Tag Archives: Next Christians

B&B Friday: The Next Christians

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The book The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons is something of a follow up to unChristian, a book which Lyons co-authored. Having seen the evidence that mainstream Christianity is one the decline in the U.S., Lyons seeks to offer a more hopeful outlook.

Lyons argues that Christianity is about to undergo a major shift, moving away from large buildings and megachurches and moving toward a different model, one that he calls restoration. In the first part of the book, Lyons analyzes different lifestyles that he sees in Christianity over the last few decades and rejects them in favor of restoration.

In the second part of the book, there is a description of what restoration looks like, presented in a series of contrasts. In short, restoration is focused on working to promote kingdom values out in the world, working toward a restoration of what God wants the world to be. Lyons points out seven channels that influence culture, with the church being but one of them. He sees the need for Christians to be equally active in all seven channels.

There was a lot that I liked about this book. It advocates neither a church caught up in philanthropy for philanthropy’s sake nor a church that only focuses on ecclesiastical matters. I think that Christians need to find a way to live in this world as ambassadors of the kingdom (my words, not his), living out lives in the public sector, but with a continual focus on kingdom values.

A few criticisms. I think that Lyons falls into the trap of saying, “Here’s all these people that are doing it wrong; me and my friends know how to do it right.” As I pointed out yesterday, some of that is natural. We want to improve and that naturally means a calling into question what has gone before. But maturity demands that we learn to find the good in that which went before as well. I think Lyons needs to do a better job of recognizing the strengths of other types of Christian living, as well as the weaknesses.

I also think that Lyons errs when he places the church as one channel alongside the other six. Admittedly, sociologists and anthropologists tend to see it this way. But shouldn’t Christians have a higher view of the church? Such a characterization contradicts what Lyons has said about the need to eliminate the dichotomy between secular and sacred. Christians need to recognize that they are the church, that the church encompasses all of the other channels.

These weaknesses don’t change the fact that Lyons has made a great contribution to the modern church through his two books. I look forward to reading more of what he has to say.

I’d greatly encourage you to take some time to visit Lyons’ Q site, reading some of the material there and/or watching the videos.

[Disclaimer: Some links in this post lead to Amazon, and I am paid a commission when purchases are made]

The Next Big Shift — Part 3 of The Next Christians

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I’m going to be spending some time over the next few days looking at the book The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons.

The third and final section of Lyons’ book may be the most controversial. He refers to a theory espoused by Phyllis Trickle in her book The Great Emergence in which she argues that Christianity undergoes a major shift every five hundred years. In about the year 500, the Roman Empire found. Near the year 1000, the Roman Catholic church split from the Orthodox churches. Close to 1500, the Reformation took place. Following this trend, Christianity is due for a change.

Lyons feels that these Restorers that he’s been describing, these Next Christians, are going to fundamentally change the face of Christianity. The driving force behind this, he reasons, will be a return to the preeminence of the gospel. It will take a return to the full message of the gospel, with its theme of restoration. Basically, Lyons says, the gospel is that we are made in God’s image, can be reconciled from sin through Jesus, and can join with him in working for the return of creation to its fullest potential.

Only then, Lyons says, can outreach efforts be more than a sales technique. Neighbors aren’t merely prospects; they are valued creations of God to whom we are to show unconditional love. This love, partnered with grace and acceptance, will naturally lead people to seek God. Acts of restoration will raise questions to which the only answer is the gospel. Other aspects of Christianity, what Lyons calls “second things,” will come to have their proper perspective.

There is much of worth in what Lyons has to say. I’m not as ready as he to write off what’s been done over the last century, but some of that is a question of age, I’m afraid. I remembering giving a class when I was in my late 20s and having a dear friend who was twice my age say, “I’m not convicted by this.” I was a bit taken aback, for I wasn’t really seeking to convict him with my words. Sometimes as the younger generation expresses their desire for a new level of excellence, the older generations can’t but hear that as a personal criticism.

Tomorrow I’ll try and wrap up this series with an overall review of the book and some links to further resources. Meanwhile, what are your thoughts about what Lyons has to share?

[Disclaimer: Links to books in this post go to Amazon and generate a commission for me. The book under discussion was purchased, not provided for review]

The Restorers — Part 2 of The Next Christians

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I’m going to be spending some time over the next few days looking at the book The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons.

In the second part of the book, Lyons seeks to give us an idea of what the “Restorers” look like, these Next Christians that he’s writing about. He does this by describing certain attitudes, then giving examples from real life of people who are living them out.

