Book Review – Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
Image: Radical by Len Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)
Synopsis: Len's Star Rating: 9 out of 10. A challenging and convicting book on Christian faith and living a life of servanthood and sacrifice, which is counter to mainstream American church culture.
BY LEN LANTZ, MD / 1.25.2023; No. 103
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Star Rating – 9 out of 10
Rating guide: 1 = horrible, 5 = average and 10 = wow
Author
David Platt
About the author
David Platt is a best-selling author of over a dozen books, the Lead Pastor at McLean Bible Church in Washington, DC, and the founder and chairman of Radical Inc, a charitable, global missions organization with a focus on discipleship, leadership development, humanitarian relief, and other strategic initiatives. Dr. Platt received his PhD from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
General description
Radical is a book that focuses on the discrepancy between Jesus’ Great Commission and the great American spin on (or hypocrisy in) Christianity. David Platt is blunt in his assessment that the pursuit of the American Dream and an authentic expression of Christian faith are incompatible. The author calls the reader to embrace sacrifice and servanthood and to discard convenience, predictability, and financial gain in this challenging and countercultural approach to faith and life.
Unique and most important aspects
Radical is a highly provocative and thought-provoking book. Even though this book was written 13 years ago, it feels like it could have been written yesterday. I was drawn like a moth to the flame by the subtitle of this book: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. The author shows the conflict between pursuing the American Dream and living the Great Commission. I found this book to contain a convicting and necessary message. Americans have more security, riches, room for advancement, and freedom than any other nation in the world, yet these same advantages seem to stunt the authentic expression of Christian faith.
Even though I’m giving Radical a high rating, I am not providing a full endorsement of the theology presented in this book. I disagree with some of David Platt’s theology, however, he writes to share Jesus with the world, not to advance his theological beliefs. Dr. Platt is passionate, so someone reading his book titled Radical should not be surprised to find frequent absolutist language and forced dichotomies in the text. But as it turns out, it’s not David Platt who is radical, it’s Jesus. The author is simply effectively conveying how extreme Jesus was (and is). Important concepts from Radical include:
Secret Church
The goal of the American dream versus the goal of the gospel
The Radical Experiment (for one year)
Pray for the entire world (methodically, such as using Operation World’s prayer guide)
Read through the entire Bible
Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose (something trustworthy, gospel-focused, and church-centered)
Spend your time in another context (a mission trip)
Commit your life to a multiplying (evangelistic) community
Best quotes
“But then [Jesus] continued: “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Now this is taking it to another level. Pick up an instrument of torture and follow me. This is getting plain weird…and kind of creepy. Imagine a leader coming on the scene today and inviting all who would come after him to pick up an electric chair and become his disciple. Any takers?”
“And this is where we need to pause. Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with. A nice, middle-class, American Jesus…A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream.”
“Suddenly contemporary Christianity sales pitches don’t seem adequate anymore…Our attempt to reduce this gospel to a shrink-wrapped presentation that persuades someone to say or pray the right things back to us no longer seems appropriate.”
“Consider the implications for Christianity in America if this is true. What if God in all his might is simply waiting to show his power in a people who turn their backs on a philosophy of life that exalts their supposed ability to do anything they want and who instead confess their desperate need for him?”
“Jesus lived for them. During his earthly ministry, he spent more time with these twelve men than with everyone else in the world put together.”
“In our Christian version of the American dream, our plan ends up disinfecting Christians from the world more than discipling Christians in the world.”
“We are the plan of God, and there is no plan B.”
“This is the unavoidable conclusion of Matthew 10. To everyone wanting a safe, untroubled, comfortable life free from danger, stay away from Jesus. The danger in our lives will always increase in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ.”
Who would enjoy this book?
Readers who are interested in a challenging and convicting book on faith from a conservative Christian theological perspective (but not a conservative Christian political perspective) would likely enjoy Radical.
Who would not enjoy this book?
Readers who believe in a prosperity gospel or who are interested in an easily digested, feel-good book on Christian living are unlikely to enjoy Radical.
Conclusion
Radical is a challenging and convicting book on Christian faith and living a life of servanthood and sacrifice, which is counter to mainstream American church culture.