Reviewed by Jolene A. for Readers' Favorite

ne A. for Reader's Favorite.

As stated in the introduction of 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday by Steve McVey, “Words do mean something, and when ideas are put into words in such a way that they lead to or reinforce fallacious notions, it is appropriate to challenge the use of those words. Too much is at stake to risk faulty communication about the truth.” With that in mind, McVey unveils 52 statements/beliefs commonly held by mainstream Christians as lies and seeks to show why the truth is so much better. The premise of the book is that if some part of the truth about the Gospel is left out of a statement, it creates a half-truth, which makes it a whole lie. Each chapter addresses one lie/half-truth, is two to four pages long, and includes a section about clarifying your thinking.

Reading 52 Lies Heard in Church Every Sunday by Steve McVey was at times easy and at times difficult. The briefness of the chapters made it convenient to read when I had a spare moment or as a companion to my daily Bible reading. McVey did well as far as breaking down each statement and dissecting it in everyday language for the reader.

There were times I wanted to cheer because I feel like McVey perfectly addressed a topic that has muddled the language, beliefs, and lives of Christians for years. Examples of this included: Lie #29 (It's a Sin to be Depressed) and Lie #51 (You Must Forgive and Forget). There were times I was surprised when I saw the title of a chapter and thought, I agree with that and there's no way he's going to convince me otherwise. A few minutes later I would concede that while I don't consider the statement a lie, I do see how it is needful for Christians to know the whole truth, not the half-truth. Lastly, there were times when I was simply not convinced. In those times, I understood what McVey said but had to respectfully disagree. Overall, I think this is good book for Christians who want to have a firmer grasp of why they believe what they believe. The book will either back up what you already believe with Scripture or make you dig into Scripture to examine the truth of the matter.

I recommend this book only to those who are brave enough to read with an open mind, examine personal beliefs, and compare the book's teachings with the Bible.