different path they will need to touch base with that Blue Hole that feeds the soul.

Chapters three and four explore the two foci of the movement -- unity and restoration. We encounter representatives of both trajectories, which the founders tried to hold in tension. Unfortunately, their successors were less able to do so. Thus, among the churches of Christ Stone's emphasis on unity that is rooted not agreement on externals but in the Spirit was lost. As for restoration, a golden age was envisioned and an attempt to restore it was made, but instead of the original commitment to freedom, conformity to a pattern was demanded. That is a problem, for change and adaptation do not come easily when conformity is the demand. Both of these chapters deserve our attention. For Disciples, who have tried to keep the emphasis on unity alive, might find the chapter on restoration helpful so as to find balance. For Reese, restoration is not the problem. It's the focus on externals that is the problem.

Chapter five lays out the resources available to the churches from the Blue Hole. Of course, there are choices to be made. He specifically names six resources, which I believe are worth exploring not just among Churches of Christ, but also among Disciples. These six include a thirst for unity, an embrace of restoration focused on the right things (not externals), reasonable discussion (dissent is welcome), engaging the spiritual discipline of harmony (Churches of Christ often sing in four parts without instruments, so must listen to each other), generosity with one another, and embracing the idea of being an apocalyptic people. That final one, becoming an apocalyptic people is intriguing. His definition is different from what you might expect. He's not talking about looking forward to the end of the world. Rather, he calls for becoming a countercultural people, but that requires that Churches of Christ (and Disciples also) embrace the Holy Spirit.

Reese writes out of a deep concern for his people. He envisions the possibility of something different from what emerged over the past century. Part of that involves re-engaging with the broader Christian community (unity) and giving up the idea that the true church has been restored. At the same time he's not calling for the churches to give up their heritage, but rather to let that which they have embraced, such as baptism and Table to become more than duties, but expressions of God's presence.

Again, this is a beautifully written book. I've come to know a number of people within the Churches of Christ. The local university related to the Churches of Christ is reflective of some of these emphases and I've been blessed by the relationships. It's not an easy task to bring renewal to churches that have embraced a belief that they have restored the true church, but if change does not come then the future is bleak. The choices and the consequences are there to behold, not just for the Churches of Christ but fall all churches. The good news is that there is a Blue Hole to draw life-giving water from.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exploration into themes of the history of churches of Christ as the author peers into what he sees as the abyss of the future for the movement.

The author uses "the Blue Hole", a source of water that is pure, as a metaphor for at least certain motivating purposes in the Restoration Movement. After reading I was not entirely clear exactly what the target of the metaphor was: it certainly did not seem to be the twin motivations of Christian unity and restoration of the ancient order; according to actual practice it might seem to be the emphasis on Christian unity which existed at the beginning of the movement, which primarily motivated Stone, could be seen in some like T.B. Larimore, but has been more lacking until recently; theologically, it would best be understood as the Holy Spirit, but since the work of the Spirit has been denigrated throughout wide swaths of the movement in its history, He would sit uneasily in that metaphor.

The author, in elaborate and often frustrating prose, sets forth his own story and heritage in "mainstream" or "institutional" churches of Christ. He fixes upon the story of Foy Wallace, Jr., as one of the pallbearers at T.B. Larimore's funeral in 1929 as a "pivot point" in history, with the death of one who worked hard to avoid sectarianism, and the one who would be a major promoter of what became very sectarian, and all in terms of what the author sees as a major transition point in American history, out of the 1920s and into the 30s and beyond. He talks about the challenges churches are facing. I think he thinks he provides some ways forward, but substance on that front seems lacking.

I very much appreciated the thesis of how the idea of restoration worked, at least for Campbell: by restoring the ancient order of things, Christians would become unified in the faith, and that is the Kingdom building work which would inaugurate the Millennium. The author's conclusion that restoration is a means to an end, and not an end unto itself, is very helpful and important, something those in churches of Christ must grapple with if there will be much of a future.

