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Until Unity
New York Times-bestselling author Francis Chan calls for believers and churches everywhere to align our hearts with God and start taking seriously His commands to unify. It’s clear from Scripture that God desires unity for His Church. If unity is so important to the heart of God, why is the Church one of the most divided groups on earth? Chan argues that the problem is the shallowness of our love for each other—rooted in a shallowness in our understanding of the gospel. Until Unity shows God grieves the division in the Church, so we can’t remain indifferent Unity demands a level of humility only possible by the Spirit The power and witness of the Church hinges on our oneness Unity comes at a cost, but it commands a blessing We must come together as a Christ’s Bride. God desires His people to love one another radically and become the Church He has called us to be. For further individual or small-group study, check out Until Unity Study Guide, an eight-session interactive workbook that serves as a companion to Until Unity, along with a free online video series.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
447 people are currently reading
2715 people want to read
About the author
Francis Chan
80 books2,842 followersFrancis Chan is an American pastor and teacher, who lives in California with his wife, Lisa, and their four children. He is the former pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA, which he and his wife started in 1994.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 347 reviews
April 26, 2021
What an incredible read! Regardless of what you believe you have to respect Francis Chan - he embraces the straightforward implications of what he claims to believe with more humility than anyone I’ve seen, and if you’re willing, he brings you right along as the reader.
Maybe Chan is not the most well written individual in the world, so I almost gave this 4 stars because I’m such a faux-literary critic, but honestly this book just hit me too hard to not give 5. Lots of 30 second pauses after reading certain paragraphs to think “dang... he’s right”
Maybe Chan is not the most well written individual in the world, so I almost gave this 4 stars because I’m such a faux-literary critic, but honestly this book just hit me too hard to not give 5. Lots of 30 second pauses after reading certain paragraphs to think “dang... he’s right”
March 22, 2021
Unity is something that’s hard to come by in the church. And when you think of this lack of unity, you might immediately jump to differences related to how to do ministry amid the COVID-19 pandemic or political differences that have been around for decades but really became highlighted in the Trump era, but it’s really more than that. We are a church of thousands of denominations and, within those thousands of denominations, thousands of church splits. It can be disheartening. Francis Chan’s latest book, Until Unity is a passionate exhortation to restore our unity, to see loving other believers as an extension of loving Jesus, and to radically change the world as a result.
The first three chapters build up unity as a necessary and needed thing: it’s what God wants, it’s what the church wants, and it’s what the world needs. Chan is in full form as he exhorts readers to look back to the early church to look back to the beginning of creation to see how God created humans to be in unity—in community—with one another. He pulls together passages of Scripture from all angles to show how this unity is a hallmark of spiritual maturity. If we’re going to draw closer to God, we will also draw closer to the indwelt Spirit in other people.
The next four chapters give us the ingredients of building unity: repentance, maturity, love, and perseverance. In the chapter on repentance, Chan writes that, for himself, he had to repent of seeing others who believed differently than him as people whom he was not able to be united with. It’s only in later years that he’s come to have good friendships and relationships with those whose theological practices or beliefs are different than his. While this is a good anecdote, I wish Chan had really taken the time to build on this and discussed how unity works in this scenario. How do individuals who have sometimes substantially different beliefs and practices come together in unity? In particular, I think of the United Methodist Church and their upcoming split over affirming LGBT clergy. How can there be unity here when such an important part of the church life is deeply divided? Is there ever a point that we should break fellowship?
Chan himself unabashedly and unapologetically comes across as theologically conservative. He very strongly leads readers into a reflection of God as seen through the penal substitutionary theory of atonement. He writes that his organization is complementarian, not egalitarian, in their view on women in ministry. He speaks of hell, saying “Back in my day, pastor used to preach on Hell.” (Interesting note, Chan wrote a book called Erasing Hell with theologian Preston Sprinkle. Sprinkle has since recanted his view and believes in annihilationism.)
Will these statements engender unity or disunity with more liberal brothers and sisters in faith? When statements about women in ministry or same-sex marriage are inherently seen as issues that the church cannot unite over, how can we foster unity? How can there be unity if one side will not come to the table? Are there points in which there should be disunity in the church? Until Unity doesn’t address these difficult issues, preferring to speak mostly in the abstract, avoiding the most contentious theological, political, and sociological issues dividing the church today.
My critique, then, is of what isn’t there. By avoiding many of the big issues, Chan maintains unity (by not angering anyone) but neither does he address the gaping wound in Christendom. Francis points readers to a goal—groups of mature believers who show the world supernatural love for each other—but doesn’t navigate the complexities of getting there. And maybe that was purposeful. Maybe that’s for another book. Maybe that’s for a different type of speaker and writer.
Chan’s conclusion is that the church had to be more than just a one hour a week experience. Community and discipleship are not extras. They are essential to being the body of Christ. The deep love that comes with true community creates a bond that resists division. Allowing the Spirit to take precedence in our lives places us into the middle of a larger, more diverse, beautiful family of believers. We may not always agree, but our disagreements do not turn to disunity.
Until Unity is passionately written is a conversational tone. I could hear Francis’s voice in my head as I read the book. His genuineness cannot be understated and this book is obviously rooted in own deep pain and grief for the larger American church to find what he’s found in his house churches in Hong Kong. I loved it, but I also wanted something a bit deeper. Francis started the conversation. He begins the journey. There’s so much more to be done, and his voice and experience can help lead the church into it. I hope there’s more to come from him on this in the future.
