Radical by David Platt
“Radical” is a book about challenging the modern American Christian’s mindsets to what real Christianity is. The author grabs several of the American church’s commonplace ideas by the horns and proceeds to wrestle them to the ground by comparing them with Scripture, and using rational arguments, challenging questions, and compelling real life stories.
My thinking was definitely challenged. I could tell early on while reading this book that this was a serious issue which led me to pray that I wouldn’t miss any real conviction that the Holy Spirit may be trying to bring to me through this book and that if convicted, I would take action and not remain the same. I would suggest a similar prayer to any reader as the assertions of this author are too great to be ignored.
David Platt asserts that we, as the American church, have been lulled into passivity by our trying to live the American dream instead of trying to live real New Testament Christianity. I would agree that, as a whole, we have.
What would it look like if we all really believed Jesus and obeyed what He said? It would look radical.
The author proves it can be done by his own and others’ examples. One thing I appreciated was the way he did not prescribe specifics on how to act out the challenges he laid out. Instead he left the application of the principles open to each individual, between him or her and God.
Even though my thinking was challenged I was a little disappointed that he didn’t talk about everything in New Testament Christianity—that is stuff that Christians of charismatic or pentecostal persuasion tend to believe in, such as Christians being used by God to heal others or deliver them from demons.
I was also a little surprised by some of the actual literal challenges at the end of the book. Are there really that many modern American Christians that haven’t read through the Bible in one year? Wow, if we need that as a challenge, we are worse off than I thought!
But overall it was thought provoking and challenging. If you even suspect that you may have a little bit of passivity lurking in your lifestyle somewhere I recommend that you read the book. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be radical.
To purchase your own copy of this book go here: Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their blogging for books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 225: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”