Book Review: A Church Called Tov by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer

In A Church Called Tov, Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer respond to the proliferation of high-profile church scandals by examining the factors which steer church cultures toward toxicity or health. Built upon the assumption that the Church is intended to be an agent for tov, the Hebrew word for “good!”, they first consider some of the warning signs that a church is heading in the wrong direction and then outline the seven foundational elements of a tov culture.

In Part 1 of the book, McKnight and Barringer explain how church culture is defined by the decisions and behaviors of its most engaged members. Depending on whether or not the church leaders and members act in a predominantly compassionate manner, the culture will tip toward health or toxicity. A toxic culture will cater to narcissism by leveraging fear to consolidate power. Dissenters will be viciously attacked, leaders will resist accountability, and those who refuse to fall into line will be met with substantial professional and social consequences including the termination of employment, ostracism, and slander. In such churches, when inappropriate behaviors are found, toxic leaders will endeavor to discredit the manner in which the information came to light and manipulate Scripture to condone the behavior and/or attack the victim. They will also work to control the narrative to protect themselves from allegations. This may take the form of carefully crafted statements designed to skirt around the truth, discredit the accuser, or spin negative events or circumstances into positives. They also will not hesitate to utilize character assassination, gaslighting, victim-shaming, presenting the perpetrator as the victim, intimidation, and more.

In Part 2, the authors explore the seven essential components of a tov culture, insisting that good churches will be filled with people who are resolved to love, practice generosity and compassion, and resist sin. More specifically, they cultivate an empathy for others, including the marginalized. They will recognize their own need for grace and so offer grace to others, enabling them to build trust and mutual love. They will consistently prioritize people over the institution, recognizing that it is humans that bear the imago Dei and are the objective of the missio Dei rather than the Church. They will commit themselves unswervingly to the truth, refusing to settle for anything less. They will nurture justice, resolving to do the right thing at the right time and resisting injustice wherever it is found. They will foster a culture of service, encouraging everyone to leverage their gifts and abilities to help others. And ultimately, they will call everyone to Christlikeness, create space for God’s Spirit to lead, work together to discern next steps, prioritize Scripture reading and prayer within the congregation, and endeavor to resist toxic churches.

Toxic church cultures are far from new, but they have received much more attention in recent years. Sex scandals, abuse, financial malfeasance, and more among church leaders have cracked national headlines multiple times in the last decade, undermining the credibility of the Church’s witness and crippling its missional effectiveness. A Church Called Tov, then, is supremely timely. The fact that McKnight and Barringer bring personal experience of the fallout caused by such things only heightens the relevance and urgency of this volume.

All pastors would do well to read this book and study it with their leadership teams. Take note of the areas where you and your church teeter toward dysfunction and toxicity, and lean into the behaviors that will build a more healthy church culture.