The first three chapters build up unity as a necessary and needed thing: it’s what God wants, it’s what the church wants, and it’s what the world needs. Chan is in full form as he exhorts readers to look back to the early church to look back to the beginning of creation to see how God created humans to be in unity—in community—with one another. He pulls together passages of Scripture from all angles to show how this unity is a hallmark of spiritual maturity. If we’re going to draw closer to God, we will also draw closer to the indwelt Spirit in other people.
The next four chapters give us the ingredients of building unity: repentance, maturity, love, and perseverance. In the chapter on repentance, Chan writes that, for himself, he had to repent of seeing others who believed differently than him as people whom he was not able to be united with. It’s only in later years that he’s come to have good friendships and relationships with those whose theological practices or beliefs are different than his. While this is a good anecdote, I wish Chan had really taken the time to build on this and discussed how unity works in this scenario. How do individuals who have sometimes substantially different beliefs and practices come together in unity? In particular, I think of the United Methodist Church and their upcoming split over affirming LGBT clergy. How can there be unity here when such an important part of the church life is deeply divided? Is there ever a point that we should break fellowship?
Chan himself unabashedly and unapologetically comes across as theologically conservative. He very strongly leads readers into a reflection of God as seen through the penal substitutionary theory of atonement. He writes that his organization is complementarian, not egalitarian, in their view on women in ministry. He speaks of hell, saying “Back in my day, pastor used to preach on Hell.” (Interesting note, Chan wrote a book called Erasing Hell with theologian Preston Sprinkle. Sprinkle has since recanted his view and believes in annihilationism.)
Will these statements engender unity or disunity with more liberal brothers and sisters in faith? When statements about women in ministry or same-sex marriage are inherently seen as issues that the church cannot unite over, how can we foster unity? How can there be unity if one side will not come to the table? Are there points in which there should be disunity in the church? Until Unity doesn’t address these difficult issues, preferring to speak mostly in the abstract, avoiding the most contentious theological, political, and sociological issues dividing the church today.
My critique, then, is of what isn’t there. By avoiding many of the big issues, Chan maintains unity (by not angering anyone) but neither does he address the gaping wound in Christendom. Francis points readers to a goal—groups of mature believers who show the world supernatural love for each other—but doesn’t navigate the complexities of getting there. And maybe that was purposeful. Maybe that’s for another book. Maybe that’s for a different type of speaker and writer.
Chan’s conclusion is that the church had to be more than just a one hour a week experience. Community and discipleship are not extras. They are essential to being the body of Christ. The deep love that comes with true community creates a bond that resists division. Allowing the Spirit to take precedence in our lives places us into the middle of a larger, more diverse, beautiful family of believers. We may not always agree, but our disagreements do not turn to disunity.
Until Unity is passionately written is a conversational tone. I could hear Francis’s voice in my head as I read the book. His genuineness cannot be understated and this book is obviously rooted in own deep pain and grief for the larger American church to find what he’s found in his house churches in Hong Kong. I loved it, but I also wanted something a bit deeper. Francis started the conversation. He begins the journey. There’s so much more to be done, and his voice and experience can help lead the church into it. I hope there’s more to come from him on this in the future.
April 30, 2021
It’s not easy to write a book on anything important without first feeling the weight and responsibility of it. This book is Francis Chan humbly calling the global Christian Church to repentance, while first starting with himself. I pray with the Spirit’s help, I can begin to walk the path of unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.
January 12, 2022
I can see from other reviews that I'm definitely in a minority in not loving this book. I think highly of Chan. In addition, I do not doubt his genuineness whatsoever. I also do not doubt his premise - Christianity is divided and God hates division. He uses a lot of Scripture in this book, which I respect. He even says many strong things that are needful. So why do I not love this book (like everyone else)?
Chan leaves us holding the bag, in my opinion. Where do we go from here? I think he tries in the last chapter to sew it all up into something we can practically do, but in the end we are left with a feeling that there's nothing we really can do about division except really love people (a great point!). That is, except people who continue to be divided - whom we should reject as not even Christian (really?). I did not get this point at all. Chan admits to divisive attitudes in the past (kudos for recognizing this in self, something we all need to do), but then basically says we have to reject people who are divisive as if they are not Christian at all. What I sense in this mixed message is that he is still struggling with unity/disunity and how to deal with it - but hasn't arrived at some substantive approach yet.
Much of his urgency centers around an emphasis on hell, judgment, and fear of God (themes from an earlier book). And there's plenty of angst around the people who aren't viewing these with the emotion that he presents - why aren't you feeling like I'm feeling about this? I do think that he paints with broad brushes and writes as if he alone understands what real unity is. I did not come away with a clear understanding of what he thinks unity is nor any process as to how to come together as believers. Maybe that's not his purpose? I don't know. Maybe he did, and I just missed it.
Another criticism is his insistence that the church was united for a thousand years but then suffered a big schism. As I read through the New Testament, I do not even think the first century church was immune to division, much less the first thousand years. He references the church councils and creeds as examples of how to come together, but many of those were called to excommunicate and power-grab. The creeds have value and teach us much about efforts to centralize the core of Christian belief, the church fathers do not really give us a case study for Christian unity, in my opinion.
I wanted to like this book because I like Chan. I am in favor of Christian unity. I do realize that there are many obstacles to overcome to grow toward greater unity. My own faith tribe's heritage is a testimony to a unity effort that fell apart. So, there's a lot to learn.
For this book, on the plus side, Chan has written some powerful statements and presented some excellent ideas. He rightly emphasizes that God desires unity. He is passionate about loving one another beyond our differences. He gives some good guidelines for individuals in how they regard other believers who may be quite different in living out their faith but who shouldn't be rejected. I'm glad I read the book. I hope there's a sequal.
