Evangelical Christianity
An Interesting Book I Came Across This Morning and My Immediate Response
Hi ______,
How’s your _______ project coming along? Anything new to report?
One of the Substacks that I subscribe to linked to this article “Reject Vice” by Aaron Renn. It’s an interesting article from the point of view of observing changes in American culture. I don’t indulge in any of the vices mentioned except the occasional swear word, and I’m trying to cut back on that, especially around my kids. In the article there is a link to a book called Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges to Anti-Christian Culture. Link here. Here’s a description of the book.
Learning how to live in today's new social and cultural environment will require examination, trial and error, and adaptation over time. But there are ways to live with integrity and follow Christ today, even in a negative world.
From a peak in church attendance in the mid-20th century, Christianity has been on a trajectory of decline in the United States. Once positive toward Christianity and Christian moral teachings, cultural shifts toward the mid-90s led many to adopt a more neutral tone toward the Christian faith, seeing it as one option among many in a pluralistic public square. Today, however, Christianity is viewed negatively, and being known as a Christian often means a lower social status in elite society. Christian morality is openly repudiated and viewed as a threat to the new moral order.
In Life in the Negative World, author Aaron M. Renn looks at the lessons from Christian cultural engagement over the past 70 years and suggests specific strategies for churches, institutions, and individuals to live faithfully in the "negative" world—a culture opposed to Christian values and teachings. And since there is no one-size-fits-all solution, living as a follower of Christ in the new, negative world and being missionally engaged will require a diversity of strategies.
Thought of you when reading the description since you attend an evangelical church. I find this topic interesting, so I bought the book and subscribed to the author’s Substack. The book should arrive tonight. I’ll skim it a bit and let you know what I think.
Hope you’re doing well.
Scott