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Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough

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Ever feel like you don't fit in with either 'side' in todays Christian controversies?
Do your conservitive freinds think you might be teetering on the edge of liberalism, while your liberal friends think you are way too sympathetic to the concerns of conservatives?
Ever feel that you are just as disgusted by postmodernism at certain times as you are by modernism at other times, albeit for different reasons?
Well if those sentiments resonate for you, as they do for me, Michael Wittmer can relate, and is trying to work out a deep, Biblically grounded, culturally aware third way forward which embraces the good of each side while critiquing their shortcomings.

To articulate this way forward Wittmer (professor of historical theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and author of "Heaven is a Place on Earth" a brilliant examination of the new creation) has recently written a second book, "Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus is Not Enough".

In his newest work Wittmer eruditely works through some of the most controversial issues in Christian thought today, such as whether or not we need to believe specific things to be saved, if people are basically good, the ethical issues of homosexuality, the controversies of whether penal substitution is divine child abuse, and whether it is even possible to know God or his word in any real sense.

In examining each of these issues (and more) Wittmer steers a path between the extremes of both sides, as he puts it "conservatives fear that postmoderns don't care enough about doctrine, and postmoderns think that conservatives don't care enough about people. Conservatives say we must believe in Jesus, while postmoderns say it matters most that we live like him. This book attempts to bring both sides together, eliminating the extreme views of both parties and uniting them around a biblical center." (pg. 13)

Though the title focus more on some of the more radical elements of the Emergent church who he fears (and demonstrates) are drifting far from biblical orthodoxy, Wittmer to his credit takes conservative Christians to task just as much and just as seriously. One example I found very powerful came at the end of a discussion about how homosexuality violates the holiness of God and his image in us, and then discussing a loving Christian approach to sexual ethics, Wittmer states in conclusion,
"Homosexuals are guilty of illicit sex. We [Christians] often are guilty of not caring about them or their plight. Our sin is greater, and it isn't even close" (pg. 82) Wow.

Sadly both sides have pushed each other to extremes. The church gets too focused on doctrine and then the pendulum swings dramatically away to good works, the church ignores doctrine for social action and so the pendulum swings dramatically back toward an inward looking intellectualized faith. What we need is both faith and action, both beliefs and love, both deep theological articulations and passionate commitment to social justice. Wittmers book provides a vision for exactly that.

In the graciousness of the book (something often lacking when people engage Emergent, no names but ...), in its passionate for the Scriptures, in its understanding that true faith shows itself in love, in its acceptance of the many things postmodernism has going for it without capitulating to todays culture, and especially in the willingness to both take on and unite both sides, Wittmer has written something here to be commended for, and something that all believers no matter what side they lean toward would do well to read.
Here is hoping (and praying) we can move past the divisions of today toward a richer faith tomorrow...

Review originally posted at: [...]

Michael Wittmer feels trapped in the middle. To one side are conservative Christians demanding lockstep allegiance to narrow doctrinal statements--statements so detailed that they insist on specific theories of the end times or specific understandings of the spiritual gifts. Such people interpret doubts, questions, or appreciation for other viewpoints to be the first signs of an inevitable slide to liberalism. On the other side are postmodern Christians who question many traditional assumptions--or maybe even every traditional assumption--but who go about it in ways that discredit their arguments; they offer new and novel interpretations of key Scripture texts and refuse to state exactly what they believe. To the one side are those who want to believe like Jesus while on the other are those who want to live like Jesus; to the one side are those who love their beliefs while to the other are those who believe in their love. Each position is polarizing and each position seems to offer something less than a robustly biblical faith.

Wittmer's position on the conflict between conservatism and postmodernism shows itself in the book's subtitle: "Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough." A professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, he is clearly not a person who has recklessly jettisoned theology in order to pursue theology-free living like Jesus. This book is his measured reaction against the postmodern tendency to live like Jesus at the expense of sound theology.

