Book Review: Radical by David Platt
Radical by David Platt
I opted to read Radical by David Platt after hearing some friends who are also in ministry talking about the book and how much it had challenged them. I believe one said it “wrecked” him, meaning the subject matter of the book had turned his life upside down. I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about so I ordered a copy (yes, I actually paid for this book) and dug in.
This book is certainly true to it’s name. Platt sets out to challenge the status quo, as it were, at least as it relates to the Christian faith. The sub-title reads “Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, ” and Radical takes a stab at everything that encompasses our modern view of that dream.
His premiss is simply the “radical” idea that Christ has called us to more than white picket fences and credit card debt. More than SUVs and second mortgages. Maybe God is not nearly as concerned with the interest rate of our Sears Card as he is with our motivation to meet physical and spiritual needs globally. Platt tells of a newsletter that features a church’s grand new worship center which cost tens of millions, and on the same page celebrates that local churches have raised $5000 to go toward a mission goal. That’s a pretty accurate cross-section of our American churches. He tells of churches elsewhere who risk torture and death to come to meetings where they study the bible for hours on end because their hunger for the Word is so great. Compare that with our local churches, where we often can only be motivated to attend a padded-pewed, climate controlled worship service sporadically.
If asked, I would say this book should be whisked straight to the top of any christian’s to-read list. This is probably the best book I’ve read outside of scripture, not because it left me feeling warm and fuzzy, but because I too was “wrecked.” As someone who has been blessed with the middle-class, suburban answer to the American Dream, this book was a wake-up call, maybe even a slap in the face, and I plan on reading it again very soon.
Get your copy and find out more at www.radicalthebook.com
delighted to share. 