BOOK REVIEW - "JOYFUL OUTSIDERS: SIX WAYS TO LIVE LIKE JESUS IN A DISORIENTING CULTURE" BY PATRICK MILLER & KEITH SIMON

Just after the 2024 election, I learned of the Podcast "Truth Over Tribe" by Patrick Miller and Keith Simon (they also wrote a book by the same title), and listened to a few episodes. In the first, they were talking about their new book to be released early '25 titled "Joyful Outsiders: Six Ways to Live Like Jesus in a Disorienting Culture." When they mentioned the "six ways," my curiosity kicked in, and I looked forward to reading this book.

The book is divided into two parts. Part 1 (chapters 1-4) is titled "Outsiders," dealing with the fact that Christians are currently... well, outsiders in contemporary, secular society. They give a couple of stories that point to this fact, and point out some typical but not helpful ways to respond: namely, by being Conformist, Combative, Cloistered, Nostalgic, or Conflict-Avoidant Outsiders. The authors state that we're in Babylon, a society that does not share our worldviews, an environment we don't fit in.

The second part (chapters 5-11) is focused on the same ways. They start with a situation where there was tension between two Christians who had different approaches to deal with our culture. The book then looks into six ways the sub-title mentions. In each case, they define the way, give both a Biblical and a biographical example, and the weaknesses (called the Shadow Side) of each way. These ways are: 

1. The Trainer, changing Babylon by Changing Habits (such as developing spiritual disciplines, illustrated by Ezra and Dietrich Bonhoeffer),
2. The Advisor, changing Babylon by influencing leaders (getting in a position to get the ear of leaders, illustrated by Daniel and Billy Graham),
3. The Artist, changing Babylon by making beauty (illustrated by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah and former missionary/artist Vincent Van Gough),
4. The Ambassador, changing Babylon by Winning Hearts (illustrated by Paul and Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright), 
5. The Protestor, changing Babylon by Challenging injustice (illustrated by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and by Fannie Lou Hamer), and 
6. The Builder, changing Babylon by building institutions (illustrated by Nehemiah and business man Peter Ochs).

At the end, he has six sets of 18 questions each to help you find which of the approaches fit you. I expected to score highest in the Artist category, which I did (67 points on a possible 90). I did not expect to do as well on builder, and was surprised to see that I scored 65 on. There was little surprise I was lowest on Advisor and Protestor. 

The book concludes with a description of each of the six ways and suggested reading.

This book made good points and gave a lot to think about. For this reason, it earned 5 stars on my review. However, there were caveats that tempted me to drop it down to 4 stars. Mainly, this book seemed to take the ideas of the authors and then make Scripture fit them rather than it being Biblically based. For example, I would not consider the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to be the best examples of Artist or the three Hebrew children as being protestors. Likewise, evangelism seems to be presented as one way rather than being the answer.

Thus, I would say this is a book that deserves to be read, but I'm not as quick to endorse it as I am with other books.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "FAITHFULLY DIFFERENT: REGAINING BIBLICAL CLARITY IN A SECULAR CULTURE" BY NATASHA CRAIN

 

Pressures to conform. Some give in so they can be part of the in-club. Some give in so they won't be part of the out-club. Such pressure is not new: Remember when Israel asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king so they can be like other nations? Or that a lot of people in Jesus' time believed in Him but not publicly for fear they would be kicked out of the synagogue?

"Faithfully Different: Regaining Biblical Clarity in a Secular Culture" by apologist and podcast hostess Natasha Crain points out that there is nothing wrong in being different if not fitting in is based in the truth.

In the first three chapters, Crain points out that a Christian world-view is now a minority view. She adds that secularism isn't just not being non-religious, but that this world-view is anything but neutral, pushing others to either join their lemming parade or keep quiet, at the risk of being demonized. And that pressure is affecting contemporary Christianity as well, where "compassion" is redefined as accepting what society claims is okay.

The remainder of the book encourages us to have our beliefs (Chapters 4-6), our thinking (Chapters 7-9), and our living (Chapters 10-12) to be faithful to the principles and doctrines of Scripture and resisting elements of secularism such as nationalism, individualism, virtue signaling, and "cancel culture." 

I recommend this book.