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Revolutionary?

The New Christian Bourgeoisie

Are we sharing the gospel, or tidy messages of cultural privilege?
The New Christian Bourgeoisie

Chris helps peel off a major cultural blinder for American Evangelicals in this piece. Here's to joy, to holy discomfort, to the upside-down gospel. -Paul

In his remarkable new book, Unapologetic: Why, Despite Everything, Christianity Can Still Make Surprising Emotional Sense, Francis Spufford takes a fresh swing at atheist rhetoric. Spufford illustrates his frustrations by summarizing comments about a famous bus advertisement seen around London a couple of years ago. The billboard read: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

I work with high school students and hear some variation of this all the time. After all, life must be enjoyed—and God puts a real damper on that endeavor, don't you think? I just want to live life! Spufford's objection to the sentiment is aimed at its presuppositions. "Enjoyment is lovely," he writes, "but enjoyment is just one emotion."

What about the other emotions we feel like ...

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