The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Skye has done an extraordinary thing here: He takes all of these different strands-art and marketing and theology and economics-and he connects them...lots of people are going to find this book extremely illuminating." --Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, and author of Velvet Elvis

Product Description

Synopsis
The human imagination is the key battleground in the conflict between the kingdom of God and the consumer culture. Drawing from the vivid imaginations of Impressionist painters, particularly Vincent van Gogh, each chapter of The Divine Commodity uses personal narrative, biblical exposition, and cultural observation to show how consumerism has shaped our faith, and then challenges the reader to use their sanctified imagination to envision an alternative way of expressing the Christian life in our culture.

Description:
The challenge facing Christianity today is not a lack of motivation or resources, but a failure of imagination.

A growing number of people are disturbed by the values exhibited by the contemporary church. Worship has become entertainment, the church has become a shopping mall, and God has become a consumable product. Many sense that something is wrong, but they cannot imagine an alternative way. The Divine Commodity finally articulates what so many have been feeling and offers hope for the future of a post-consumer Christianity.

Through Scripture, history, engaging narrative, and the inspiring art of Vincent van Gogh, The Divine Commodity explores spiritual practices that liberate our imaginations to live as Christ's people in a consumer culture opposed to the values of his kingdom. Each chapter shows how our formation as consumers has distorted an element of our faith. For example, the way churches have become corporations and how branding makes us more focused on image than reality. It then energizes an alternative vision for those seeking a more meaningful faith. Before we can hope to live differently, we must have our minds released from consumerism's grip and captivated once again by Christ.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310283752
• ISBN-13: 978-0310283751
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #71,889 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great critique of consumerism in the church, March 7, 2009

By	Joshua D. Reitano (Cincinnati, OH) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can say with conviction that this is the best book I've read yet this year. In 'The Divine Commodity,' Skye Jethani analyzes the way that consumerism has creeped (and sometimes shoved) its way into the church. Rather than standing as a kingdom witness against the age, the church all too often has simply reflected the culture, accomodating Christian faith with commercialism and consumerism. This syncretism, while making the church more palatable to some in our day, has cost the church its distinctiveness, and indeed some of the very qualities that make the church a visible sign of a new kingdom, a new order, a new way of life. In many cases, the church's adoption of market principles has cost it its very identity.

There are several books about the effects of consumerism on the church. What makes Jethani's book different, however, is its tone and approach. The temper of the book is not that of a jeremiad. Jethani avoids the pitfalls of the angry denunciator to which so many succomb. Most cultural critics, while often successful at rallying the troops, do little but annoy those not already convinced of their propositions. In contrast, 'The Divine Commodity,' while forceful and persuasive, is not abrasive, and therefore will gain a wider audience and perhaps will actually change the perspectives of some.

Jethani's book also is of a different quality in that his prescriptions for combating consumerism in the church are not aimed at top-down organizational changes. So many cultural critiques leave the reader with nothing to do but bicker and complain at the institutional church and the wickedness of those in authority. 'The Divine Commodity' focuses rather on personal disciplines -- silence, prayer, fasting, love, hospitality, and friendship -- as a means of loosening consumerism's grip on the individual reader. Only the most obtuse of readers could finish Jethani's book not thinking about their own complicity in the church's debacle. And Jethani offers plenty of encouragement of how to reverse this trend in your own life.

There is a lot that could be said about Jethani's specific analysis of consumerism's hold on the church (bigger is better, staging experiences, marketing the gospel, programs as the be-all-end-all of ministry, felt needs over missional service, customization versus community, etc), but I'll leave that for you to read yourself.

Perhaps the thing that makes this book most enjoyable is Jethani's use of anecdotes, both personal and historical. Jethani tells you much of his own life, his struggles and victories, throughout the book. The only character who appears more often is that of Vincent Van Gogh. Jethani masterfully uses the life of the artist to tie together themes throughout. Not only is this effective in illustrating points, the use of Van Gogh's story makes 'The Divine Commodity' a very interesting read.

