Responding to False Rumors | Is Viola Emergent Church, Emergent, Contemplative Prayer, NAR, Existentialist, and a Co-Author to a New Age Advocate (Len Sweet)?

This site is not operated by Frank Viola. The answers are given by someone who has been following Viola’s work for many years. Viola’s direct quotes in books and articles appear in various forms in the answers. 

question: isn’t Leonard Sweet a new age emergent and why did Frank write books with him?

answer: like so many other rumors on the Internet today, the rumors about Sweet being new age and emergent are false. Here is Sweet’s direct response to them. Leonard Sweet is perfectly orthodox and he is criticized for his orthodoxy by some liberal professors. Jesus Manifesto (2010) by Viola and Sweet has been endorsed by many orthodox Christian leaders including Reformed leaders. The strongest critics of the book have been emergent and liberal Christians. Here is Len’s own response to his critics.

question: is Frank Viola part of the emergent church?

answer: no, it’s the opposite. Frank is a critic of emergent. He criticized it in his book Jesus Manifesto and again in Beyond Evangelical. Viola’s fiercest critics come from liberal Christian quarters who take issue with his belief that the Bible is fully reliable and inspired, that Jesus is fully God and fully man and the only way to salvation, and his adherence to the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creed including God’s triune nature. Viola has written about all of these themes on his blog making his views clear. Like N.T. Wright, Viola has spoken in a few emerging church conferences in the past, but neither Wright or Viola are part of the emerging church even though they have friends who are part of it.

question: has Frank Viola ever been part of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation)?

answer: no, Frank has never been part of it and knows little about it. Alan Hirsch has been falsely accused of the same thing. Viola has little interest in modern day self-proclaiming “apostles” and doesn’t profess himself to be an “apostle” as he dislikes the word. His book Finding Organic Church goes into his views on this subject.

question: does Frank Viola believe that house church is the only way to do church?

answer: no, Viola is critical of the modern house church movement. He’s written about the shortcomings of many house churches on his blog and his podcast. One of his well known lines is “meeting in a home doesn’t make you a church anymore than eating at a donut shop makes you a police officer. God isn’t passionate about the living room.”

question: does Frank Viola control the churches he’s planted?

answer. Not at all. If anything, he has been too hands off. He plants a church then leaves it on its own. In recent years Frank hasn’t been involved in church planting but has been working with the poor and making relationships with non Christians. He’s discussed this on his blog in his FAQ page.

question: is Frank Viola like Gene Edwards?

answer: no. the two men spent a brief time working together in the year 2001 but they separated because their views, methods, and ways of dealing with problems was very different. Frank has been working with the author and scholar Jon Zens for more than eight years. Since 2008, Frank has coauthored books with Leonard Sweet, George Barna, and other authors like Mary DeMuth.

question: who is Frank accountable to?

answer: other than God, Viola is mutually submitted to his coworkers and to the fellowship he meets with. He also listens to those who critique his work without misrepresenting it. For this reason, he’s debated scholars in a civil, friendly spirit. He’s always been a learner. (Interestingly the people who talk about “accountability” the most are not accountable to anyone.)

question: does Frank teach contemplative prayer?

answer: no,  Viola has only used the term “contemplative” once or twice in a newsletter he wrote over 20 years ago; however, he was not referring to new age-ish, mystical kinds of chants and prayers. He was referring to deep fellowship with God as John Piper describes in this video. But he hasn’t used the term in almost 20 years because of the unChristians associations and practices.

question: what does Frank think about mysticism and Christian mystics?

answer: Frank has answered this on his blog here.

question: what is Frank’s view of the Christian creeds and orthodoxy?

answer: Frank has answered this on his blog here.

question: Does Frank believe the Holy Spirit’s gifts are still active today?

answer: yes. He’s written on this in several of his books.

question: Does Frank believe in evangelism?

answer. yes, and he also practices it. He believes evangelism is an organic response to loving Jesus, rather than something done out of guilt, duty, or religious pressure. He believes the early Christians evangelized with each other and not just as individuals. He also believes the gospel bids people to repent and believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, the only way to God the Father and eternal life.

question. Does Frank believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation?

answer: absolutely. This is one of the reasons why he’s gotten attacked by liberal progressive Christians.

question: What is Frank’s view of the Bible?

answer: He has a very high view of the Bible. He believes it is fully accurate, reliable, and authoritative. He points to Scripture in all of his books.

question: does Frank believe the theology of people he quotes or those who quote him?

answer: no. Christian authors like Frank quote many people, some who are believers in Jesus and some who aren’t. That doesn’t mean that the authors agree with the theology, practices, and views of everyone they quote. Paul quoted some heathen philosophers to make certain points in Acts and the epistles, but that doesn’t mean Paul agreed with those philosophies. It’s irrational to associate people by mere quotations in a book.

question: is Frank an existentialist?

answer. no. He disagrees with Bultmann and Tillich on this. He would agree with Kierkegaard that it takes faith in Jesus to encounter God and not simply rational persuasive arguments alone, but this view is held by most evangelicals. But he doesn’t believe that experience should be taken over against scripture.

question: does Frank believe the Bible is God’s Word.

answer. yes, He believes Jesus is the living Word and Scripture is the written Word, and both agree. He also believes it’s inspired, authoritative, accurate and reliable.

All of the above answers can be found in Frank’s many books.

For more information, see Frank Viola’s FAQ page. Please also read DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR OR READ.

Too many Christians believe whatever they read if it’s negative without going straight to the person being rumored about (this is a sin according to Matthew 7:12). Slander and gossip are serious that are condemned in the Bible.

Do you have questions that are not addressed here? Go straight to the source himself.