"My goal," he says, "is not to define a certain segment of Christianity but merely to examine the specific questions that many postmodern Christians are asking." The book, he says, is a friendly warning that rejecting abuses may well lead to a slide into equal and opposite errors. "The history of the church is a series of pendulum swings, and right now the momentum seems headed toward Christian practice and away from Christian belief. This book is an argument for both. ...This book seeks to avoid the most extreme forms of both conservative and postmodern Christianity and hit the sweet spot of appropriate tolerance."

And so Wittmer seeks to craft a third way, a way that avoids the extremes on either side while finding that sweet spot that allows a Christian to hold fast to what is true while retaining a love for others and a desire to serve them. He reminds the Christian that right works can only arise from right beliefs.

He blazes this trail by answering questions that are on the minds and tongues of many Christians today. Must you believe something to be saved? Do right beliefs get in the way of good works? Are people generally good or basically bad? Which is worse: homosexuals or the bigots who persecute them? Is the cross divine child abuse? Can you belong before you believe? Does the kingdom of God include non-Christians? Is hell for real and forever? Is it possible to know anything? Is the Bible God's true Word? While each question rates its own chapter, each topic, each chapter, bridges seamlessly to the next. There are no harsh pauses and no questions that seem forced or out of place.

It bears mention that this is not a book that specifically counters the Emerging Church, though it does that incidentally. Instead, it is a book that counters the whole postmodern ethos that has found its way into contemporary Christianity. This is broader than just the Emerging Church and in this way the book is far more useful, far more widely applicable, than if Wittmer had gone specifically after only Emerging Christians.

In Don't Stop Believing, Wittmer has written the kind of book with which every reader is likely to disagree every now and again. But he has written a book that graciously and humbly treats difficult issues that are of critical importance to the church. He brings biblical wisdom to bear on many tough questions and answers them with great care and refreshing simplicity. Having been released with little fanfare in December of this year, Don't Stop Believing comes as a delightful year-end treat. I highly recommend it.

Serious theology written for the everyday Christian. Something wrong is afoot in Christianity and it is taking the Church by storm. Some Christian writers, pastors and speakers have popularized the idea that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you "live like" or "follow after" Jesus.

Wittmer very clearly and practically writes to bring Biblical truth back into clear focus. And argues that living like Jesus is not enough just as believing alone is not enough. Faith without works is dead and works with out faith are vain.

The emerging church may have mostly died, but not their questions. Their questions and perspectives show up on blogs and among the usual suspects - but they also show up among our kids, in the most conservative of circles, among people who have never read a Brian McLaren book in their life.

A lot of these questions come from a new cultural mindset that is sweeping through the church. A new generation is trying to correct the mistakes and blind spots of earlier generations, and the just see things differently. I saw this in a young crowd recently. The crowd was young and somewhat conservative, but had serious questions that didn't fit the conservative mold.

How should we respond? We could dismiss these concerns and questions, but this would be wrong. They are important questions. A lot of people have them, and we can't wish them away. Besides, many of their concerns contain insights that we need to hear.

We need to face these issues, and that's where Don't Stop Believing by Michael Wittmer comes in. Wittmer is a professor of systematic and historical theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is conservative, but he understands the questions. "I am caught in the middle," he writes. "This book attempts to bring both sides together, eliminating the extreme views of each party and uniting them around a biblical center."

Wittmer tackles the tough issues: tolerance, deeds vs. creeds, original sin, homosexuality, the legitimacy of other faiths, hell, truth, the meaning of Jesus' death, and the truthfulness of the Bible, and more.

What I like about Wittmer is that he deals with the issues honestly and thoughtfully. No cheap shots. No casual dismissal of legitimate questions. No straw men. There are times that I am surprised by his positions: I think he is going to get his conservative evangelical credentials revoked! But those are the exact areas in which I think he is right. Conservatives have blind spots that need to be corrected too. Wittmer ends up challenging both conservative Christians and postmodern innovators to learn from each other.

Wittmer argues that we need to keep believing the classic, orthodox doctrines, and he explains why. But we also need the concern for ethics and justice, as well as the willingness to question and think through issues, that postmodern innovators embrace. We need both belief and practice.

"Let's stop the pendulum and embrace both sides. God commands us 'to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.' Genuine Christians never stop serving because they never stop loving, and they never stop loving because they never stop believing."