Chan leaves us holding the bag, in my opinion. Where do we go from here? I think he tries in the last chapter to sew it all up into something we can practically do, but in the end we are left with a feeling that there's nothing we really can do about division except really love people (a great point!). That is, except people who continue to be divided - whom we should reject as not even Christian (really?). I did not get this point at all. Chan admits to divisive attitudes in the past (kudos for recognizing this in self, something we all need to do), but then basically says we have to reject people who are divisive as if they are not Christian at all. What I sense in this mixed message is that he is still struggling with unity/disunity and how to deal with it - but hasn't arrived at some substantive approach yet.
Much of his urgency centers around an emphasis on hell, judgment, and fear of God (themes from an earlier book). And there's plenty of angst around the people who aren't viewing these with the emotion that he presents - why aren't you feeling like I'm feeling about this? I do think that he paints with broad brushes and writes as if he alone understands what real unity is. I did not come away with a clear understanding of what he thinks unity is nor any process as to how to come together as believers. Maybe that's not his purpose? I don't know. Maybe he did, and I just missed it.
Another criticism is his insistence that the church was united for a thousand years but then suffered a big schism. As I read through the New Testament, I do not even think the first century church was immune to division, much less the first thousand years. He references the church councils and creeds as examples of how to come together, but many of those were called to excommunicate and power-grab. The creeds have value and teach us much about efforts to centralize the core of Christian belief, the church fathers do not really give us a case study for Christian unity, in my opinion.
I wanted to like this book because I like Chan. I am in favor of Christian unity. I do realize that there are many obstacles to overcome to grow toward greater unity. My own faith tribe's heritage is a testimony to a unity effort that fell apart. So, there's a lot to learn.
For this book, on the plus side, Chan has written some powerful statements and presented some excellent ideas. He rightly emphasizes that God desires unity. He is passionate about loving one another beyond our differences. He gives some good guidelines for individuals in how they regard other believers who may be quite different in living out their faith but who shouldn't be rejected. I'm glad I read the book. I hope there's a sequal.
February 13, 2022
I really don’t like to spend money. I don’t drink coffee because coffee costs money. I don’t order drinks at restaurants because drinks cost money. I don’t buy people Christmas gifts because Christmas gifts cost money…. ok, I need to work on that one… but you see my point. I’m frugal!
Yet, I spent nineteen dollars on this book.
In fact, I desperately spent nineteen dollars on this book. I was glad to do it! Let me explain.
I had become a dogmatist without a cause. Another sermon about God’s Grace? Hyper-grace! A message about church unity? Progressive! I hear of the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless Love of God and I think, “That’s great. Now where is the call to holiness?”
I have beef with the church I grew up attending. I have beef with the Reformed camp. I have beef with the Charismatics. A LOT of beef with the Charismatics if I’m honest. I have beef with Osteen, Meyer, Furtick, Jakes, Beth Moore, Sarah Young, Michael Todd, Maverick City, Passion, Elevation Worship, Hillsong, Bethel, and pretty much everyone else not named John Piper.
I am scared of spiritual gifts. Confused by them. Uncomfortable when people expect me to practice them. But I am certainly not a cessasionist. I have low tolerance for the denial of spiritual gifts, and an even lower tolerance for their flippant use and/or abuse. I am a closeted Calvinist in my soteriology. I don’t know anything about TULIP, though. I suppose I am a Baptist. I went to Baylor University after all. I am a Creationist. New Earth, even though I bet you most of the evidence would suggest Old Earth. I don’t like worship music that was released after 2014. (If only everyone else was just like me!)
I look to my right and this guy is calling EVERYBODY a false teacher. He is disrespectful to women, and he mistreats everyone who disagrees with him in the name of "truth" and “righteous anger.” I look to my left and my dude is leading a yoga Bible study while ripping some essential oils. Church leaders are encouraging me towards love and unity, but unity sounds like tolerance, and tolerance sounds like acceptance, and acceptance sounds like acceptance of sin, and acceptance of sin is unloving. Thus was my dilemma.
Enter: Francis Chan. A man who studied at THE Master’s Seminary under the direction of THE John F. MacArthur. Trained in the ways of the reformed but is now a charismatic icon. A shadow of Paul one might say. I know he reveres the Word of God. I know he preaches Christ crucified. What else do I need to know? A quick run to Barnes & Noble and a crisp twenty-dollar bill later, here we are.
It is my pleasure to report: Mr. Chan did not come to play games. Not in any form or fashion.
This book is super-saturated with Scripture. As with any other Christian book, that is its greatest strength. The strategic use of said Scripture did much to convict me of my apathy towards unity in light of God's fervent desire for it. I was always curious as to why, of all the things Jesus could have prayed for us before His crucifixion, He chose to pray that we believers would be unified. Unfortunately, that curiosity never evolved, and thus I was never made aware of the remainder of the New Testament's obsession with our unification. This book works to dispel all ignorance.
When I picked up Until Unity, I was concerned that I had just committed myself to reading a bunch of pages full of the same "love is the answer" mumbo jumbo I'd been hearing everywhere. I was right to be concerned. That is quite literally the title of a section in this book. My mistake then, was not that I picked up this book, but that I had the audacity to call love "mumbo jumbo." Love is the superior gift. Shame on me for thinking maturity entailed everything but growing in love for God and neighbor.