This book recognizes that consuming is a fact of life, but that consumerism can rob your faith of its vitality and ultimately prevent the church from being "salt and light" before a watching world. Like Van Gogh before him, Jethani takes up the task of "re-imagining reality, representing reality by uncovering the truth that is not apparent to the naked eye." This, 'The Divine Commodity' does very well. I highly recommend it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Imagining an Alternative to Consumer Christianity, February 27, 2009

By	David Swanson (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book gives language to the sinking feeling many ministry folks have as we realize how enmeshed our churches have become with consumer culture. Skye Jethani provides the right balance of cultural analysis, clear insight, and gentle direction to show how the American church has often neglected our identity as the people of God for something more culturally relevant. To be clear, this is not a "how-to" manual; neither is it another book about all that is wrong with our churches. Like others of us, Skye has been tempted to walk away from the many frustrations of the local church but found himself unable to do so. His love for and commitment to the local church (Skye is also a pastor) is what allows us to receive the book's difficult truths.

The Divine Commodity is organized into nine chapters, each which observe an aspect of consumerism that has infiltrated the church. Filled with stories, cultural artifacts, and Biblical reflection these observations are easily connected to the reader's own context. Particularly compelling are Skye's reflections on the life and paintings of Vincent van Gogh as a foil to consumer Christianity. In the Dutch artist's life we encounter one whose commitment to Christ (he trained to be a pastor) led him to bitterly critique his experience with Christianity and the church. The addition of eleven of van Gogh's paintings helps us imagine a faith that is completely devoted to the narrow way of Jesus, one that consistently rejects the allure of self-centered faith.

It is the description of an alternative to consumer Christianity that is most commendable. In a chapter about the tendency to place institutions before relationships Skye writes,

"What may be needed is a fundamental rethinking of the church within the minds of the members, cultivating the imagination to conceive of the church as a relational community rather than an institutional organization. Beginning on the smallest end of the scale, this means relearning the lost art of friendship."

Analysis combined with imagination is why I'd recommend this book to just about anyone. My only gripe is that the book could be expanded (the 175 pages were easily read over a weekend). I am convinced that until we acknowledge the power our consumer culture holds over the church (and over me!), we will find our thirst unquenched by a faith diluted with consumer ideals. The Divine Commodity points out the primary issue for the church in our day, one that impacts our very identity and mission. Thankfully the book also prompts us to imagine a more satisfying and transforming alternative.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discovering Faith Outside Consumer Christianity, May 10, 2009

By	Chad Estes (Boise, Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I toured a church sanctuary with my cousin recently. She looked up at the stage with the new, multiple, rear-projected, high definition screens. "You've got to be kidding me," she said. "What in the hell does a church need with these?" I tried playing defense to her accusations, explaining how the older people don't like sitting too near the stage because the new speakers hurt their ears, but when they sit at the rear of the sanctuary they can't see anymore. In response she just stared at me, shaking her head. I felt uneasy.

When Skye Jethani's book, The Divine Commodity, opens with him walking out of a mammoth church auditorium equipped with all of the latest technology, I remembered that uncomfortable feeling I had with my cousin. All the audio/visual equipment makes for a spectacular production, but how much of it is really necessary for discipleship? What have we created by staying up to date with our culture's entertainment norms? Are we truly relevant or do we look like every other weekend concert? Are we distinguishable from the rest of society in our methods of communication or do we look just like them just with a different branding initiative?

Jethani doesn't pull any punches. He thinks we have lost our imagination, our creativity and our faith for the miraculous. Our God is boxed and franchised and our people find their identity in the institutions we have created for them. Jethani's critique comes from a unique perspective. He is the managing editor of Leadership Journal and has observed churches, leadership and Christianity from all over the country. He is also a teaching pastor himself and draws on his own experiences.

What surprised me was the direction the book takes. Once Jethani gets to solving the problem of consumer Christianity he walks away from the corporate structure and addresses the issues at an individual level. That he sees hope in the personal area of discipleship resonates with me.

The way he tells his story is a work of art. Jethani paints a backdrop for his story by using the life and art of Vincent van Gogh. It is exceptionally creative and thought provoking. In his own words, "My intent is for the reader's imagination, and not merely his or her intellect, to be awakened and nourished with an alternative vision of faith from the one we've inherited from our consumer formation."

Who should read this book?
* Leaders in any church that have been struggling to keep up with the mega-church down the block.
* Leaders in a mega-church that have been successful with gathering numbers but question their relevance in disciple making.
* Anyone who regularly goes to church but often finds themselves critiquing the services and programs.
* Anyone who has given up on church, but they can't quite figure out why they no longer were getting filled up from the inside out.
* Anyone who wants to read a beautifully thought out and crafted book, presented from the heart.