Pinnacles of Power
by Michael Phillips
Pinnacles of Power is a novel that raises many good questions for Christians to consider about the integrity of the organizations of which we are a part. While the novel's focus is on parachurch organizations, I think the issues raised just as easily apply to churches — any organization, really, which serves as an "official face" of the Christian faith. Sadly, we often get so caught up in officialdom and appearances that we often forget the faith that these groups are supposed to embody. When we do that, it can only mean bad things for the name of Christians, Christian organizations, and Christ himself. Pinnacles of Power does a very good job of bringing this problem to the forefront.
The weaknesses of the novel, for me, lie in the implausibility of much of the events in the narrative. It is too sensationalized and idealistic, and at the same time, too simplistic. That, for me, makes the characters not entirely sympathetic, seeming a little "plastic" instead. I was not as drawn in to the story of this novel and the lives of its characters as I have been with other novels by Michael Phillips. There are several of his stories that are much stronger, though probably none that raise more important issues for Christians in this day and age.
Reviewed by Shelly Bryant @ 2010