The most heinous sin ever committed was the murder of the Son of God. Jesus, loving those committing that very crime, prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." What better example to follow? Let's call out false teachers! Heck yeah! But let our motivation be love for The Truth. Let's confront those "Spirit-filled" believers writhing all over the floor. Heck yeah! And as hard as this one would be for me, let our motivation be love for The Truth. If we do things out of a love for The Truth, even extremes like removing someone from the fellowship of believers is pro-unity. I still have beef with the likes of Osteen. That entire list, honestly. But what would it look like if I loved even them, and the people who subscribed to their teachings?
Don't misunderstand me, this book contains much much more than just a call to love better. Even though Francis Chan's writing is far from the most eloquent, I found that the way he ordered this book, the passion, humility, confidence, and honesty with which he writes, and his own personal journey through the world of "church politics" made for a must-read. Until Unity gets extra brownie points for being just what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it.
A part of me wants to knock Chan for being overly simplistic, a tad naive, and egregiously idealistic. The other part of me, the one I'm listening to, commends Chan's child-like faith and wishes he had a little more of that himself. This book doesn't have all the answers, but it has the most important ones. That's enough for me. 5 Stars!
Yet, I spent nineteen dollars on this book.
In fact, I desperately spent nineteen dollars on this book. I was glad to do it! Let me explain.
I had become a dogmatist without a cause. Another sermon about God’s Grace? Hyper-grace! A message about church unity? Progressive! I hear of the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless Love of God and I think, “That’s great. Now where is the call to holiness?”
I have beef with the church I grew up attending. I have beef with the Reformed camp. I have beef with the Charismatics. A LOT of beef with the Charismatics if I’m honest. I have beef with Osteen, Meyer, Furtick, Jakes, Beth Moore, Sarah Young, Michael Todd, Maverick City, Passion, Elevation Worship, Hillsong, Bethel, and pretty much everyone else not named John Piper.
I am scared of spiritual gifts. Confused by them. Uncomfortable when people expect me to practice them. But I am certainly not a cessasionist. I have low tolerance for the denial of spiritual gifts, and an even lower tolerance for their flippant use and/or abuse. I am a closeted Calvinist in my soteriology. I don’t know anything about TULIP, though. I suppose I am a Baptist. I went to Baylor University after all. I am a Creationist. New Earth, even though I bet you most of the evidence would suggest Old Earth. I don’t like worship music that was released after 2014. (If only everyone else was just like me!)
I look to my right and this guy is calling EVERYBODY a false teacher. He is disrespectful to women, and he mistreats everyone who disagrees with him in the name of "truth" and “righteous anger.” I look to my left and my dude is leading a yoga Bible study while ripping some essential oils. Church leaders are encouraging me towards love and unity, but unity sounds like tolerance, and tolerance sounds like acceptance, and acceptance sounds like acceptance of sin, and acceptance of sin is unloving. Thus was my dilemma.
Enter: Francis Chan. A man who studied at THE Master’s Seminary under the direction of THE John F. MacArthur. Trained in the ways of the reformed but is now a charismatic icon. A shadow of Paul one might say. I know he reveres the Word of God. I know he preaches Christ crucified. What else do I need to know? A quick run to Barnes & Noble and a crisp twenty-dollar bill later, here we are.
It is my pleasure to report: Mr. Chan did not come to play games. Not in any form or fashion.
This book is super-saturated with Scripture. As with any other Christian book, that is its greatest strength. The strategic use of said Scripture did much to convict me of my apathy towards unity in light of God's fervent desire for it. I was always curious as to why, of all the things Jesus could have prayed for us before His crucifixion, He chose to pray that we believers would be unified. Unfortunately, that curiosity never evolved, and thus I was never made aware of the remainder of the New Testament's obsession with our unification. This book works to dispel all ignorance.
When I picked up Until Unity, I was concerned that I had just committed myself to reading a bunch of pages full of the same "love is the answer" mumbo jumbo I'd been hearing everywhere. I was right to be concerned. That is quite literally the title of a section in this book. My mistake then, was not that I picked up this book, but that I had the audacity to call love "mumbo jumbo." Love is the superior gift. Shame on me for thinking maturity entailed everything but growing in love for God and neighbor.
The most heinous sin ever committed was the murder of the Son of God. Jesus, loving those committing that very crime, prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." What better example to follow? Let's call out false teachers! Heck yeah! But let our motivation be love for The Truth. Let's confront those "Spirit-filled" believers writhing all over the floor. Heck yeah! And as hard as this one would be for me, let our motivation be love for The Truth. If we do things out of a love for The Truth, even extremes like removing someone from the fellowship of believers is pro-unity. I still have beef with the likes of Osteen. That entire list, honestly. But what would it look like if I loved even them, and the people who subscribed to their teachings?
Don't misunderstand me, this book contains much much more than just a call to love better. Even though Francis Chan's writing is far from the most eloquent, I found that the way he ordered this book, the passion, humility, confidence, and honesty with which he writes, and his own personal journey through the world of "church politics" made for a must-read. Until Unity gets extra brownie points for being just what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it.
A part of me wants to knock Chan for being overly simplistic, a tad naive, and egregiously idealistic. The other part of me, the one I'm listening to, commends Chan's child-like faith and wishes he had a little more of that himself. This book doesn't have all the answers, but it has the most important ones. That's enough for me. 5 Stars!
July 11, 2021
United people can’t fall, and divided people can’t stand (just made that up but if it’s a real quote of someone’s lmk 😂)
READ. THIS. BOOK.
I feel like me, Paul (the apostle), and Francis Chan have one very important thing in common: we prize Truth above all else. Did the truth hurt your feelings? So what - the truth wasn’t meant to align with your feelings, you align your feelings with the truth. Feelings literally change on an hourly basis, wouldn’t it be a shame if the truth did, too?
