OFF THE SHELF Salvation on the Small Screen?
“news,” variety shows, and Bible cartoons, she confronts some of her prejudices. Salvation on the Small Screen? is not going to rock anyone’s world; TBN By Nadia Bolz-Weber devotees will just be offended, and the Seabury Books rest of us will feel affirmed. On the other The Last TV Evangelist hand, religious media guru Phil Cooke’s The Last TV Evangelist: Why the Next Generation Couldn’t Care Less About Religious By Phil Cooke Media and Why It Matters is squarely aimed Conversant Media Group at those already producing Christian media. Cooke points out that the “milReviewed by Alissa Wilkinson lennial” generation—those born between Nadia Bolz-Weber is a Lutheran minister 1980 and 1995—is having a direct effect who, as a sort of extreme sport, invited a on the way religious media evolves in bevy of friends to join her in watching the next decade, and he urges ministries Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), and churches to wake up to this reality. bastion of televangelism, for a round- Cooke’s book confronts assumptions and the-clock marathon.The result is Salvation provides a basic blueprint for moving on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian forward, even in the rapidly changing Television, a wickedly funny meditation technological landscape. One of the blurbs in the front of the on what appeared onscreen and the book says:“We love The LastTV Evangelist, reactions/discussions of the watchers. Bolz-Weber’s disarming combination but if we published it, we would jeopof saracasm and thoughtfulness keeps the ardize our relationships with too many book from devolving into a screed. TV ministries.” It is signed “A major Scattered throughout the snark are poi- religious publisher.” That, in a nutshell, explains the hurgnant thoughts on the shortcomings of her own tradition. She knows she’s not dles Cooke had to overcome in even in TBN’s target audience, but as she writing this book. He is a major conwatches the televangelists, apocalyptic sultant with many religious media companies and ministries today and as a result takes no sides on theology. His focus in this book is purely methodological: How has religious media changed? Who is driving the change? How does this affect the way we approach Christian media in the future? Cooke is as spot-on as possible when making general assertions about the media trends of the future, particularly the movement toward what media theorist Henry Jenkins has called “convergence culture” —consumers becoming producers through digital photography and movies and other responsive technologies. However, one problem with the book is the foregone conclusion that the Christian media is essentially good, and that we must necessarily adapt today’s PRISM 2009
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technologies to “reach people.” What’s lacking is a rigorous biblical defense of why the church ought to be utilizing the media at all. I would argue that the mere existence of a cultural form (say, flash mobs or reality television) should not necessarily lead to the church adopting that form. Rather each should be considered for the effect that it will have on the goals of Christ’s kingdom: restoring a broken world, building a community, spreading the truth. This reactive attitude toward culture has been the way the church has operated over the last several decades, and it leads to the “copying” posture toward culture that Andy Crouch identifies in Culture Making.To be fair, Cooke delves into the hoped-for blurring of the lines between “Christian” and “secular” toward the end of the book, and he recognizes that organizations like Paulist Productions have been doing this successfully for some years now. Cooke may be overlooking a subtle distinction when he implies that the increasing decline of Christian media is generational rather than cultural. Certainly, most millenials would rather watch paint dry than watch Christian television; on the other hand, so would my mother.
Bolz-Weber’s parents, too, are critical of such programming. Could it be that it’s not only the technology of the millenials that is driving the change but also a larger shifting culture which values relationship over message, sincerity over presentation, transformation over flash? In the end, both books make it clear that the Christian media is reaching an inflection point, and that a massive shift is on the horizon. One only has to look to the efforts of the Obama campaign to see how technology can be successfully used to inspire, raise funds, proclaim a message—and even create the much yearned-for feeling of community. Bolz-Weber and Cooke agree that the church must adapt as well. n Alissa Wilkinson is a writer and editor living in Brooklyn. She is the founding editor of The Curator (CuratorMagazine.com), an associate editor for Comment (Cardus. ca/comment), and on staff at International Arts Movement (IAMny.org).
Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers By Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove InterVarsity Press
Claiborne and JonathanWilson-Hartgrove approach prayer much differently in their book Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers: Prayer for Ordinary Radicals. The authors take three biblical prayers (the Lord’s Prayer, John 17, and Ephesians 1:15-23) and teach believers how to pray. Their idea of prayer moves beyond the “me-ism” so often evident in the evangelical concept of a “personal walk with Christ” and guides the believer towards a life of action lived out in community. As they say in the introduction, “Prayer is not so much about convincing God to do what we want God to do as it is about convincing ourselves to do what God wants us to do.” The Lord’s Prayer invites us to pray and live in community. This prayer encourages action. It prompts the believer to look at the poor, the oppressed, the economy, and even politics through the lens of a kingdom ethic. The authors took the time in 2003 to go to Iraq, at the outset of the United States’ invasion of this country, and live out the Lord’s Prayer. Their thought is that the “most dangerous place to be for Christians is in safety and comfort.” The idea is that the church should live out this prayer, becoming the answer to
Reviewed by J. Monty Stewart The Magic 8 Ball was a wonderful toy created in 1946. One would ask it a yesor-no question, shake it, and turn it upside down to receive an answer. The Magic 8 Ball would offer such answers as “Outlook good,” “My source says no,” or “You may rely on it.” Many a child has sought answers from this shiny black globe over the years. Sadly many Christians have taken the Magic 8 Ball approach to their prayer life.We want prayer to be a talisman that makes God answer in a satisfying—or at least an unambiguous—way. But Shane
a hurting world. John 17 is often referred to as the “High Priestly Prayer.” The authors use their discussion of this prayer—which cries out for unity, love, and action—to call for distinctiveness in the kingdom life. In a church world that strives so hard to be relevant, we need a vision of the kingdom that does not pander to the world’s politics. Christians need to see themselves as “God’s people” instead of allied to political positions of the left or right. The prayer of John 17 shows that love and unity among this people are the key to action. This doesn’t mean that Christians will agree on everything. The authors state it this way: “One of the greatest witnesses of the church can be our ability to disagree well.The world has not seen many folks who can do that.” Ephesians 1:15-23 acknowledges the deep struggles of life yet still clings to hope. The way to show such hope is to live close to Jesus. The authors refer to this as becoming the “spittin’ image” of Jesus in the world. This prayer concludes with living life in the glorious inheritance of Christ. While this prayer has often been employed as a vehicle of escapism from this world into a futuristic kingdom, Claiborne and WilsonHartgrove demonstrate that in fact it is a prayer that moves God’s kingdom into the here and now. The inheritance Paul talks about is a life on fire—today—initiating change and bringing hope to a hurting world. As the authors put it,“We have a God who chooses to need us.” There’s no place for the Magic 8 Ball in the prayer life of a Christian, but if you happen to have one handy, you might ask it this question: “Should I read this book?” Give it a shake and turn it upside down; if the answer comes up “Yes— definitely,” you’ll know that the Magic 8 Ball got it right at least this one time. n J. Monty Stewart is the pastor of Kona Church of the Nazarene, a multicultural church in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
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Cynicism and Hope Edited by Meg E. Cox Cascade Books Reviewed by Andrew Draper One of the more endearing quirks of Cynicism and Hope: Reclaiming Discipleship in a Postdemocratic Society is its (sometimes ironic) commentary on its own title. “Who or what are we reclaiming discipleship from?” asks Ric Hudgens, one of its dozen contributors. Dale Suderman, another contributor, dryly mocks the assumption implicit in the phrase “postdemocratic society.”“At some time in Western or American history we were once democratic!” he writes.“Maybe it was in Athens.” The book has a rather quirky origin as well. In March 2007, several thousand Christian peace activists held a vigil outside the White House on the fourth anniversary of the war in Iraq. The next morning, a few hundred Mennonites from that crowd of activists met in a
church basement to hear a speech by theologian Peter Dula. Inspired by his speech (called “Cynicism and Hope”), some of them organized a conference, which took place the following autumn and ultimately produced this collection of essays. In spite of my initial suspicions, Cynicism and Hope turned out to be a valuable read. It offers a striking example of how universality can spring from particularity; while the contributions clearly belong to the US political picture of 2007 and are grounded in the story of a particular community, they delve so deeply into the drama of sin and grace revealed by that time that they succeed in bringing together the already and the not-yet. The essays offered are stimulating in their variety, so that the collection avoids monotony in spite of its strong harmonizing theme. Hudgens’ meditation on “constructive cynicism” and Suderman’s on “destructive idealism” are both highlights. Another is a brief history of Koinonia Farm in Georgia that brings the reader, with astonishing bluntness, from the community’s stellar-level accomplishments to its cellar-level struggles. Another draws from the work of Flannery O’Connor and J.R.R.Tolkien to explore hope’s communal and personal dimensions. Dula, whose reflections on pain and passion in Iraq open and close the book, models the kind of raw honesty a church that “rejoices with the truth” so vitally needs. Ultimately, the book gives its readers a beguiling glimpse into a community of fervent activists at a reflective moment as they blink in the face of a brutal and intransigent reality. It will make a good dialogue stimulant for those struggling with despair, be they spouses, parents, neighbors, churchgoers, or other kinds of activists. n