Yet, at the same time, this thesis really means that the Movement as conceived by Campbell, at least, is a misadventure. Very few if any of Campbell's heirs maintain his postmillennial perspective. Likewise, the call to restore the ancient order of things did not lead to widespread unity of Christians in the faith. We now live in an era when the ecumenical spirit, requiring agreement on everything which was agreed upon regarding the nature of Christ and otherwise maintaining partisan and sectarian divisions, is currently in vogue and has been affirmed by the Disciples stream of the Restoration Movement. Churches of Christ have been known historically for a more ecumenically sectarian perspective, having made restoration its own end.

Thus, if restoration is not its own end, then perhaps it is best to sing the elegy of the Restoration Movement and Churches of Christ as conceived of throughout most of the twentieth century.

But does this mean that the restoration impulse does not have value? Should Churches of Christ become as the Donatists or the Waldenses?

I fear that the author has remained a bit too siloed in his own stream. The reviewer maintains primary association among the groups the author identifies as "non-institutional," and throughout his narrative presumes that we have gone off in our own ways and have nothing to do with his stream in the movement.

The author clearly sees great importance in the emphasis on Christian unity. And that certainly is a theme which has been neglected among churches of Christ and should absolutely be restored. We should be as diligent to preserve the unity of the faith as we are to present ourselves as workmen without need to be ashamed.

But what does that unity look like? It is one thing at the level of joint participation in the local assembly, and I would be very interested to see if the author's commitment to unity would really survive the test of forsaking liberties regarding which lines were drawn 75 years ago in order to heal some of the divisions in our movement. Can we find ways to accommodate one another in matter of liberty? Can we really seek to build up our neighbor for his own good? Or will we lose ourselves in culture war or inter-tribal partisan bickering?

Yet throughout the work he seems to address unity at levels beyond the local assembly. And there has already been great movement in that regard: the Internet. Gone are the days of the dominance of "brotherhood publications" and all of the quarantining, "writing up," and other forms of gate keeping that was a hallmark of churches of Christ throughout the 20th century. On social media I have various forms of association with members of churches of Christ who use one cup and do not have Bible classes, who have instruments in their assembly, and have elevated women to positions of authority in the church, and everywhere in between. If there is sectarianism brewing, it is the sectarianism that has come from various political commitments and the injection of the "culture war" into the life of the church.

Likewise, members of churches of Christ are also engaging with those who profess Christ in Evangelical, Catholic, Protestant, and others on social media. They are reading books and staying abreast of happenings in these organizations like never before.

And we live in a time when "the distinctives" have lost their salience in terms of witnessing to the faith. Very few seem to care about doctrine or what makes us not like the other groups. The questions seem to center much more on the life of faith and who Jesus is and how to follow Him in the twenty first century, and how to understand things well in a world awash with information.

The author's perspective can be helpful, but I do not believe it is sufficient to help us understand the hour and the task at hand. In churches of Christ we absolutely need to ask the questions: who are we, that is, how have we been shaped by our legacy, for good and for ill? What is the gap between our pretense and the reality? How do we bear witness to the Gospel and seek restoration with God and His people in our particular contexts? How can we affirm what we still believe is important about reflecting God's purposes for Christ and His Kingdom as attested to in Scripture without being sectarian in the process?

The way the author answers these questions give no real hope for Churches of Christ. If that is the end of the matter, so be it. But even he recognizes that drifting into greater Evangelicalism is not the answer. Thus the questions endure, and we do well to grapple with them and find better answers.

[Scott Kercheville · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. COCs are dying fast, and this elegy tells their story with broad strokes in hopes that they will die and then live. With some gripes, the story is thoughtful and engaging enough.

I don’t know this made it past the editors without cutting it down by at least 10-20%. Again and again and again and again and again we are reminded that Churches of Christ will die and/or must die to have any life. We all know. We picked up the book likely because we see the problems. I actually like the theme of death and resurrection in this book. But this was too much.

The folksy/conversational “you know” and “well, you get it” just adds to the length.

That said, this is often a compelling story that I found pretty engaging and hard to put down at times. He pulls you along by painting a picture… though he way over-illustrates and gives you fewer details on what you were actually wanting to hear about.

On the whole, his story:

Churches of Christ started as a unity movement. And as he points out, if we say that’s what we are doing and on the whole our result is not that, but actually more disunity, just as any person would need to take a step back to consider they might not be doing what they intended, so Churches of Christ should do the same.