This book was overflowing with Truth. I don’t think I’ve read a non-fiction Bible-focused book with more Scripture references than “Until Unity” ! I am not complaining at all, we need this !! No more Christians writers being like “this is how I feel about the Bible” or “this is what God’s Word says about me,” while quoting what little Scripture they do include out of context, but rather Chan kept it to a place of being like “this is what God’s Word says, and this is how we apply it to ourselves in order to be better representatives of Jesus Christ as individuals & as His church.”
I won’t lie, this book convicted me like no other. I often find myself caught up in how I might disagree with another Christian over, for example, biblical modesty (something that does not have any sway over someone’s eternal salvation in Christ), but does that allow me at all to treat them with less compassion than I would someone who does agree with me?? Absolutely not! It also doesn’t inherently mean I have a better grasp on Scripture than they do, and vice versa.
There’s so much to unpack, which is why I HIGHLY encourage ALL Christians who believe God’s Word is the beginning & end of all truth (denominations be gone!) to read this book. Today.
READ. THIS. BOOK.
I feel like me, Paul (the apostle), and Francis Chan have one very important thing in common: we prize Truth above all else. Did the truth hurt your feelings? So what - the truth wasn’t meant to align with your feelings, you align your feelings with the truth. Feelings literally change on an hourly basis, wouldn’t it be a shame if the truth did, too?
This book was overflowing with Truth. I don’t think I’ve read a non-fiction Bible-focused book with more Scripture references than “Until Unity” ! I am not complaining at all, we need this !! No more Christians writers being like “this is how I feel about the Bible” or “this is what God’s Word says about me,” while quoting what little Scripture they do include out of context, but rather Chan kept it to a place of being like “this is what God’s Word says, and this is how we apply it to ourselves in order to be better representatives of Jesus Christ as individuals & as His church.”
I won’t lie, this book convicted me like no other. I often find myself caught up in how I might disagree with another Christian over, for example, biblical modesty (something that does not have any sway over someone’s eternal salvation in Christ), but does that allow me at all to treat them with less compassion than I would someone who does agree with me?? Absolutely not! It also doesn’t inherently mean I have a better grasp on Scripture than they do, and vice versa.
There’s so much to unpack, which is why I HIGHLY encourage ALL Christians who believe God’s Word is the beginning & end of all truth (denominations be gone!) to read this book. Today.
April 23, 2021
This book is possibly the best book on our Christian faith besides the Bible that I have ever read! I finished Pastor Chan's last book "Letters to the Church" last week and loved it, but this one is much much better. The theme of church unity really resonates with me right now in light of my own Biblical views, our pastor's sermon series on Romans, and the current chaotic state of the American church. The book is loaded with scripture passages to ground his many profound points. I am going to pray and seek the Lord for a special passage to use for my elder devotional at next months meeting. Thank you Hailee for telling me about this great book! Now, to put the ideas into practice with God's help!
March 9, 2022
It’s Francis Chan; so, naturally, zeal radiates from every page of the book, and it’s contagious. If you’re looking to get fired up about unity in the church, and you’re open to some toe-stepping, this is a great read. However, I found that Gavin Ortlund’s “Finding the Right Hills to Die On” offers much more in the way of practical application. I would highly recommend reading these two books together; this one is more motivational, but Ortlund’s is more practical. Both are scriptural!
January 6, 2022
Agree with the sentiments, struggled with the exhortational writing style which didn't read like literature but the transcript of a motivational speech.
May 15, 2023
Solid book that shows The Trinity’s heart for unity within the church body. I really enjoyed Chan’s breakdown of John 17:20-23. An enjoyable read 🙂
July 4, 2022
As usual, Francis Chan has written a Biblically-based wake-up call book. I believe God has been speaking to my heart about unity as well-for a long time-and so reading this book was refreshing and encouraging. He thoughtfully tackles this subject, allowing of course for the division that must occur with unrepentant churchgoers or false teachers. But mostly, he talks about how and why we should become more united across Christian denominations. (Of course, this does not include cults like Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.) I recommend it to every Christian!
January 4, 2023
Very conflicted with this one - on one hand it was a very solid theological grounding for unity among different Christian traditions; but on the other hand, it was a confusing and messy perspective on the matter of Unity.
I found myself disagreeing with Chan on many points, and found many of his ideas contradicting themselves. One paragraph is describing the crucial need for unity and the next is reminding us that we still need to watch for false theology. It seems to me as though Chan has taken the idea of unity a little too far, and not left room for Christians to have respectful theological differences and uniquenesses.
It gets a 4 star because I love Chan’s humble approach to the topic, and his constant desire to glorify God :)
I found myself disagreeing with Chan on many points, and found many of his ideas contradicting themselves. One paragraph is describing the crucial need for unity and the next is reminding us that we still need to watch for false theology. It seems to me as though Chan has taken the idea of unity a little too far, and not left room for Christians to have respectful theological differences and uniquenesses.
It gets a 4 star because I love Chan’s humble approach to the topic, and his constant desire to glorify God :)
August 17, 2021
This book was so, so good. I listened to Francis read it in his impassioned voice. One of the last things he says in the book is, the early church left us with a book of ACTS. Let’s not be a church that would only leave a book of talks. In other words let’s put our money where our mouth is and take literally Jesus’s calls to unity.
February 4, 2024
There are some great nuggets on unity, the Trinitys desire for it, and why it’s essential. It was also an easy read, which I enjoyed. Highly recommend reading if unity is a desire of yours or something you want to read more about!
