Jump directly to the Content

Redefining "Radical"

How radical do I have to be?" the suburban mom asked. She had been reading Christian books decrying the self-centered, consumeristic nature of the American church. As a remedy, each of the books called readers to live a counter-cultural life of "radical sacrifice and mission." The books, while inspiring, left this woman feeling exhausted.

"I agree with their assessment," she explained. "We are too self-centered. But how radical is enough? Should I sell my house and car? Is it wrong for my kids to attend a private school? Do I need to move overseas and work with orphans? I want to live a real Christian life, but now I wonder if that's even possible here in the suburbs." She was looking for my pastoral advice. What I told her is not what I would have said five years ago.

I agreed that consumer culture has impacted the way many Christians view faith. Sociologist Christian Smith notes that many Americans view God as a combination of divine butler and cosmic therapist. Church is seen as the dispenser ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
My Greatest Ministry Mistakes
Leadership's Top 40: #40
My Greatest Ministry Mistakes
He watched his dreams crumble at Circle Church. Did that failure invalidate his ministry?
From the Magazine
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Evil Ideas Behind October 7
The Hamas attacks in Israel have a grotesque ideological history and deserve unflinching moral judgment.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close