This is the second really good book I've seen from Wittmer, and I hope there are more coming.

If you are struggling through any of these issues, or in ministry among people who are, then you can really benefit from this book.

Don't Stop Believing is a rare blend of academic insight and lively conversation. The text flows easily from humorous examples to meaty theological and philosophical discussions to impactful applications. Mike Wittmer really pours himself into the writing, making you feel at times as though you are sitting in his living room, eating pizza and discussing what it means to have faith in 21st century America.

The true genius of Don't Stop Believing - which I missed the first couple of times I read this book - is the way in which each chapter flows out of and builds upon the previous chapter. Not only does Mike highlight the interdependence of belief and action, he also demonstrates the inter-relatedness of one's complete system of belief. As one reads through DSB it becomes clear that one's faith - whatever it may be - is complicated and dynamic and provides the foundational framework for how one interacts with the world. Whether or not you agree with Mike's Christian theology is actually irrelevant to the challenge inherent to the basic argument of the book: beliefs always preceed and inform one's actions; what, then, are the beliefs that drive your actions? Mike does provide an effective apologetic for the coherence and consistency of the orthodox Christian faith, but his search for a "third way" of relating beliefs and actions reaches beyond the "liberal" and "conservative" caricatures to invite each reader to examine his or her own beliefs and engage in a process of serious self-reflection.

After several reads, and engaging with Mike via his blog (www.michaelwittmer.net), I have come to the conclusion that this book is less about Mike defending his own Reformed theology and more about challenging the reader to critique his or her own presuppositions, a difficult and often-ignored component of spiritual and personal growth. DSB has riches far beyond what can be gleaned in one or two readings. I think it has depths even beyond what Mike intended, if one is willing to chew on the material carefully and repeatedly. DSB is not an attempt at indoctrination; it is an attempt to help the reader grow as an individual and develop a deeper, more personal relationship with God.

I'm guessing that many who will read this review will be younger evangelicals who are aware of the Emerging Church movement. Many are intrigued with the idea of doing church differently. We've awakened to inadequacies in the church our parents raised us in. For people like us, the generational appeal of the Emergent movement is strong. Polarizing doctrines along with the conservative-liberal divide turn us off. A welcoming community of large-hearted lovers of Jesus sounds both authentic and attractive.

This desire for authentic Christian fellowship is not wrong by itself. Doing church in new and tantalizingly different ways isn't either. Luther, Wesley and Moody attest to that. Yet the newness of the Emergent movement is often all that is needed for it to earn sharp and stinging conservative rebukes. Such smug dismissals only prove the point of these "postmodern innovators", as Michael Wittmer dubs them. Conservative Christians today are infected with a rampant modernism that assumes it has arrived. With everything figured out, conservative Christianity has no room for postmodern Emergent craziness.

Put me down as one conservative who doesn't think we're above criticism. I tend to see the Emergent movement as reacting against some very real deficiencies in some versions of conservative Christianity. Before reading "Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough", I wouldn't have been able to articulate all of this exactly. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was that seemed right about the Emergent phenomenon. With Michael Wittmer's book, however, I'm much more equipped to think through the all the ramifications of the postmodern innovations so popular today.

Wittmer isn't afraid to listen to the postmodern innovators. Listen and learn. From what I can gather from reading the book, Wittmer hails from a staunchly conservative background. I wouldn't be surprised if he is intimately familiar with independent Baptist fundamentalism like I am. From such a background it is easy to see how many of the Emergent criticisms would hit home.

Postmoderns claim we conservatives often love the sinner's soul more than his body. We aim for conversions more than lasting social change. We care more about deathbed conversions than good works and justice. Our churches are not welcoming and inviting to the unchurched, and our world-view comes off too cocky and self-confident. We have everything figured out and don't struggle with doubt or pain. We care more about scientific and logical proofs for inerrancy than we do for the Bible's overarching themes and meta narrative. We're too quick to distance ourselves from the world than be friends to publicans and sinners.

There's more. Must you believe something to be saved? Are people good or bad? Is Homosexuality acceptable biblically? Doesn't penal substitution turn the cross into divine child abuse? Does Hell really last forever, and would a loving God really send anyone there? Is it really possible to know anything for certain? These questions and more are raised, and carefully dealt with in Wittmer's book.

As one can see, with the Emergent movement, valid criticisms and sincere questions often get muddled together with a more radical revision of the fundamentals of the faith. In light of how many postmodern innovators are quick to embrace full fledged inclusivism (the idea that people will likely be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ), and their lack of owning up to virtually any non-negotiable beliefs, it is easy to see why many dismiss the movement as a whole, out of hand.

The strength of Wittmer's approach lies in his patient hearing out of both sides. He sketches the conservative view and the postmodern reaction. Then he paves a middle ground that holds to a high (conservative) view of Scripture while appreciating insights from the postmodern position. He argues for a both/and approach which often does more justice to the Bible than either extreme. While he ends up defending conservative doctrines, he is not afraid to challenge conservative methods and motifs.

Such a discussion could easily become tedious and overly philosophical or theological. Wittmer's writing style is so clear and lucid that with the help of illustrations and personal anecdotes, he makes the discussion fun to read. His many charts help convey his point even more clearly. The diagrams capture the discussions well, summarizing the perspectives of each side along with his middle ground approach.

Postmodern innovators and Emergent church leaders are not likely to change course as a result of this book. What I hope happens, is many a young evangelical is equipped and encouraged to opt for a conservative Christian approach that aims to both believe and live life here on earth well. As Wittmer puts it: "Genuine Christians never stop serving because they never stop loving, and they never stop loving because they never stop believing."

If you are looking for a helpful introduction to the postmodern/Emergent church discussion, look no further than "Don't Stop Believing". And if you are concerned for a friend, or even for yourself, about the doctrine-is-optional appeal of postmodernism, pick up this book. You will be challenged, and encouraged in the faith.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Zondervan for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wittmer's first book Heaven is A Place On Earth and picked this up. As another reviewer stated if you feel like you are somewhere in the middle liberals think you are too conservative, conservatives think you are too liberal you will definitely appreciate this work. ). I also appreciated in the early portion of the work he takes some time to talk about understanding some of the structure of old conservativism much of week seems to love tradition more than Jesus by going over how valuable that is which for me coming from a very legalistic back ground was helpful thinking through some of the natural disdain I have for rigid structure and "history" of this kind. A Helpful work I look forward to reading future things by him as well.

Let's say for instance, you decided to invite five of your Christian friends over for coffee in order to engage in conversation about spiritual things. Each of these five friends has a different story of how they came to faith and none of them attend the same church or is even part of the same denomination or church network. The coffee is made, the treats are out and the agenda is set. You've written a series of questions out on cards and placed them in a basket on the coffee table. The idea is that you will pass the basket around and each person will choose a question. In turn, each guest will answer the question on their card and then the group will engage in up to five minutes of discussion before moving on to the next question. Once introductions have been made and your guests are settled, you put your ice breaker activity into action. It looks like Jennifer will go first. Her question is, "Will non-Christians go to heaven?" She very quickly answers with a confident, "No, only those who believe in Jesus Christ will enter the kingdom of heaven." While you agree with Jennifer's answer, it turns out not everybody else does. Bill says, "God is a loving God and since He can't be inconsistent with Himself, He wouldn't send anybody to hell, therefore everybody will be going to heaven." Sam jumps in and says, "I agree with Jennifer, but want to point out that it is unnecessary for us to worry about those destined for hell, because their conscious torment will be only temporal and not eternal." Thus ended the first discussion and it was on to the next question. As the ice breaker activity progressed, each question brought more of the same. It seemed that no two people had exactly the same belief on any of these spiritual questions. While it seemed to last forever, the tension-filled evening eventually came to an end. Your guests thanked you for your hospitality, but you wonder if any of them will want to come back any time soon. What began with such high hopes left you in the depths of despair. You certainly didn't think that your Christian friends could have such a wide range of beliefs. You can't help but wonder who's right and who's wrong. Are your friends truly Christians, are you? Without a better alternative, you drop to your knees in prayer, hoping that God will show you a way through this darkness....

Does any of this sound at all familiar to you? Yeah, me too. As I encounter friends, acquaintances, and sometimes complete strangers out in public, I am finding with more regularity that there is less and less consensus on what it means to be a Christian. This apparent Christian identity crisis is precisely what Michael Wittmer is exploring in Don't Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus is not Enough.

The groundwork for what the reader can expect to find in this book is laid out in the introduction and first chapter. This book takes a look at some of the key questions that are being asked in Christian circles today. Wittmer asks and then answers a new question in each chapter by contrasting the views of postmodern innovators on the one hand and conservatives on the other. He concludes each chapter with a third view, "eliminating the extreme views of each party and uniting them around a biblical center" (Wittmer, 2008, p. 13). The main concern Witter is trying to get across in this book is that both the postmodern innovators and conservatives must be careful not to err on the opposite extreme in attempting to repair what they perceive as the mistakes and abuses that transpired amongst those who came before them (Wittmer, 2008, p. 19).

Chapters two through eleven asks the reader to consider the following important questions:

* Chapter 2: Must you believe something to be saved?
* Chapter 3: Do right beliefs get in the way of good works?
* Chapter 4: Are people generally good or basically bad?
* Chapter 5: Which is worse: Homosexuals or the bigots who persecute them?
* Chapter 6: Is the cross divine child abuse?
* Chapter 7: Can you belong before you believe?
* Chapter 8: Does the kingdom of God include non-Christians?
* Chapter 9: Is hell for real and forever?
* Chapter 10: Is it possible to know anything?
* Chapter 11: Is the Bible God's true word?

Chapter twelve brings it all together by helping the reader to better understand how much of the disagreement we see in Christian circles today is rooted in the liberal and conservative disagreements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Wittmer closes the chapter by suggesting a possible third way that brings together the ethical concerns of the liberal and the conservative's concerns for the historic doctrines of the Christian faith. Wittmer sums up this third way well in the following question, "Rather than emphasize beliefs or ethics, can't we agree that following Jesus demands both faith and practice?" (Wittmer, 2008, p. 176). Taking the time to seriously consider this and the many other questions posed throughout this book will give the reader an opportunity to examine their own beliefs and will hopefully bring them to a more Biblically sound understanding of their faith and the practice that should naturally follow.

Being more towards the middle to conservative side of the spectrum, I can't say that my beliefs were necessarily stretched and challenged by this book. I would expect those who are at either extreme of the spectrum, postmodern innovators (i.e. emergent) on the one hand and conservatives on the other to be more challenged by this work. For me, the dialog that emerges between the competing views in each chapter was very insightful and helpful. Should you want to explore Wittmer's sources a bit deeper, there are forty two pages of notes towards the back of the book. The book ends with discussion questions and case studies for each chapter, which would make this book ideal for a small group or Sunday school setting. My rating for this book is four out of 5 stars.

Michael E. Wittmer is professor of systematic and historical theology at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and is also the author of Heaven Is a Place on Earth: Why Everything You Do Matters to God (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004).

Disclaimer: This book was provided for review by Zondervan.

In this book Wittmer walks through a series of tough questions facing the Western protestant church trying to find a middle way. Not a boring and nerdy book on obscure theology, it is funny, readable, and relevant. I found answers to questions I didn't realize I had. I appreciated the charitable, humble, and honest attitude of the author.

Wittmer points out the good, bad, and ugly of both the old-skool conservative and the uber-cool emerging crowds, explaining the issues objectively. For the most part, I think he's successful, although he tilts toward the conservative crowd. I found it hard to disagree with his clear Bible-based reasoning.

I recommend this book to anyone who wonders about what it's like to live as a true-believer in this century without selling out or being a weirdo. Its broad appeal makes me wonder why Zondervan choose to market this book though its academic arm rather than push it into the 18-34 market. Perhaps they can do another edition targeted to a younger and less scholarly market.

I recomend this book and the service. the book was in great condition came in good time and had no problems. It ws a good transaction.