Customer Reviews

Fearless Faith: Living Beyond the Walls of Safe Christianity

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Every once in awhile a book comes along that can change everything. It challenges the core assumptions and conclusions of its audience, presents a well-supported case, and offers up a new perspective and ideal. Regarding the proper place of a Christ follower in the world, John Fischer's FEARLESS FAITH is one such book.

There are few people better equipped to talk about this subject than Fischer. Not only has he been recording and writing Christian music for over two decades but he has been grappling with this as the back page columnist for CCM Magazine for almost as long. It's one thing to discuss from the outside, or to arrive at the party so late in the game that the majority of the dances have already been danced. It's quite another to have been there from the start, as Fischer has been -- observing, participating, considering, critiquing, and challenging in this musical genre that, perhaps more than any other part of the church, has been at the forefront of this ongoing dialogue.

In FEARLESS FAITH, Fischer presents his thoughts on a wide variety of topics, but all of them have the same core assumption: John 17:15. In this verse, Jesus prays to the Father not for us (the church) to be taken out of the world, but that He would protect us from the evil one as we are in the world. The implications are clear: the church is not to remove itself from the world, the church is to be in the world, as we are in the world we will face dangers, and through it all God will be with us.

However, the past couple of decades have seen the church engage in actions that fly completely in the face of Jesus' intentions for us. Not only are we not engaging the world as we are commanded to, we have purposely created an entire subculture to protect us from the evils of that world. This subculture -- and there can be no denying that one exists -- was developed with good intentions, but history has now shown that it has ultimately failed in almost every way imaginable. However, contrary to what some might think, Fischer is not calling for the complete destruction of the Christian bubble. He recognizes that the safety of that bubble is an important step for the lives of most new Christians. They need that protection from the world while they are discipled and nurtured. The problem arises when we stay put in that bubble, even as our faith grows, and wallow in its protection, safe from the outside, evil world. Appealing as that safety may seem, it is not where Christ intended for us to reside.

No, Christ intended for us to be in the world, engaging those around, living His love in real and accessible ways. And the bulk of FEARLESS FAITH is a discussion of why/how we are not doing that, along with Fischer's ideas on what it will take to make the change. He discusses the issue of business and ministry, negative Christian stigmas and stereotypes, and shallow faith. He confronts the tendency of the church to be offended by the immorality around them, and why this is non-productive. He discusses what it means to be a witness, and why we are not doing so when we say we "witnessed." And he offers up his thoughts on ways that we truly can interact with and contribute to our society in eternally meaningful ways.

I normally give an overview of the arguments that an author is making when I discuss their work. But I am not going to do that this time (and, to be sure, I really haven't). Fischer hits so many right notes here and does it so eloquently and forcefully that I feel that I would be doing his thesis a disservice by summarizing in such a short amount of space. Simply put, this is a book that deserves to be read by all. For those who already are sympathetic to Fischer's ideas, FEARLESS FAITH will be a battle cry and a manual to help you better take that faith into the world. If you are skeptical or even antagonistic to Fischer's viewpoint, FEARLESS FAITH will be a fair and loving challenge for you to reconsider your position. Its arguments are well backed by both experience and scripture, and because of the urgency of the message they deserve to be heard and understood completely before being rejected in whole or in part. Challenge your pre-conceived notions and see if they stand up to the test that is offered.

For the Christian music artist, executive, retailer, webmaster, dj, and fan, FEARLESS FAITH is a must-read. But even more so, for the Christian desiring to impact his or her world in the greatest possible way this is one book that you cannot afford to miss. I give it my highest recommendation, in hopes that we all can work to develop a more fearless faith. FIVE STARS

In Fearless Faith, John Fischer delivers another commentary on the ever expanding gap between the 'world' at large and the Christian sub-culture. The Christian community has now safely protected itself from the contamination of the world, and it seems, need not venture out. John seems to beg the question, with a Christian version of everything, why go out into "the world".

I greatly appreciate how John takes us outside the sterile bubble of our protected faith into a world that is increasingly becoming foreign to us. This book is frank and honest with real life examples (interviews of sort) of Christians who are struggling to make a difference in the world but are fearful of being exposed that they are even rubbing shoulders with the world at all. These are Christians who listen to popular music, drink beer with non-Christians, watch current films,are interested in politics, and engage in business. These are Christians who have real life relationships with real life people, in the real world.