The goal of this movement was the kingdom of God, this was going to happen through unity, and the means of unity was restoration of outward forms. Meanwhile, at least in the beginning, the core theology was assumed (oops and yikes — Barton Stone didn’t believe in the language of the Trinity, and Campbell believed the Holy Spirit didn’t work in believers outside the word). But once the kingdom of God dreams started unraveling along with unity (the civil war, world wars), the Churches of Christ dropped unity as a goal and just aimed at restoration.

Case in point — I was speaking to a preacher in our tradition about the concern for the unity of the Church (outside of the local assembly): “As far as I see it, that has nothing to do with me. I just try to do what God says and leave that business to him.”

How much we have forgotten about why we were trying to restore anything in the first place.

On the whole, Reese rightly wants us to recover a the spirit of unity. He offers 6-7 suggestions at the end for the path forward. Some are more helpful than others.

The most important contribution here is the emphasis on our need to trust that any revitalization will come from heaven and the Holy Spirit. Revitalize for sure, but pray and ask for help most of all. Relinquish control, get on your knees.

Good reminder that churches need to grow in spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. If we are like Christ, our churches will be vibrant. There’s a great plan.

The story of race relations between whites and blacks in COCs was so painful — the man who was mostly responsible for our ultra-sectarian mindset (Wallace) was also painfully racist.

Other gripes:
- Saying that COCs teach that the 5 steps of salvation merit salvation is completely unfair. I don’t like the step language more than he does. But merit? Come on. I have never heard that language from anyone.
- Using women in “leadership” (something the Scriptures more or less appear to address in Corinthians and Timothy) as an example of things we may need to chill out about in the midst of among many other COC distinctives that the Scriptures say close to nothing about seems pretty careless. What he has in mind is never specified — women teaching teenagers, or becoming deaconesses, preachers, or pastors? Who knows. Feels like a big enchilada to throw down next to Bible classes and missionary societies.

[Jared Criswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading books about the history of the Restoration movement, of which I am a part. I particularly love books that seek to speak about our history in light of where we are now, and how we have changed. This book is both a breath of fresh air, and a serious, at times even somber look at pertinent problems within the movement all in one. In short, the book describes the shift from Unity to Restoration as the two main drivers of the movement throughout our short time. These two streams are still alive, though at a time not too long ago they flowed together as one and counterbalanced one another. Reece describes in one of the many great illustrative points in the book, the parting of these two streams like the parting of the waters at the continental divide, representing the present day situation of the movement. And throughout the book, culminating in the end he presents an elegy that takes a hard look at the two central events of the Christian story. Death, and resurrection.

I think that this book will make waves. I think that it will likely be embraced by one stream and likely vilified by another. As with any book, there are things that I am personally on board with and things that I am not. My hope is that down the road, it will be a book that potentially brings some back together that have been apart simply because of a competitive and party spirit.

As an interested insider within the movement, at the conclusion of this book I find myself in two places. One, I’m staring at the place where the streams diverge and wondering if we will allow God to dig a new stream bed or break the earth for the two to come together again. And two, I’m staring into an empty tomb, knowing that death must always precede resurrection.

[Adam Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In At the Blue Hole, Jack Reese presents an elegy for the Churches of Chirst - a fellowship/demonination he describes as being "on the edge" and in the midst of an acute (and potentially fatal) crisis. Throughout the book, Reese diagnoses the Christian tradition in which he was raised as being in trouble. This crisis can be affirmed by just about anyone familiar with these churches: membership is shrinking, members are aging, and the fellowship is more fractured than ever before. Reese pulls no punches regarding the stakes and sets out on a unique endeavor using stories from the past to articulate how the crises have matastasized and infected his beloved churches.