April 27, 2021
I have always had a heart to see the body of Christ unified. Not that we all have to look alike, but it’s the heart of Jesus that we would would be ONE CHURCH! I love Francis’ heart.
May 11, 2021
He leaves no excuse. With more than 200 scripture references, Chan makes a convincing argument; Christ has called us to unity. As we fill ourselves up with the Spirit, and seek the things of God, our lives open up to the fruit of the Spirit in others.
A broad stroke but an important one. As always, I appreciate Chan's humility on the topic.
A broad stroke but an important one. As always, I appreciate Chan's humility on the topic.
May 21, 2021
OOOOOOOF.
July 16, 2021
[3.5 stars] Chan does what he does best here - challenging his readers with sincerity and humility. Unity is a timely topic, and you can tell his heart is in this one (to be fair, that’s true for every book he’s written).
The strengths of Until Unity are what you’d expect. 1) He lays out the problem with passion. After reading the introduction, there is no doubt in the reader’s mind that unity is a primary concern in the Bible, and purposefully sowing dissension is considered a serious sin. 2) While no one will claim Chan is a nuanced interpreter of the scripture (I doubt he would even argue so), he does a good job laying out the larger themes of scripture with clarity and conviction. While Chan certainly has some insights here and there, the majority of his discussion on specific passages boils down to “just do it!” And often, that’s really what people need to hear. 3) Chan frames the issue not as a doctrinal issue but a heart issue. While the overall problem is more complex than he lets on, I think there’s more truth to this than not. This is also where his applications of the scripture shines. He encourages us to search our hearts in light of the Word, and to grow in our love.
The weaknesses of Until Unity are also typical Chan. 1) He oversimplifies a lot of things. He partially addresses this critique when discussing how we need to love more, and shrugs it off. For the audience he’s going for, it’s not a bad thing. The main way this lack of nuance hurts his arguments is that he really doesn’t have a firm grasp of the level of diversity that has been prevalent in the church since its beginning (or in other religions, for that matter). That nuance doesn’t detract from the overall drive of his argument, but could probably lead to some better applications. 2) His applications are not the strongest. Chan brings challenge well, and this book is strong when encouraging personal introspection. But beyond that, there’s not much in terms of practical applications. For instance, how do you have a gracious conversation with somebody with whom you have strong disagreements? How do you differentiate between primary and secondary issues? Etc. 3) This critique is more pointed to this book. Chan does not have a robust theology of unity out of diversity. He mentions it, but it is not even given a full chapter, just a section of one. However, any discussion of unity in the church needs to have a firm grasp of what it means to be unified in light of the diversity of the church. Part of this boils down to Chan’s penchant for structuring his books like a sermon. The division into chapters feels more like an afterthought. Chapters rarely center on a distinct theme. Instead, the larger themes of the book seem to come in and out as they please. As a result, his discussion on diversity doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
Overall, I’m glad I read the book; Chan just isn’t my favorite author. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m incredibly grateful for him and the difference he (and his books) have made for countless Christians. If you like Chan, or just need some old-fashioned convicting, this is a good read.
The strengths of Until Unity are what you’d expect. 1) He lays out the problem with passion. After reading the introduction, there is no doubt in the reader’s mind that unity is a primary concern in the Bible, and purposefully sowing dissension is considered a serious sin. 2) While no one will claim Chan is a nuanced interpreter of the scripture (I doubt he would even argue so), he does a good job laying out the larger themes of scripture with clarity and conviction. While Chan certainly has some insights here and there, the majority of his discussion on specific passages boils down to “just do it!” And often, that’s really what people need to hear. 3) Chan frames the issue not as a doctrinal issue but a heart issue. While the overall problem is more complex than he lets on, I think there’s more truth to this than not. This is also where his applications of the scripture shines. He encourages us to search our hearts in light of the Word, and to grow in our love.
The weaknesses of Until Unity are also typical Chan. 1) He oversimplifies a lot of things. He partially addresses this critique when discussing how we need to love more, and shrugs it off. For the audience he’s going for, it’s not a bad thing. The main way this lack of nuance hurts his arguments is that he really doesn’t have a firm grasp of the level of diversity that has been prevalent in the church since its beginning (or in other religions, for that matter). That nuance doesn’t detract from the overall drive of his argument, but could probably lead to some better applications. 2) His applications are not the strongest. Chan brings challenge well, and this book is strong when encouraging personal introspection. But beyond that, there’s not much in terms of practical applications. For instance, how do you have a gracious conversation with somebody with whom you have strong disagreements? How do you differentiate between primary and secondary issues? Etc. 3) This critique is more pointed to this book. Chan does not have a robust theology of unity out of diversity. He mentions it, but it is not even given a full chapter, just a section of one. However, any discussion of unity in the church needs to have a firm grasp of what it means to be unified in light of the diversity of the church. Part of this boils down to Chan’s penchant for structuring his books like a sermon. The division into chapters feels more like an afterthought. Chapters rarely center on a distinct theme. Instead, the larger themes of the book seem to come in and out as they please. As a result, his discussion on diversity doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
Overall, I’m glad I read the book; Chan just isn’t my favorite author. That doesn’t change the fact that I’m incredibly grateful for him and the difference he (and his books) have made for countless Christians. If you like Chan, or just need some old-fashioned convicting, this is a good read.
April 21, 2021
I love how this book centers around Jesus’ prayer for His followers to become one, like He and the Father are one. Chan’s faith that this can happen in his lifetime is challenging to me. I sure hope he is right.
August 30, 2024
Wow!! This book makes unity look so simple. And truly it is. It’s not always easy but the answer for unity is just so simple when we look at Jesus’ words. Definitely gives me a desire for a greater love for my brothers and sisters in Christ!!