Today, too many Christians venture out of their protected enviornemnt and "into the world" only to evangelize. And then, as John so appropriately uses the descriptive analogy from the film, "The Big Kahuna", the evangelism becomes more like recruiting or selling than transforming a life by grappling with a person's real life issues "in the world".

Fearless Faith is a challange to exercise your faith-muscles not by gritting your teeth or powering your way through, but by being salt and light "in the world". It can be fearless precisely because Jesus prayed to the Father not to take us out of the world, but to protect us "in" it.

Fearless Faith is a must read and will provide you with a faith-full workout!

John Fischer addresses with clarity, precision, and brutal honesty the issues which have been niggling at the corners of my own Christian walk for many years. He calls into question and accountability the current "exclusionist, safe, non-threatening Christian subculture" of which the vast majority of Christians partake to an extreme level. Faith on trial for being fearful? You bet...and found, in this writing, GUILTY AS CHARGED!

Hats off to Mr. Fischer for having the gumption to buck the current "Christian establishment"! I have often wondered where Christians get off thinking that just because a song is labeled "Christian" that it makes it any better than a song "outside" the Christian genre.

As one who cringes at "fish" displayed on business cards or scripture on checks, it is good to know I am not only not alone, but that there is a whole Christian Underground out there that believes Christianity is more than "witnessing"....Christians who aren't afraid to live their lives with the idea that living one's life as a Christian has more to do with our relationship with God, integrity, honesty, compassion, caring, and loving and respecting other people ...that is...HOW WE LIVE OUR LIVES...than it does looking down our noses at someone else just because they aren't Christian...

THANK YOU MR. FISCHER!

I initially purchased this book simply because it was written by John Fischer. All of his works that I have read have added to my life. This book is no exception. Any who are uneasy with the awkward, adversarial relationship between the Christian sub-culture and American culture in the broader sense, will gain an enlightened perspective from this latest work by John. This book, rather than being merely critical, shows how Christians are to go about being in the world, but not of the world without circling the wagons and creating a Christianized version of the world for themselves. As I read I was exhilarated as John articulated so much of what I have been feeling, but could not capture in words. I was rooting him on as a voice for me until the bright light of truth hit one of my blind spots. My reading was much more somber and reflective from that point on. I encourage anyone who wants to really know the ground on which they stand to read this book. You will not come away unchallenged, but you will come away more enlightened.

I wholeheartedly agree with the unanimous 5-star rating this book has received from the other reviewers. Fischer's clean, unflinching, to-the-point style lays out the problem clearly and compassionately. Christianity, particularly American Christianty, has carved out a 'safe' niche within the culture at large. The problem, as Fischer points out, is that you cannot create a safe niche within a corrupted, flawed culture without being corrupted yourself. In the end, we're left with a disturbing image of a divided faith where there are two types of Christians...those who build walls to insulate themselves, and those who tear them down in an effort to engage the world and have a positive effect on it. This book will help you discover which category you fall into. It'll either make you cheer, or make you squirm. Either way, it should drive you to take action and open your heart to the incredible promise of love contained within the message of Christ. This small book contains a huge message. Read it and recommend it to everyone.

I would put this in the same category as Roaring Lambs, What's so Amazing about Grace, and The Ragamuffin Gospel. John will make you evaluate how you spend your money, your time and your energies.

Should Christians live and die within the "safe" (easier, more comfortable) parameters of the Christian subculture or should they eventually "go" into the wilderness of the world at large to minister (i.e. serve) and BE a "light"? John Fischer explores this question in detail in his book "Fearless Faith."

John shares numerous interesting stories/problems/issues:

A pastor confesses: "I live in two worlds: as an academic in a secular university and a pastor in the Christian subculture. To do this, I have to lead two different lives. If certain Christians from my church were to follow me around for a day, they would try to get me fired. If they knew I counseled people while we're having a beer, I would lose my job. My lifestyle in one world is an offense in the other. It forces me to live a lie, and I don't want to lie, but I am left no choice. If I lived totally the way [some in] the church wants me to live, I would lose my ministry in the world... Then I get the 'weaker brother' argument. Church members who are offended when they hear I use a clip from an R-rated movie in my teaching tell me that offends them. These people, who may have been Christians all their lives, still want to qualify as the weaker brother. How long do they plan on staying weak, I wonder?"