Anytime I talk about this group of churches - like Jack Reese, this is my church tradition, it isn't long before I use the word "enigma." The more Christians I have interacted with from diverse Christian traditions, the more I realize how unique/interesting/odd our group is. Our tradition is more vibrant and influential than most realize (Reese tells a story near the end of the book that reflects this), but it also has challenges and stories that are unique to our tradition. At the Blue Hole is an enigmatic book that reflects this enigmatic tradition. He points out how names like TB Larimore, Samuel Robert Cassius, Austin McGarvey, and Foy E. Wallace are unfamiliar to those steeped in the Churches of Christ to say nothing of how foreign they are to those in the broader Christian community.

At the Blue Hole tells the story of this enigmatic group and highlights some of the challenges unique to it, but it is really the story of all Christian traditions in the West: weakening cultural influence, diminishing passion, aging population, fracturing centers, lost traditions - we're unique, but we aren't alone. Reese does what all Christian traditions need to do - artfully weaving together stories (many of them forgotten, some of them seldom told) highlighting the foundations of the movement, pointing out lines of departure from its identity, and suggesting weaknesses inherit in its origins. His framing story of Foy Wallace at the funeral of TB Larimore is outstanding and structures his argument vibrantly.

Throughout the book, Reese pulls the curtain back on some of our most dramatic flaws: an inherent racism that has been woefully ignored, an emphasis on church practices over core theological doctrines [his discussion of the implication of Alexander Campbell's "A Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things" is worthy of reflection for any Church of Christ], and an overreliance on reason to the neglect of the Holy Spirit. At the same time he maintains a cautious optimism regarding some of the positive DNA that remains at the heart and soul of the movement. This optimism leads Reese to the conclusion that the Churches of Christ must die - in one way or another - in order to be raised back to a more vibrant life birthed from these positive qualities.

While Reese's roots in the Churches of Christ go deep, they also have been nourished within the most vibrant parts and most fertile ground of the movement (his metaphor of being at the blue hole): large churches and powerful institutions where the Churches of Christ are most populated. Furthermore, he traces his Church of Christ pedigree to the origin of the movement. As someone who has spent most of my time and career at the periphery of the populous centers of the Churches of Christ and am less acquainted with the large churches and powerful institutions, it seems to me that the situation in the Churches of Christ is even more dire and complicated than Reese describes. Their loose affiliation has prompted countless mutations of church dynamics that are often more rooted in the worst qualities of the movement. It seems to me that the further one gets from the Church of Christ strongholds (geographically, larger congregations, and institutions of higher learning), the less continuty and relational connection congregations share with those closer to the center(s). That original impetus of those "founding fathers" may still be there, but I think Reese may overstate the existing remnants of that founding DNA for many of us. For example, to say that "living generously" is a core part of our DNA because David Lipscomb ministered to people during the cholera epidemic seems more anecdotal than defining. Reese acknowledges that the Churches of Christ have not traditionally been seen as exemplars of generosity (that is: as a whole, there are certainly other anecdotal examples of generous individuals, congregations, and ministries), but I'm not sure that such an anecdote is very reflective of the experiences I have had beyond the institutional centers of the Churches of Christ.

Similiarly, to see acapella worship as an outlet for harmony - learning to listen to one another - seems a bit of a stretch. Reese, like so many of us, continue to see the value of this noteworthy tradition - but, it's remains an enigma. I think Reese's explanation has some merit, but I'm not sure that it's a strong enough argument for seeing it as one of the key resources of the tradition. There is beauty in its simplicity, power in its inclusivity, and it is noteworty in its counterculturalism, but as an enigma and I'm not sure it remains one of our best "resources" in looking to our future. Instead, it seems more of a tradition in search of a rationale.

Hopefully, these critiques and observations can contribute toward a conversation that Reese has elevated in this book. I, too, share Reese's love for and gratitude toward this tradition in which my faith has been nutured. Furthermore, I do see real value in some of our best foundational principles. I too, share his dire projections on where our heritage is headed. Like Reese, though, my faith in God sustains my optimism that God will continue to use this tradition to do great things. The more time I spend with leaders in other denominations, the more I see immense value in our tradition and believe that we are well-positioned to minister into the future. I do fear how much collateral damage has been sustained to these founding principles through some of our worst decades. We certainly have much to offer the church and Reese highlights several of those positive attributes while placing them in the broader context of the shifting, contemporary cultural norms. In the end, Reese has offered members and leaders in the Churches of Christ a guide to foster dialogue regarding the future of this beloved tradition, and it is my hope that many people will provide serious and critical engagement for this elegy.

