BOOK REVIEW - NOT A FAN BY KYLE IDLEMAN

  

Last Sunday, I posted a review for Alisa Childer's excellent book, Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity. I also posted that review on the Indianapolis Library's webpage. It then recommended five other books because I liked that one. The first book they mentioned was from the opposite view. But on the list is one I read back in 2014 that I'd recommend.

 My wife and I subscribe to the bi-weekly newspaper of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, which is where we learned of Not A Fan -- not surprising, since the pastor of the church, Kyle Idleman, is the author. His theme is whether you are a committed follower to Christ regardless what comes your way, or are you a fan who will be there when things are good but aren't willing to give everything up to follow Christ.

The strength of this book is it is based on Scripture. Idleman's premise is founded on Scripture: the first section on certain encounters with Jesus, the second looks at Christ's call to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him, and finally comparing our response with three would-be followers. Following most chapters is a story of a person to show what following Christ looks like.

I'm not speaking for Idleman himself, but the denomination he's affiliated with is more Arminian, believing one can lose their salvation. While the author might have that view, he doesn't mention it. The predominate theme of the negative reviews is that nobody will measure up to the standard Idleman lays out. The truth is if we're honest we can't meet God's standard while we live on earth. But I found this book an encouragement as well as a challenge -- while it highlights areas I can follow Him more, I also found areas of encouragement that I'm headed the right direction.

This book has been compared to David Platt's Radical; I'd make a case that it's more like John MacArthur's The Gospel According To Jesus, and Platt's Follow Me, since all these books are based on the Gospels. One difference with this book is that Idleman sprinkles plenty of humor there. You'll want to read his footnotes -- that's where he places some of his best jokes.

There are times we need an encouragement of God's unconditional love for us, but there are also times we need to examine ourselves, take spiritual inventory, and see if there's room for improvement. This is an excellent book for the latter.

This book came out in '11; have you read it yet? Also, are there times when God encouraged you to examine yourself, to see where you're at in the threefold command to deny self, take up your cross, and follow Jesus? 

ENTERTAINMENT VS. PROPOGANDA

 Anybody else here familiar with the 1982 Oscar nominated "Missing" starring Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek? 

For those who aren't, the story takes place during the Chilean coup of 1973 and the US' involvement. It focuses on a man who disappears and the efforts of his father (Lemmon) and wife (Spacek) to find him. 

SPOILER ALERT. At the end of the movie, they find the body of that individual. The father tells the embassy that he's going to sue the US government over it, where a worker replies, "That's your right."

"No," the father replied, "it's my privilege."

The first thought that crossed my mind was "Good for you, standing up to those bullies." My second thought was "And that's what the movie's director wanted me to think." I left the theater feeling manipulated.

True, the director was on the left end of the political spectrum. However, my ideological opponents don't have the monopoly on playing emotional puppet master. I've seen some videos recently which are promoting a message I whole heartedly agree with that are poorly written and unashamedly try to play on one's feelings.

Many sermons are designed to trigger an emotional response. There's a popular Christian song that left me feeling my feelings were used. I've read a couple of Christian novels recently where the faith element seemed to be included for the sole purpose of the book being for the Christian market.

Can you get a message across without that manipulation? Yes. I read the novel Jurassic Park. By the time I finished it, I got the strong feeling that author Michael Crichton had written the story as a warning against genetic engineering. But his appeal went to my mind, not to my emotions. It made me think; it did not make me react.

I am an artist, but I'm also a preacher at heart. My creativity is channeled through my Christian worldview and has a purpose to communicate as well as to be quality product. So I do have the concern of trying to get the message to the brain as opposed to tugging and playing with one's heartstrings.

In the novel I'm writing, I have characters with different viewpoints. One way to keep from manipulating is to present more than one perspective and to avoid to stereotypically have the good guys agree with me and the bad guys disagree. 

Are there examples where you feel manipulated by a work of art or a non-fiction book or reporting? Are there examples where your thinking is challenged but where you don't feel manipulated?