"The Evangelical Imagination" (Karen Swallow Prior)

TITLE: The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis
AUTHOR: Karen Swallow Prior
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2023, (304 pages).
 

What has imagination got to do with evangelicalism? How far do stories, myths, and metaphors affect our lives? How connected is modern culture with the evangelical Church? Who influences who more? In a book that uses many types of symbols and metaphors, author and professor Karen Swallow Prior gives us a creative snapshot of the state of the evangelical church. More importantly, she takes us back to how we perceive the Church, the evangelical movement, and the insidious influence the world has on public perception. It is a fresh way of thinking with regard to understanding the struggles of the Church and culture today. Taking away the notion of imagination merely as a "brain function," Prior first shows us the central function of imagination beyond mere perceptions, that it heavily influences our everyday living. The second thing is to show us that the evangelical movement is connected to our "social imaginaries." As our culture changes, so do our perceptions of the evangelical movement. After comparing the academic definitions of evangelicalism from theologians David Bebbington, Timothy Larsen, John Stackhouse, and the National Evangelical Association, Prior goes to the layperson's perspective to remind readers that most people don't see evangelicalism in an academic sense.

"When the Church Stops Working" (Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand)

TITLE: When the Church Stops Working 
AUTHOR: Andrew Root and Blair Bertrand
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023, (176 pages).
 

"The Church is in crisis." That's nothing new. "The world is influencing believers more than the Church." That's old news. "The Church should try harder, work more, develop better programs, and become more relevant to the secular world." Been there, done that, what's next? Well, what if the Church should move away from its conventional measurements of success such as numbers, more efforts, and imitation of "successful" megachurches? Now we are listening. Beginning with a frank assessment of our prevailing culture, the authors point out the influence of secular society over the church at large; dividing societies into three major dichotomies: Secular vs Sacred; Public vs Private; and Immanent vs Transcendent. Secularism now sets the agenda, not the sacred. In a culture that prefers to keep the faith as private as possible, it is now possible to not believe in God and not need God. Along with that, secularism diminishes the awareness of the transcendent. The key to understanding how to revitalize the Church has more to do with this environment instead of throwing more money, programs, and innovation into the Church. In a bold shift from a myopic focus on internal Church dynamics, authors Andrew Root and Blaire Bertrand help us understand the trajectory of ministry for the future. They first critique the conventional ministry strategies, especially those based on "rules of capitalism."  One popular way is that of acceleration in order to have more: Do more, get more, and perform more. Many churches that adopt this practice will tend to rush hastily with their plans instead of waiting for the Lord. One popular capitalist maxim is, "It is not the big who eat the small, but the fast who eat the slow." Churches swallow this whole: hook, line, and sinker. They remind us of the critical need to learn how to wait for God's timing. Unfortunately, impatience often drive human decisions through accelerated programs instead of waiting upon God through prayer and trust. Another catchy strategy is to use the popular mission-vision statement to drive the Church forward. The authors then point out the difference between a "mission statement" and "missional theology." The former put human actions at the center while the latter lets the Word of God drive any action. They call for the use of a "watchword" instead of a mission statement. In contrast to a "password" which we use to enter and forget, a "watchword" is something that shapes us to observe and discern things beyond mere results. The use of such a "watchword" helps us appreciate the relationships we have as we encounter one another, and to wait in such a way that we may encounter God. Weaving together the stories of faith, we let God speak to us in a way that blesses the relationships we have with one another. 

"From Pandemic to Renewal" (Chris Rice)

TITLE: From Pandemic to Renewal
AUTHOR: Chris Rice
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (240 pages).
 

Without a doubt, the pandemic has changed the world in more ways than we know. For the first time worldwide, people see lockdowns and travel quarantines. Many go for mandatory vaccinations. Masks are required in public places. Corporations tell people to work from home. Even churches have to go virtual. As the world reels from two years of pandemic lifestyles, many no longer recognize the normal they once knew. Many businesses like restaurants and retail have suffered to the point of totally shutting down. Churches too have seen their numbers plummet to the point where formerly regular members no longer attend physical church. On the flip side, there have been some positive post-pandemic developments as well. Some experience the freedom of working from home without compromising their work productivity. They testify of better work-life balance. They also benefitted from turning "transit time" into profitable work time. Author Chris Rice looks at the whole situation to bring us three critical insights. First, we gain a deeper insight into our inner struggles. The pandemic has become a form of X-Ray to expose the things we do not usually see. Stress and emotional challenges take on a new dimension. Bipartisan politics worsen by the increased use of social media. Digital platforms take on a new level of significance. People brace themselves to enter a new world never seen before. Secondly, we are connected far beyond our shores. We see a deeper interconnected future about how events far away can impact us up close and personal. Like the way covid spreads from Asia to America, and to the rest of the world, it is no longer possible to quarantine any potential problems. No longer can we simply mind our own business or think we do not need the rest of the world. We are more connected and dependent than we think. Thirdly, the pandemic has opportunities for us to build upon. This is where the majority of the book will be centering upon. Rather than be shaken up negatively by the pandemic, why not re-adjust our sails positively? With this paradigm shift, the author sets out to do just that. This book covers the eight pathways from pandemic to renewal across various realms, covering economic, moral, social, political, religious, and several other aspects. 

"Beautiful Union" (Joshua Ryan Butler)

TITLE: Beautiful Union: How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything
AUTHOR: Joshua Ryan Butler
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Multnomah Press, 2023, (288 pages).
 

Sex is beautiful. It is also sacred. When God created the human race, he was highly pleased. When sin entered the world, all hell broke loose. Whatever God had created became corrupted or tainted with sin. Sex is one of them. Just like how Adam and Eve allowed sin to turn their innocence into shame, more often than not, sex had negative connotations. What God had created as good and beautiful, descended into something people are generally ashamed of. So, they hide. They say that sex talk equals promiscuity. They presume that any thoughts of sexuality or sexual act are "dirty" until proven otherwise. We need a healthy correction to this beautiful gift of God. This book is an attempt to do just that. It studies the intent of God's gift, the beauty, the mystery, and the vision God has for us. In other words, sex is a beautiful thing from God and we need to recover this beauty culturally, mentally, and theologically. Butler first looks at the way modern culture has corrupted the original meaning and intent of sex. He compares the biblical and cultural use of language to describe sex. One of the distinctions is how the Bible does not shy away from the description, unlike the way modern culture treats the subject. Perhaps, this has something to do with the way sin has triggered the human tendency to hide things that they perceive as inherently shameful. Butler then makes his case by boldly pushing back against the cultural norms with two words: Generosity and Hospitality. Taking on biblical boldness, he tries to connect sex with the nature of grace. Using complementary language, one party receives while the other gives. Butler makes a theological stretch (albeit a stretch too far), to cement the roles of each gender into the giving and receiving metaphor. He spends some time describing what union is and why it is beautiful. Going back to the umbrella of God's creation, sex is indeed a beautiful gift from God. Freedom and grace accompany this beautiful gift. Using God's identity as the Triune God, he shows us how we are made to belong to one another. He then goes on to describe and also redeem words deemed taboo, like "orgasm," "making love," "semen," "vagina," etc. He also covers topics with regard to abortion, adultery, birth control, diversity, divorce, singleness, gay-sex, "the leave and cleave gospel," and the dangers of "cheap sex," the "sexual prosperity gospel," the latter being the comparison between purity keeping and legalism. In that aspect, I think Butler has given us lots of food for thought on how to think about such issues from a biblical standpoint.

"Say a Little Prayer" (Joanne Redmond)

TITLE: Say a Little Prayer
AUTHOR: Joanne Redmond
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2023, (176 pages). 
 

The Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing. How can we do that in a busy world? Is there an effective way we can pray especially in a world of short attentiveness and an increasingly attention-deficit world? How is it possible to pray all day? According to author Joanne Redmond, one way is to learn to pray short prayers throughout the day. She helps us expand our repertoire of prayer opportunities throughout the day with her "101 everyday ways to pray." It could be the start of the morning or the end of the day. It could be making a payment at a kiosk, reacting to a tense situation,  typing on a computer, reading about troubles in this world, having a coffee, or just about anything that we encounter or do on a day-to-day basis. Each day has a specific idea for us to consider and practice throughout the day. Each short prayer idea is accompanied by an illustration, a prayer, a quote, a template, a Bible verse, or a prayer from selected spiritual practitioners. In fact, the brevity of the idea makes it an ideal pick-up prayer moment(s) each day. It is not meant to be skimmed through, but to be pondered and remembered throughout the day. When Redmond says it is a "little prayer," it literally is. After giving us a short idea, the length of prayer is really up to us. We can pray one long prayer from that idea, or we can have multiple moments of prayer throughout the day. We can also call these moments where the Spirit leads.