You
won't see Frank Viola in church on Sunday, but you can
find him on the shelves of the Christian section in your
local book store.
Viola says he can't remember the last time he was inside a
church, but he's written more than half a dozen books on
Christianity.
He will tell you that many Christians miss the central
meaning of the Bible, doubt that God loves them, suffer a
guilt complex, and don't know their purpose.
In his new book, "God's Ultimate Passion: Unveiling
the Purpose Behind Everything," which he will be
signing at three area stores next month, the 42-year-old
Viola addresses Christians of all denominations and
contemplates a fresh look at faith and the Bible.
"The common Christian sitting in a pew on Sunday
morning isn't learning these things," says Viola, who
wants readers to walk away with a new sense of purpose and
passion.
He says that today's Christian gospel puts human beings at
the center, and so people are absorbed with their own
concerns. The message of God's eternal purpose, however,
is centered on what God desires, Viola says; then, humans
are invited to join in.
"God has a passion and a purpose that goes beyond the
needs of us humans," he says.
Viola, who was raised an evangelical Christian, left the
institutional church in 1988, and is now a leader in the
growing "house church movement," in which groups
of Christians meet in homes to worship without clergy.
Viola travels the country "planting" and
assisting these churches, as well as speaking on the
topic.
Viola describes a house church like a round-table
discussion, where all of the members participate by
sharing what they are learning and experiencing. The
members write their own songs and make decisions for their
church together. He says the idea is to gather like
Christians did in the first century.
Viola was born in New Jersey and raised in New York. He
moved to Florida in 1977, studied education at the
University of South Florida in the mid-1980s, and was a
high school teacher for 13 years in Tampa. He has been
writing about Christianity since 1997, and became a
full-time author in 2003. He moved to Gainesville in 2004.
The inspiration for "God's Ultimate Passion"
dates back to 1992, when Viola had what he describes as an
"epiphany" while reading the Bible.
Local bookstores say they're familiar with Viola's
previous books, but have yet to hear feedback from
customers about "God's Ultimate Passion." At
some stores, the book has only recently reached shelves;
at others, it's on back order.
The book has been available online since December, and
Viola says the response has so far been positive.
"It's humbling to me because I didn't know it would
have that kind of impact," he says.
"God's Ultimate Passion" is distributed by
Destiny Image, a Christian publisher based in Pennsylvania
that prints about 60 books a year and answers the phones
with "Jesus loves you."
"Frank appeals to a growing number of people who are
dissatisfied with the church," says Don Milam, the
company's vice president of acquisition. "We see a
great need for the kinds of books Frank is writing."
Viola's book was released nationwide at the beginning of
April to more than 1,000 bookstores, Christian and
non-Christian, Milam says. An international release is
planned for summer.