[John Dobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have friends who think it is wonderful ... I found it depressing without much hope or help. Churches of Christ are so independent and autonomous, varied and unlike one another in so many ways. I kind of feel like this was glossed over a bit - but maybe I missed it. I mean no disrespect to Dr. Reese, whose warm spirit carries this book and it made me want to get to know him better. I think there are important things said here, interesting historical perspectives. I grew impatient with the stories presented in long stretches without names - I suppose to build interest in the theme rather than the personalities - but it worked against me. Anyway, the title tells us that this is an elegy... so no surprise that it is a bit discouraging. I don't know if that was the purpose or not. For my friends who loved it, I'm glad. Maybe I'll read it again and try to find what you found in it.

[Molly Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who grew up in the churches of Christ but finds themselves feeling less than at home there now. The history was a little difficult to plod through at the beginning, not because of the author so much as my inability to read for extended periods of time thereby forgetting key players, but as I became more familiar with his style and the various storylines I enjoyed learning the background of somewhere so much of my life was entrenched in.

The last chapter, really the last ten pages of chapter 5, were worth the whole book to me. I feel a renewed since of desire to “save” this tradition and remain in attendance, and this book affirms that. I just wish I could get all church leaders on board.

[L Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure whether to give this 4 stars, but 3 1/2 wasn’t an option. I enjoyed the history presented. The author warns the reader that he won’t always go in chronological order, nor will he include every person or detail. But he provides enough to lay the foundation for his premise and conclusions at the end.

I was raised in Churches of Christ, attended Church of Christ universities, and was meshed in the teachings, culture, and influence. Yet, we only heard passing mentions of its history- usually just enough to recognize key names and the movement’s name. But I’m afraid what we heard was a glossy, Pollyanna retelling instead of the good, bad, and ugly. That isn’t to criticize previous generations. They were only passing on what they had been told and didn’t have access to the Internet and the volumes of information available through it and other means.

This book, along with Richard Hughes and other writers, provides the missing parts and allows the reader to see Stone, Campbell, Scott, and others as they were - their great qualities as well as their humanity. In some way, the author uses that to help modern Christians see the same truth about ourselves.

Even though I could guess what he was trying to do, the repetitiveness in the first half of the book slowed the story and became frustrating. The author overused teasers throughout the book, often leaving the reader to wonder if he’d forgotten about certain parts. He goes into great detail with some personalities. But with others, he deems them important enough to mention but barely scratches the surface of the roles they played. That left me feeling as if the book was incomplete in some areas and slightly disjointed.

To keep up with the history, I took notes. That continued into the author’s conclusions. Taking notes helped me try to process what he was saying. He makes it clear that he’s not going to provide a cut and dried approach or solution to the issue of dying churches. I understood what he was offering in his different premises. Many of those probably apply to churches across the country especially small ones. But these ideas don’t seem to address issues and challenges seen in some larger urban churches or especially with Gen Z. They face almost the opposite problem of teaching too little, becoming apathetic, serving as a social function instead of as groups of true disciples. I would love to have him address those challenges.

His focus on baptism and communion were very thought-provoking. While Protestant teachings, including Restoration churches, have obvious points of disagreement with Catholicism, the Catholic Church has interestingly maintained a deep theological view of baptism and communion. As sacraments, they receive a focus and priority that may be missing in other churches. We often give lip service to the idea of the Lord’s Supper being the center of our worship, but more often it’s the sermon that is the highlight. The Catholic mass uses all components to lead to the Eucharist. Again, non-Catholic churches don’t agree on all of the Catholic Church’s theology regarding those two elements. But you have to appreciate the priority and importance that are unquestionably placed on both.

It is extremely helpful to know the history, see the people and events as they actually were in order to move forward and be realistic about who we are and who we want to be.