The attitudes are presented in a series of contrasts which are:

  • Provoked, not offended — This is the idea that instead of merely condemning non-Christian aspects of our society and withdrawing from them, the restorer is moved to action. Rather than being judgmental, these Christians look to address brokenness and shine light on darkness. Lyons says they choose engagement over condemnation, grace over judgment, courage over comfort and faithfulness over reputation.
  • Creators, not critics—Instead of complaining about the state of tv, movies and music in our culture, restorers set to create things of beauty, using excellence to defeat immorality. They create culture that celebrates beauty, affirms goodness, tells the truth and serves.
  • Called, not employed—Restorers reject the religious vs. secular dichotomy, looking to reintegrate the message of the gospel into neglected areas of culture. Lyons identifies seven channels of cultural influence: media, education, arts & entertainment, business, government, the social sector and the church. Virtually every legitimate career falls under one of those categories, and Lyons argues that Christians are called to be active in all of them. Every channel of culture needs restoration. It is up to Christians to discover their vocation. Lyons says, “Where your gifts and natural skills collide with your deepest burdens—you have calling.” (p. 124)
  • Grounded, not distracted—These Christians are aware that operating in the midst of culture requires being rooted in Christ. This is sought through the spiritual disciplines: being immersed in Scripture instead of entertainment, observing the Sabbath instead of being productive, fasting for simplicity instead of consuming, choosing embodiment instead of being divided, and being postured by prayer instead of power.
  • In community, not alone—The restorers that Lyons describe live in contact with one another, looking to combine their resources to better serve. They are also part of their community, making a conscious decision to engage the people around them.
  • Countercultural, not relevant—Christians have often tried to be countercultural in three ways: separatists, antagonists or relativists. Lyons’ next Christians reject the old ways which often reflected the opposite of the Christian message. They seek to be a preserving agent in a decaying world, seeking to redeem the world rather than defeat it. They seek to live an inverted lifestyle, flipping the values of this world. They seek to make sense of the world by offering an alternative lifestyle.

I like Lyons’ use of the contrasts to present a picture of how he views restoration. I also like the use of real-world examples that are given in the book.

What do you think of these outlooks? Are they different from what the church has been in the past, or is Lyons arguing against a stereotype? Is there anything you would add to this list?

The fine print: The links to Amazon found in this post provide a commission to me when used. However, this book was not provided to me for review, but was purchased.

The World is Changing — Part 1 of The Next Christians

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I’m going to be spending some time over the next few days looking at the book The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons.

In the first part of the book, Lyons describes the changing nature of Western culture, especially as religion is concerned. He describes the traditional religious landscape by breaking it down into two large categories, what he calls “separatist” and “cultural.”

Within the category of separatist, Lyons includes the following groups:

  • Insiders: Christians who focus their interactions on other Christians by using Christian lawyers, Christian bankers, sending their kids to Christian schools, listening to Christian radio, etc.
  • Culture Warriors: These Christians focus on “taking back our country.” They fight for prayer in schools and organize against gay rights and abortion. If you disagree with them, they will label you as unpatriotic or ungodly.
  • Evangelizers: For these Christians, the only legitimate activity for Christians in this world is recruiting others to the faith. They want to win souls, no matter who they offend.

Within the category of “cultural,” Lyons includes these groups:

  • Blenders: Accepting historic Christian beliefs, these Christians seek to blend into the cultural mainstream. Their lives mirror the culture around them.
  • Philanthropists: For these Christians, the only Christian activity that matters is helping others. They lack the message of the gospel from which these works should spring.

Lyons sees “The Next Christians” as following into another category: Restorers. (Yes, those of us in the Restoration Movement find a bit of irony in the use of that title) Lyons calls them restorers because they are actively seeking to restore the world to what it once was. He’ll spend the rest of the book fleshing out what that looks like.

Any reaction so far? I see a lot of similarity to James Davison Hunter’s To Change the World, which we examined in several posts earlier.

(Disclaimer: The links to books in this review link to my Amazon Associates account and I will receive a small commission should you purchase via this link)

The Next Christians

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I’m going to be spending some time over the next few days looking at the book The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons. Lyons is one of the authors of the book unChristian, and this book is a bit of a follow-up to that one.

Basically, Lyons sees a major shift coming in Christianity in the United States. He feels that churches as we know them will be transforming into smaller, more vital groups. The subtitle of his book is “The Good News About The End Of Christian America.” That might give you a clue as to where he’s going.

There is a web site for this book, as well as a study guide that can be purchased separately. I found the information in the book intriguing enough that I’m going to have my students read it next semester in the “Christianity in Culture” course that I teach.

If you’d like to get a head start on the discussion, you can read the first two chapters over at scribd.com.

(This is a crassly commercial post, with all of the mentioned books linked to Amazon. I’ll get enough money to buy a stick of gum if you purchase via those links. Merry Christmas to me!)