Babel Church

“In this insightful book Li Ma uses the Babel story to illustrate the way people rely on their own entrepreneurial designs rather than trusting in God’s gracious purposes. Providing us with a careful survey of the present-day church scene, she points to the ways in which many evangelical churches seek growth, cultural relevance, and even political influence, by employing entrepreneurial strategies that serve as substitutes for promoting faithful discipleship.”


—Richard J. Mouw, President Emeritus, Fuller Theological Seminary





“Using the tower of Babel story as a frame, Li Ma shows how the desire for growth, influence, and fame in the evangelical church, both in the US and around the world, has led to scandals and the subversion of Christianity. Using an interdisciplinary approach, she analyzes in detail the televangelism movement, the megachurch movement, the Promise Keepers movement, and the new-Calvinist movement. What makes her discussion of these developments stand out from others is her creative exegesis, the richness of her multidisciplinary analysis, and the vast range of her references. An informative and illuminating read!”


—Nicholas Wolterstorff, Noah Porter Professor Emeritus of Philosophical Theology, Yale University





“For anyone navigating the cultural thicket of American Christianity, Li Ma provides both incisive critical analysis and a way forward in hope. This book’s strength lies not only in its prophetic lament and pastoral wisdom but also in its sure-footed interdisciplinary scholarship. Readers will find a deeper understanding of the problems that beset the church today and a more expansive vision of Christian faith for tomorrow.”


—Peter Choi, author of George Whitefield: Evangelist for God and Empire





“Li Ma’s Babel Church is a well-researched, cogent exegesis of the American church’s marriage to ‘bigger is better.’ She highlights the stark contrast between God’s surprising upside-down kingdom and today’s corporate church structures that celebrate celebrity and marginalize the broken. A must-read for people who love the church and want to see her build the kingdom in Spirit-led, winsome ways.”


—Mary DeMuth, author of We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis





“Li Ma examines the biblical story of the tower of Babel and applies its lens to the modern church, especially the evangelical movements that have adopted mass media to spread globally. It’s hardly surprising that these have become addicted to image, fame, and power. As Genesis warns, their toppling is not only inevitable, but necessary. Examining abuses of power—with a particular eye on #MeToo scandals—Babel Church is packed with scriptural references, including many that interpret Jesus’s crucifixion. Ma does not linger long on any one figure, tradition, or story, but ignites a sense of urgency. Cautioning against vainglory and its consequences, Babel Church calls the church to a humbler stance, clearer sight, and prophetic speech.”


—Ruth Everhart, author of Ruined and The #MeToo Reckoning: Facing the Church’s Complicity in Sexual Abuse and Misconduct





“Li Ma has done Christianity a great service by exposing the dark side of modern evangelicalism’s mode of operations. Drawing from an impressive array of cross-disciplinary scholarship, she reveals how the underlying North American evangelical system has more in common with fallen Babel rather than with Jesus and his kingdom. Tracing various evangelical movements, such as televangelists; megachurches; the young, reformed, and restless, including the global manifestations beyond North America, Li Ma’s grim diagnosis of evangelicalism is a must-read for anyone who wants to better understand how modern evangelicalism has fallen into systemic abuses of power. We will do well to heed Li Ma’s prescription for the cures.”


—Shiao Chong, Editor-in-Chief, The Banner magazine





“Li Ma keenly understands the fault lines and pitfalls of American-style Christianity and the besetting sins of too many American churches and media empires. But what makes this book compelling is her deep insight into how this unhappy state of affairs has been exported abroad and where it has shown up as corruptions of churches around the world. Much of what Ma conveys here is sorrowful to consider. But all of it is vital to understand.”


—Scott Hoezee, Director, The Center for Excellence in Preaching, Calvin Theological Seminary





“Is the church ready to listen to the voices from #MeToo? With the biblical story of Babel as the metanarrative, Li Ma’s careful multidisciplinary analysis reveals dangerous, subversive patterns, which include devaluing women and making idols of power and influence. She brings her own unique global perspective to this work, noting how these Western patterns have influenced the church worldwide. The results are disastrous, on display publicly in numerous scandals of moral leadership failure, including #MeToo and #ChurchToo. The antidote according to Li Ma is found in Philippians 2, where Jesus, who holds all power, shows us a revolutionary way to use it.”


—Bonnie Nicholas, Director, Safe Church Ministries





“Li Ma has developed a powerful and compelling critique of the celebrityism and other maladies that afflict a twenty-first-century American evangelicalism more indebted to Hollywood than the cross. Her searing analysis made me sit upright, especially because what happens in American evangelicalism has such profound effect, for good and for ill, on global Christianity. Read her to the very end where the redemptive hope of the cross shines brightly over our Babelian muck and mire.”


—Robert Osburn, Founder and President, Wilberforce Academy