[Nicholas Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

My personal history is within the Restoration Movement, especially the churches of Christ. I've known who the key players are within the movement, but I did not have a grasp of their respective roles. Reese has provided the narrative framework for understanding the present state of Stone-Campbell churches - churches of Christ, disciples of Christ, & Christian churches. He leans into the metaphor of a stream or river which has as its origin a "blue hole," the spring & source of the water. The history of the Stone-Campbell movement is one which begins as a unity movement - the "blue hole" - but over time the waters have muddied into a sectarian movement. What began in "peace and peacemaking" (loc 3407) became sectarian & divisive. Reese recounts the history of how we got here.

The personalities and events are fascinating. Some are disturbing. Reese's portrayal of them makes for a fast, entertaining read. Key events are focused upon: Cane Ridge (1801), the unification of Stone churches with Campbell churches in Lexington in 1832, the funeral of T. B. Larimore (with Foy E. Wallace, Jr. as pall bearer - an event I did not know about and which I found particularly interesting) in 1929, a meeting which turned into an orthodoxy test in the 1970s. Each of these serves as a symbol of how the movement has been shaped.

One event, or series of events, which I was reminded of recently, which was not included, was the Hardeman tabernacle lectures of the 1930s & '40s. These were published and found their ways into the libraries of many churches of Christ, including a congregation in the Central Valley where I was preaching minister. These volumes shaped the doctrinal trajectory for not a few members & churches, working alongside Wallace's public debates to drum out all vestiges of premillennialism within churches of Christ and establishing, to one degree or another, what churches of Christ believe. Indeed, Reese comments, "It would be unfair, of course, to say that Foy Wallace was the sole cause of the change of direction in these churches" (loc. 3444). More attention could have been given to those other causes, viz. the Hardeman lectures.

Some of Reese's statement seem overgeneralized. For example, his statements about Northern & Southern churches with their respective emphases (unity and restoration, respectively). At the same time, some of his insights are quite compelling. For example, the shift from Stone and Lipscomb's lack of confidence in human ability giving way to Campbell's optimism in human progress leading to a shift away from away from doctrinal emphasis on the ushering in of the millennium to a complete restoration of the NT church, viz., getting it right. This is much more nuanced.

My one overall critique of this book is that it is too wordy. It says in 100 words what only 25 words would capture. Adjectives & synonyms abound. Repetition is used over and over. The Thesaurus is not far away. Images are repeated. Especially in chapter one. You get the idea. Much of this was unnecessary.

[David Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book. As a longtime member and minister in Churches of Christ, I have seen so much of what Dr. Reese speaks of...declining numbers, discouragement, and an inability to handle the hard questions of why things are so very different today. Simply doing things the way that we did in 1957 are not going to work in a postmodern, postChristian world. Even those things that we have recognized as our peculiar identity, if they are not central to the gospel message, are things that need to be reconsidered as impediments to the working of the Kingdom. Having a spirit of generosity, of unity, of simple kindness, things that have not always defined the experience the many when it comes to American Churches of Christ, are vital. And so through some stories and personalities of the two centuries of Churches of Christ, Reese helps us to see that the way things have become, the intentional choices we have made, do not have to define our future. Do we go back to being a people of the Holy Spirit and Christian love? Or do we continue to wither, stubbornly certain that former leaders and their interpretations are infallible and beyond reproach?

My guess is that most of those who will read this are already sympathetic to Reese's message. Similar kinds of warnings have been issued now by different writers in the 21st century, and some of us have been trying to nudge our movement towards a better future that God has planned. But those who likely most need to read this, the old angry guard, will sadly not read it or think it to be heretical. And that's a shame. I love this heritage and hope that my children and grandchildren will remain. But I've learned that it's more important that they follow Christ and find others who do the same, even if they don't always agree with some of the human traditions I have passed down to them.

