Books I Recommend
Counterfeit Kingdom, by Holly Pivec & Douglas Geivett
Since I have a series going regarding books I regret reading, I thought it might be a little more fruitful to start recommending books as well. So- here is my first recommendation, with a promise of more to come…
This is the third book that these two authors have written together on the topic of the New Apostolic Reformation. I have read all three of them now, and I would recommend this volume as a starting place if you’ve not read any of the previous books.
The subtitle on this book reads: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church.
Without going into a long explanation about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR for short), I will just say that this was the movement I was in for a long time.
The ideology of the NAR is closely related to the Word of Faith/ Prosperity Gospel. For reference, the most well known church in this movement is arguably Bethel Church in Redding, California.
Even if you haven’t heard of Bethel or its leaders, it is likely you have heard their music. Bethel Music is a juggernaut in the Christian music space, played on faith-based radio stations daily and emulated in Sunday morning services in scores of churches each weekend.
Pivec and Geivett share an overview of the movement’s defining features, how it is growing, and the effect it is having on those that it touches. They also discuss some of the newsworthy things that have come out of Bethel in Redding that illustrate the NAR in action.
The authors balance scholarly research with testimonials and anecdotes to give someone a full picture of the movement. Counterfeit Kingdom is a quick read, giving a good overview without getting too bogged down with details that may not interest the mildly interested reader. (That being said, anyone looking to do a deep dive on this movement will want to read their other books as well.)
I would highly recommend this for pastors who have people coming into their congregation from NAR spaces.
I also highly recommend this book for believers who are coming out of the NAR movement and feeling bewildered. This book will help you turn up the contrast so that you can discern between the excesses of the NAR and biblical, historic Christianity.
Happy reading!
P.S. I love the cover art for this book. It does a great job of showcasing what it feels like to be caught up in this movement- like a child following the pied piper. Mesmerized, enjoying the music within the safety of a crowd which comforts us as we follow him out of the city.