January 29, 2022
Read this. There isn’t a more important message for the body of Christ. It’s not because Francis has any superior knowledge or insight, but because he, through his own failures and the humbling work of the Spirit in his life, has come to grasp the absolute necessity of unity and love as commanded by God. This is really nothing new, just something that most of us have been blind to due to our own pride, lack of fear of the Lord, and tribalistic tendencies. Thank you Francis for humbly pointing back to what the Scriptures make abundantly clear: the Oneness of the Church is God’s plan, and the way to get there is love.
January 30, 2023
"When you're deeply in love, division is unfathomable ... In the church, we divide easily because we love shallowly."
"Unity is difficult when all we do is talk. The early church produced the book of Acts; the modern church produced a book of Talks. Their leaders died living out the gospel; we make a living by talking about it."
This book had me in awe of Jesus and absolutely wrecked by my failures in front of Him. Chan doesn't pull punches. Packed with Scripture, the book brutally calls for true unity between Christ disciples who are filled with the Holy Spirit. I am unsure if any review I can write can adequately express how convicting and powerful this book is. Go read it.
"Unity is difficult when all we do is talk. The early church produced the book of Acts; the modern church produced a book of Talks. Their leaders died living out the gospel; we make a living by talking about it."
This book had me in awe of Jesus and absolutely wrecked by my failures in front of Him. Chan doesn't pull punches. Packed with Scripture, the book brutally calls for true unity between Christ disciples who are filled with the Holy Spirit. I am unsure if any review I can write can adequately express how convicting and powerful this book is. Go read it.
January 6, 2022
Simple. Convicting. Full of humility.
Thankful for this book to remind me of the unifying power, purpose, and desire of the Spirit. May we be marked by love and praise for our Creator. May we as believers be filled with love for one another rather than disagreements of theology, focused on being faithful to the mission of God; that is glorifying Him and making Him known. May we be more distinguished from the world than from one another.
Thankful for this book to remind me of the unifying power, purpose, and desire of the Spirit. May we be marked by love and praise for our Creator. May we as believers be filled with love for one another rather than disagreements of theology, focused on being faithful to the mission of God; that is glorifying Him and making Him known. May we be more distinguished from the world than from one another.
May 30, 2021
Francis Chan brought the heat in this one! I love his honesty and humility in the ways he has personally acted in contradiction to the Word in regard to unity among the body of Christ. This book reads a bit like a manifesto in which he explains why we need unity, how we have messed up, what to do about it, and how to go forward. This is definitely a book that will inspire to love their neighbor to a higher degree. I also agree wholeheartedly with everything Brice Karickhoff write in his review of this book so feel free to check his out!
August 4, 2025
I do not have adequate words to express the significance this book has for us in today’s Christian culture. Every chapter had my mind reeling with thoughts on my role in the pursuit of unity in the church. I highly recommend this book to everyone who desires to see churches unite as One body to bring glory to God.
May 29, 2021
Having had several conversations with nonbelievers about how they don't understand why there are all these divisions in a religion that peaches unity, I really found the content timely in my personal walk with Jesus and everything that's going on with in the USA these days. Christians, please read this book in prayer.
August 22, 2021
Great book on a topic that is often overlooked and misunderstood. It was very convicting and practical.
February 26, 2025
I think this is easily Chan's best book yet. Incredibly moving and caused me to pause several times to think about what was being said and spend time in prayer.
July 16, 2021
“The feast will happen with or without us. The question is whether our disapproval of the guest list will keep us from joining our brothers and sisters. And our Father.”
God cares deeply about unity in the Body of Christ. Do we think our constant debate and division is something that pleases Him? Without sacrificing truth or embracing sin, Francis humbly challenges us to take God’s command to be unified seriously. Do we divide so easily because we actually love so shallowly?
God cares deeply about unity in the Body of Christ. Do we think our constant debate and division is something that pleases Him? Without sacrificing truth or embracing sin, Francis humbly challenges us to take God’s command to be unified seriously. Do we divide so easily because we actually love so shallowly?
September 5, 2022
I really wanted to like this book more. I love Francis Chan as he inspires me in the Christian life and I also share his passion for ecumenicalism. Therefore, I thought this book would be a perfect fit that would help me towards the goal of striving together in unity with brothers and sisters in different traditions.
First, let me explain the main goal of the book. It is a cry for Christians to be unified, despite our differences. The author wants us to take seriously Jesus' prayer that we "all be one, just as you and I are one" (John 17:21) and that we have "unity of the faith" (Ep 4:13) and are "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit" (Eph 4:3). Our differences matter, but just as different beliefs on secondary issues don't separate families, neither should it separate our spiritual families. We should be able to love, fellowship with, and work together with people who have different convictions on baptism, spiritual gifts, end times etc. Amen.
The author believes unity should not come at the cost of holiness, or theology, but with it. Those are important clarifiers as unity can sometimes devolve into low standards and worldliness. Even though he often says the right things, he keeps things vague, refusing to give clear distinctions between essentials and non-essentials. This makes the book less helpful because there's no standard to judge by except those issues explicitly stated in Scripture, which are not the same issues we struggle with today. Not many people today argue that "Jesus hasn't come in the flesh" (2 John 7) or that the "resurrection has already happened" (2 Tim 2:17-18) but these are the examples of things he says we can't compromise on. He therefore scores a 10/10 for biblical accuracy but a 0/10 for timeliness and helpfulness. He does state that different views on the end times or spiritual gifts shouldn't be a hinderance to unity, but let's be honest, that's a softball. Chan doesn't deal with more pressing issues today such as views on homosexuality and gender, or even persistent errors like alternative views of the Trinity. Personally, I've found the ecumenical creeds to be the most helpful boundaries for orthodoxy. The Apostles and Nicene Creeds are time-tested and accepted by all three branches of Christianity (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant) and thus seem like the only feasible way to actually achieve organizational church unity.
