So You Want to Do Ekklesia by Douglas Krieger
Breaking the Mold: Krieger’s Vision for Authentic Ekklesia
Douglas W. Krieger’s So You Want to Do Ekklesia is a sweeping, impassioned treatise that critiques the institutional church and exhorts believers to rediscover the participatory, Spirit-led model of Christian gathering modeled in the New Testament. With a mixture of theological rigor, personal reflection, and ecclesiological experimentation, Krieger calls for a radical reimagining of what it means to “be the church,” moving beyond conventional ministry structures into the realm of genuine “ekklesia.”
At its core, the book argues that much of modern Western Christianity has drifted far from the biblical model of the “ekklesia”—the Greek term used in the New Testament to describe gatherings of believers. Rather than centering on hierarchical leadership and passive congregations, Krieger insists the New Testament vision of ekklesia is participatory, egalitarian, Spirit-governed, and profoundly relational. Through explorations of biblical passages (especially 1 Corinthians 11–14), anecdotes, satire, and ecclesial commentary, the author demonstrates how current church models too often centralize control, stifle individual spiritual expression, and fail to equip the Body of Christ for true unity and spiritual maturity.
Douglas Krieger is no neophyte in theological circles. A seasoned author of more than a dozen theological works and a veteran of prophetic conferences and ecclesiastical reform movements, Krieger writes with the authority of someone who has both studied and lived through the evolution of American Christianity since the Jesus Movement. His grounding in Scripture is evident, as is his familiarity with voices in the organic church movement, such as Frank Viola, George Barna, and Witness Lee. While the book primarily draws on biblical texts and personal experience, it engages these with a level of scholarly insight that suggests deep theological reflection, even if formal academic citations are sparse.
Krieger’s tone is unapologetically conversational, often laced with humor, sarcasm, rhetorical questions, and illustrative cartoons—what he himself calls a “folksy” style. This makes for an engaging read, though occasionally at the expense of cohesion and academic polish. The text leaps between deep biblical exposition and anecdotal storytelling with an energy that mirrors the spontaneity he desires in ekklesia gatherings. This approach makes the book highly readable for lay audiences but may feel scattered or informal to readers expecting systematic argumentation.
The book’s greatest strength lies in its passionate advocacy for authentic community and mutual participation among believers. Krieger’s conviction that “each one has” something to contribute to the Body of Christ is not merely theoretical but borne of long ministry experience and practical observation. His critique of ecclesiastical control—what he terms “controller culture”—is sharp and often uncomfortably accurate, especially for those who have experienced spiritual manipulation or marginalization in church contexts. Some claims—especially about factions, leadership dynamics, or the interpretation of prophetic fulfillment in the Hebrew calendar—may feel speculative or insufficiently substantiated for critical readers. The breadth of the topics (from house churches to the Feast of Dedication) occasionally dilutes the central thesis.
In a post-pandemic world where many believers are reconsidering the meaning of church outside of brick-and-mortar sanctuaries, Krieger’s message is timely. So You Want to Do Ekklesia contributes to ongoing conversations about decentralization, relational ministry, and the revival of first-century church practices. Readers familiar with Viola’s Reimagining Church or Wolfgang Simson’s The House Church Book will find this volume a kindred (though more satirical) voice. However, Krieger’s emphasis on eschatological themes and Hebrew feast correlations sets it apart, giving the book a distinctly prophetic undercurrent.
Krieger’s book is a spirited and insightful call to reform, restore, and reimagine the way Christians gather and relate as the Body of Christ. It is a compelling blend of exhortation, biblical reflection, and ecclesiastical critique that will resonate with believers disillusioned by institutional church life. While not a scholarly treatise in the traditional sense, its sincerity, breadth of vision, and biblical grounding offer something valuable to anyone seeking to embody a more vibrant, Christ-centered form of community.
Recommended For:
– Pastors and leaders exploring house church or organic models
– Lay believers hungry for deeper participation in Christian life
– Readers disillusioned with institutional religion but still devoted to Christ
– Those involved in missional or decentralized Christian movements
So You Want to Do Ekklesia is a provocative, heart-driven plea for the church to become what it was meant to be: not a performance, but a living, breathing, Christ-centered people.
—N3UR4L Reviews