Green Revolution By Ben Lowe InterVarsity Press Reviewed by Kiara A. Jorgenson
The millennial generation fills our high school and college classrooms, sits in our church pews, and occupies our workplaces — and through these young men and women a new American era has emerged.While some Boomers and GenXers characterize millennials as individualistic and self-absorbed, frequently tagging them as the “Me Generation,” many teenagers and 20-somethings are challenging that stigma. Ben Lowe, author of Green Revolution: Coming Together to Care for Creation, is one of them.As a recent graduate of Wheaton College and an activist who equips students in compassionate environmental stewardship, Lowe targets his young evangelical peers in this practical introduction to creation care. Peppered with real-life narratives and feasible points of personal and social application, Green Revolution reads more like a journal than an environmental treatise and as such serves as great conversational Andrew Draper is a husband, parent, neighbor, fodder for youth, students, and those who work alongside them. and churchgoer in Brooklyn, N.Y PRISM 2009
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Lowe begins his book by summarizing contemporary environmental issues such as water supply, food production, deforestation, and the sustainability of ecosystems. Refreshingly, Lowe correlates environmental degradation with other social concerns and asserts that creation care is inherently a justice issue. Having painted a clear picture of the stakes, Lowe then turns to relevant passages in Scripture.The chapters on God’s plan for the earth present some helpful steps for evangelical Christians, such as the need for repentance and self-sacrifice, but on a whole lack theological clarity and conviction. While Lowe does discuss a handful of germane passages, he does not articulate a comprehensive redemptive view of creation and thus leaves the reader with a vague and deficient understanding of important subjects like dominion and biblical environmental stewardship.Thankfully, the book’s excellent appendices offer numerous supplementary resources on those very topics, among others. Lowe hits his stride in the final segments of the book, which closely examine the growing environmental movement. He begins this section by addressing the movement’s catalyst — the climate crisis. While leaving the global warming question unanswered, he boldly articulates a fair and scientific critique of global climate changes and in doing so challenges the reader to avoid committing what he calls “sins of omission.” Lowe then spends five chapters outlining factors contributing to the germination, growth, and sustainability of the movement and notes millennials’ unique role in the establishment of green communities and the legislation of creation-focused policies. In short, prospective readers shouldn’t pick up Green Revolution to form a fullorbed theology of creation care or to become experts on the technicalities of the green scene. Rather, intrigued thinkers ought to pick it up with inspiration in mind. The youthful, hopeful tone of this
work will not only get readers composting, but also challenge them to see today’s young people as they really are — the “We Generation.” n Kiara Jorgenson is an affliliate professor of biblical studies at Colorado Christian University and on the teaching faculty at Valor Christian High School in Denver, Col.
Faith & Doubt By John Ortberg Zondervan Reviewed by Daniel Boerman Although I am a professing Christian, doubt always holds a place in my mind. I look at a world full of malnutrition, abuse, and slavery, and I ask, “Where is God?” I read reports of a warming planet maltreated and neglected by selfish Christians, and I wonder, “Does faith really make any difference?” I plead with God for the hundredth time to help me solve a persistent problem in my life, and once again I hear only silence. Is God even listening? John Ortberg wrote Faith & Doubt for people like me. Apparently he shares the same struggles. In fact, Ortberg, a Presbyterian pastor, argues that everyone possesses both faith and doubt. We all have some faith in the people around us; without it we would not dare to venture out of our houses. But we all live with doubts, too — can we really trust our doctor, our boss, even our friends? And what about God? Are contemporary atheist writers correct in claiming it unreasonable to believe in God in the 21st century? Probably the most important point Ortberg makes is that we cannot allow PRISM 2009
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doubt and uncertainty to keep us from commitment.This is obvious if we think about marriage. If you insisted on learning all there is to know about your fiancée in order to guarantee that she would be the perfect mate — before going through with the wedding — you would never get married. Every commitment involves some risk. So it is with God. We cannot be absolutely certain that Christianity is true on this side of the grave, but that does not give us an excuse to withhold our commitment. If we never make any commitments, we miss out on everything that makes life meaningful and worthwhile. But if we are searching for certainty, faith will not take us there. “As long as you have faith, you will have doubts,” writes Ortberg. Faith implies doubt; there is no need for faith where there is certitude. Faith keeps us trusting and serving God while we wait to see how things will actually turn out. “Uncertainty is a gift, because it gnaws at us to pursue truth. As hunger prompts our stomach to find food, doubts prompt our minds to find reality,” Ortberg states. Motivated by our uncertainty, we search diligently for truth and understanding. In fact, says the author, we should search more passionately for truth than we do for Jesus, for if Jesus is right, if he is indeed the way, the truth, and the life, our search for truth will inevitably lead to him. The weakness of this book is its discontinuity from one chapter to the next. Some chapters (e.g.,“Longing for Home”), while interesting, do not contribute directly to the main theme of the book. Aside from this caveat, however, I found this book informative and encouraging, and I recommend it to anyone who struggles with serious doubts about their Christian faith. n Daniel Boerman’s articles and reviews have appeared in The Church Herald and Discipleship Journal.