I think the reason Chan doesn't provide a standard for essentials is because he later states that the actual test should not be doctrinal but "if someone has the Holy Spirit or not". I disagree with that standard. There are people with the Spirit of God that we must put out of fellowship. For example, it is possible for someone to have the Spirit of God but deny the Trinity. I believe that person should be disciplined so that they can repent and come into conformity with the church's united teaching as articulated in the Nicene Creed. Since it is possible for a Spirit-filled person to go outside the guard rails of orthodoxy, the goal is help keep them within those boundaries so that we can be unified, not ignore the rails because they have the Spirit. That's how ecumenicalism devolves into squishy hereticalness.
A final critique, is that the book holds up a a goal (a unified church) without defining it (what does an attainable "unity" look like) or providing a roadmap of how to get there. Unity is a bit nebulous so it really needs to be defined. For example, should we strive to abolish denominations or should we strive for unity within denominations? If the latter, what does "unified" look like while maintaining denominations? Are we unified if our baptisms are recognized in another denomination and one can transfer membership? Are we unified if pastors can transfer their ministry credentials and don't have to be re-ordained? Or does Chan want something simpler and less organizational where we aren't unified organizationally but we can fellowship, pray together, and collaborate on mission? After finishing the book, I have no idea what he wants or how to get there. Instead, of clearly defining terms and goals, Chan leaves everything vague and for the individual to figure out. He wants them to have the right spirit and frame of mind and there seems to be a hope that unity will just happen if people take on this mindset. I don't believe we can have a desirable unity unless we have ecumenical meetings, with a clear goal and a standard to unify around.
If a person struggles with divisiveness, or finds themselves looking at other denominations as "competition" or even as "enemies" then this book will be much more helpful. However, if you already want unity and desire practical help and specifics for how to get there, you'll be left disappointed.
First, let me explain the main goal of the book. It is a cry for Christians to be unified, despite our differences. The author wants us to take seriously Jesus' prayer that we "all be one, just as you and I are one" (John 17:21) and that we have "unity of the faith" (Ep 4:13) and are "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit" (Eph 4:3). Our differences matter, but just as different beliefs on secondary issues don't separate families, neither should it separate our spiritual families. We should be able to love, fellowship with, and work together with people who have different convictions on baptism, spiritual gifts, end times etc. Amen.
The author believes unity should not come at the cost of holiness, or theology, but with it. Those are important clarifiers as unity can sometimes devolve into low standards and worldliness. Even though he often says the right things, he keeps things vague, refusing to give clear distinctions between essentials and non-essentials. This makes the book less helpful because there's no standard to judge by except those issues explicitly stated in Scripture, which are not the same issues we struggle with today. Not many people today argue that "Jesus hasn't come in the flesh" (2 John 7) or that the "resurrection has already happened" (2 Tim 2:17-18) but these are the examples of things he says we can't compromise on. He therefore scores a 10/10 for biblical accuracy but a 0/10 for timeliness and helpfulness. He does state that different views on the end times or spiritual gifts shouldn't be a hinderance to unity, but let's be honest, that's a softball. Chan doesn't deal with more pressing issues today such as views on homosexuality and gender, or even persistent errors like alternative views of the Trinity. Personally, I've found the ecumenical creeds to be the most helpful boundaries for orthodoxy. The Apostles and Nicene Creeds are time-tested and accepted by all three branches of Christianity (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant) and thus seem like the only feasible way to actually achieve organizational church unity.
I think the reason Chan doesn't provide a standard for essentials is because he later states that the actual test should not be doctrinal but "if someone has the Holy Spirit or not". I disagree with that standard. There are people with the Spirit of God that we must put out of fellowship. For example, it is possible for someone to have the Spirit of God but deny the Trinity. I believe that person should be disciplined so that they can repent and come into conformity with the church's united teaching as articulated in the Nicene Creed. Since it is possible for a Spirit-filled person to go outside the guard rails of orthodoxy, the goal is help keep them within those boundaries so that we can be unified, not ignore the rails because they have the Spirit. That's how ecumenicalism devolves into squishy hereticalness.
A final critique, is that the book holds up a a goal (a unified church) without defining it (what does an attainable "unity" look like) or providing a roadmap of how to get there. Unity is a bit nebulous so it really needs to be defined. For example, should we strive to abolish denominations or should we strive for unity within denominations? If the latter, what does "unified" look like while maintaining denominations? Are we unified if our baptisms are recognized in another denomination and one can transfer membership? Are we unified if pastors can transfer their ministry credentials and don't have to be re-ordained? Or does Chan want something simpler and less organizational where we aren't unified organizationally but we can fellowship, pray together, and collaborate on mission? After finishing the book, I have no idea what he wants or how to get there. Instead, of clearly defining terms and goals, Chan leaves everything vague and for the individual to figure out. He wants them to have the right spirit and frame of mind and there seems to be a hope that unity will just happen if people take on this mindset. I don't believe we can have a desirable unity unless we have ecumenical meetings, with a clear goal and a standard to unify around.
If a person struggles with divisiveness, or finds themselves looking at other denominations as "competition" or even as "enemies" then this book will be much more helpful. However, if you already want unity and desire practical help and specifics for how to get there, you'll be left disappointed.
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