[James Hallmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book by an elder statesman looking back on the history of a religious movement. My friends in the Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ/First Christian, and Independent Christian churches should read this one, as Reese tracks that history from its start. His primary focus is on church of Christ, as that is his heritage, but the history is the same for these groups until the 1900s and he provides great insight on how these groups—focused on unity—split into various factions when “restoration” became the driving force for c of C’s rather than unity. The book was filled with all sorts of tidbits that helped me understand my own odd heritage and how we have traveled far from that “Blue Hole.” So, what the heck is a “Blue Hole?” Apparently there is a place in Alamo Heights in San Antonio called “the Blue Hole” that is the headwaters of the San Antonio River, where water emerges from the Edwards Aquifer. It is not the source of water, but it is where water from the source emerges onto the landscape. He uses that metaphor aptly as Joseph Campbell and Barton Stone and Cane Ridge Revivals and such are not the source of these religious fellowships, but they are the “blue hole” from which they emerged onto the landscape. Essentially Reese tracks where the water flowed from there, and suggests that if we returned to the blue hole and were more interested in unity than in fighting for restoration then God’s work would be better fulfilled. I thought it was a very good book.

[Anthony Risson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is difficult to describe my response to Reese's offering. Part hopeful, part sad, part inspiring; all deeply embedded in the way of remembering.
What I am left with is the deep impression that a liturgy of repentance, lament, confession and trust is required for this movement of people. A time where we truly put aside our differences and sit in the dust of the path for a long time and come face to face with the reality we have created for ourselves.

Perhaps we will eventually see that we have to take to the wilderness for an extended period of time - hopefully without the golden calf and the slaughtering of opponents - and emerge into a new promised land. But that is generations away, and that is sad too.

I will go back to this book and sit with its beautiful weaving of story, of theology and commentary. Reese's language invites deep and honest reflection about the path the church is taking, and perhaps more pointedly, the path I am taking as one of her ministers. There is much about which we can be hopeful, but only as we return to the blue hole and drink again of the water which is truly of God.

[Bill Hooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a fact, churches of Christ are rapidly shrinking; and those that are not worried about it -- just are not paying attention. In this little book, Jack Reese goes back to the time that the Stone "Christians" and the Campbell "Disciples", extended fellowship to one another, and became one body. There were some serious disagreements between them, and it took desire, work, love, and the work of the Spirit to overcome those differences. Jack Reese advocates studying where we came from, and how they worked toward unity, and make that a primary emphasis. I don't know that I agree with everything that he says, but he is doing something and advocating something. We all need to pay attention, and be as concerned as he is -- and see if we can survive the next 30 years.

[Michael Decamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent history lesson around the initiation, the historical development, and apparent decline of the American Restoration Movement (Churches of Christ, Independent Christian Churches, and Disciples of Christ). This work is focused heavily on the Churches of Christ but the lessons found in these pages could be translated to many other tribes of believers. At the Blue Hole explores the sincere and powerful origins of the movement toward both restoration and unity and the eventual abandonment of unity in favor of conformity. It also provides insight into many of the men who were the driving forces (some positive and some negative) within the organization. Worth a read, especially if you come from a Restoration Movement background.

[Jared Pack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reese does an excellent job analyzing the historical roots of Churches of Christ and evaluating the ways that the origins of our movement and fellowship can help us navigate the current demographic crises we are facing. His insights are not intended to be prescriptive, magic bullets that will immediately solve all of our problems, but rather frameworks that allow us to move forward in unity and understanding. A must read book for anyone in leadership within Churches of Christ.

[Edward Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Know where you come from to see where you need to go

Very insightful history lesson of a movement which I am part (the International Churches of Christ). I agreed with much of Reese's insights and it was very interesting to see how a faith was shaped through our church history and DNA as well as the specific characters who helped shape it. Looking forward to a spirit of "metanoia" for Gods glory in our church.

[G.L. Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reese is spot on about the projected demise of churches of Christ as well as other Christian fellowships in America. Christianity is growing in Africa but waning in America. Can there be another Great Revival? Likely only if Christians take Reese’s advice on where to center our belief, our unity and our worship (meaning our life of Christian love).

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong member of the church of Christ, this book is a must read. It's a kick in the gut. Our faith heritage is one of division. A movement that started as "unity", has been anything but.

There is a way forward. It involves humility and the willingness to challenge long-held traditions and beliefs. .

[Peter Barney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fantastic read. It tells the story of the Churches of Christ movement while also unpacking where it has struggled and where hope might lie in the future.

[Mr. Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Well worth the time! Lots to think and pray about. Church elderships and other leadership would greatly benefit from reading and discussing this book together.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars