BOOK REVIEW: Gabe Lyons’ “The Next Christians” is dismissive arrogance …
It’s nearly impossible to appreciate the multiple good points Gabe Lyons makes in his latest book, “The Next Christians” (published by Double Day) since his message is predicated on a sweeping, arrogant dismissal of most of America’s Christians today.
The underlying foundation of his message in this book is Lyons’ taking a rather large shovel and packing down the dirt on the grave of Christianity in America, which he proclaims as being dead. At the top of the book cover, in all capital letters, are the words, “THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE END OF CHRISTIAN AMERICA.” Lyons will try to spin that into a hope for the future, but I don’t see anything good — at all — in the thought that “Christian America” is dead.
In fact, Lyons’ statement is an exaggeration. While Christianity has lost a good deal of influence in American culture, it isn’t dead yet, and the church can still revive its standing in this country. But Lyons seems all too happy to toss the dirt on the grave of the church and pack it down tightly.
Lyons is quick to blame many Christians in America today for the demise of the American church. He identifies two camps of Christians as being the chief culprits. First are “Separatists” who are composed of “insiders,” culture warriors, and “evangelizers.” Next are “Cultural” Christians, who Lyons describes as “blenders” and philanthropists. Basically, any kind of Christian of a more conservative theological background are part of these two overly narrow definitions created by Lyons (with almost no dings to the more liberal theological mindset). To him, their poor behavior has so offended non-believers that the church has lost its influence in America today.
With such great dismissive arrogance, Lyons judges the church, the majority of those who make up the American church today, and finds them guilty.
The good news, according to Lyons, is the hope of the American church is the “next Christians.” Not those from previous generations who are still serving today, but the next generation of Christians, who he goes on to describe in the book as if they are perfect manifestations of biblical Christianity.
These “next Christians,” according to Lyons, are “restorers.” Throughout the book, Lyons has a constant and radical view of restoration, proclaiming that as God’s foremost focus. In doing so, Lyons completely misses the point of transformation. God wants to restore some things, but He desires to transform others.
To Lyons, restoration is all about engaging culture. I would agree with the vitality of engaging culture if that’s what Lyons meant. But his description of engaging culture is more accurately one of embracing culture. From that mindset, Lyons holds to the idea that doing good, or what he refers to as the “common good for all” is every bit as important as evangelism. Lyons even notes a couple times settings describing the value of doing good, and states that hopefully, along the way, some lost people will get saved. He also writes, “Based on a common good mentality, these Christians aren’t confounded by only thinking about how to get people ‘saved.’ They have freed their minds to dream about how they can serve in God’s kingdom.”
Lyons’ misses multiple points taking such a position. It was Jesus who said there isn’t anyone who is good except for God. In order for genuine good to come from us, we have to fix that brokenness we have with God. That requires evangelism. Further, Jesus did not come to do some good deeds and, hopefully from doing so, some would decide to believe in Him as a secondary outcome. Scripture says Jesus came for a specific purpose: to seek and to save the lost.
The church does have a singular mission, given to it by Jesus Christ himself. That mission is to go into all the world and make disciples. As a part of living out the mission and being whole Ambassadors for Christ, many good deeds would flow from the lives of Christians as they live out their faith in practical daily living, while maintaining a primary focus of leading others to Christ.
Finally, Lyons is both hypocritical and inconsistent in his criticisms of today’s Christians as he contrasts them to his “next Christians.” For example, he tells the personal story of he and his wife having a Downs Syndrome child, and how that highlighted to them a problem with abortion. Lyons writes, “We could have gotten involved the way we’d seen many other Christians engage the abortion issue: by calling it out as murder, joining pro-life protests, helping to elect pro-life candidates, and even carrying the fight to the abortion clinics themselves. Or, we could look for a more solution-oriented way to approach this issue.” Lyons’ better solution was to design and distribute a booklet.
However, he later uses the success of homosexual activist leaders as an example that can “inform” the church. Lyons writes about these leaders, “In the process, they showed us what it looks like to work the levers of cultural influence with mastery.” Doesn’t Lyons realize the “process” used by homosexual activist leaders include some of the same processes used by pro-life activists, such as holding protests, selecting political candidates who support their view, and taking the fight to specific locations. It seems as though Lyons finds some behaviors perfectly acceptable for some, saying it can “inform” the church, but not supporting the same actions on behalf of Christian positions, even on the abortion issue. Would Lyons support the church hosting “Christian pride” parades in cities across America? Not likely.
Lyons opens chapter one with these words, “Seven years ago, I was twenty-seven years old and embarrassed to call myself Christian.” Based on his wholesale judgment and dismissal of today’s Christians in America, it doesn’t appear he’s gotten over his embarrassment. Now, he simply looks to some kind of “next generation” Christians to turn the church into what he envisions it should be.
“The Next Christians” is priced at only $19.99. Save your money, or put it on some other book that actually has a positive contribution to make to the church.
Scotty
I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their book review bloggers 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 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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