A woman confesses that the non-Christian women she's met at college "are not 'projects' for me. My impetus for fostering relationships is not to 'save' them. They are seekers like myself... I believe it to be an atrocity to sidle up to others purely out of evangelical fervor. There must be a sincere, heartfelt desire to simply love others rather than to mold them into my idea of what they should be."

A marketing executive points out: "The church used to be the source of the world's greatest art, but now it has turned its back on that. Now the Christian subculture is where you go to find some of the worst art." John reflects on the numerous Christian artists/muscisians (etc.) that are perfectly happy to simply MIMIC their secular counterparts and just label it "Christian" (e.g. X-Sinner and AC/DC). Huh? This is fake, inauthentic and not of the heart, to say the least. (If I want to listen to AC/DC I'm gonna listen to AC/DC, not some copycat "Christian" alternative, if you know what I mean. [Not that I listen to AC/DC; but I confess that I may groove to their riffs if I occasionally hear them on the radio] ).

A man decided to wear an overt Christian t-shirt to "witness" to people. Guess what? The shirt failed to provoke any spiritual conversations; in fact, people tended to avoid him. He later observed that when he wore his Fender t-shirt he successfully struck up conversations with strangers about guitar and music, which occasionally led to discussions about God and Christianity. Obvious conclusion: The Fender t-shirt witnesses better that the (supposedly) witnessing t-shirt.

A missionary in France went to 4000 households and gave the people a card to fill out for a free bible and study guide. Guess how many responses he received? None, zilch, nada. He naturally decided to change his evangelistic approach (like maybe try establishing actual relationships with flesh & blood people).

BOTTOM LINE: The book successfully addresses the problem of Christians being engulfed in a guarded subculture rather than engaging a godless culture. John gives you lots to think about and question.

If you're tired of wondering why you keep going to church, bible studies, and Sat. afternoon potlucks and want to live a life outside of "safe" Christianity, this book delivers. I really enjoyed the fresh perspective, from a man of God, that explains why we must be a light. Pushing ourselves into culture and society is what Christ did and He's calling us to do the same.

If you want to live the kind of faith that steps out and puts into practice what Jesus taught while He was on Earth then this is a very good book to read. It will challenge you to step out beyond the walls of safe Christianity.

[Edit: In response to the comment, I overlooked the frustrations listed below and completed the book. As a result I am giving it an additional star. Again, I agreed with the premise from the get go: much of what passes for American Christianity is actually churchianity and it is time believers live out their faith in the world instead of holing up in some fake, safe environment of their own making. I objected to the manner used to prove the premise. Thankfully, the author is a bit more balanced after the first fifty pages or so. I still took issue on occasion but not to the point that I was failing to see his point.]

Having said that let me also acknowledge that I agree with the premise. Too many Christians, perhaps out of fear of losing their faith or otherwise being tainted, avoid being in the world. Moreover, American Christianity can be so conservative that it has become stale and often dismisses the very dynamism that knowing Christ ought to produce. What I disagree with is the means. For example,

Fischer bemoans the fact that Christianity has become a subculture or a spiritual microclimate. He then states,

"I suppose you could say it's nice to be recognized in a mainstream cultural analysis, but on the other hand, I'm not so sure this is the kind of attention we want. In this case, being a Christian makes you one of seven marketing targets, not an identity that Jesus had in mind when he formed his kingdom on earth. In other words we are differentiated from the rest of society, not by our faith, but by our tastes, values, and buying habits."

Sure, I would agree that to the extent Christians succumb to materialism is to the extent Christians become targets of marketing. However, I do not see how Christians can separate faith, tastes, values, and buying habits. That is, authentic faith should affect and even dictate our tastes, values, and buying habits. Moreover, Fischer seems to imply that Christians, by becoming a microclimate, lose their ability to witness. I say it is not always about witnessing but about being a witness. Even a blaspheming executive marketing to Christians understands that the product must meet certain criteria. For example, the truly Christian market will not tolerate certain language or images. That consideration IS a witness. That is the Church BEING a witness, a city on a hill.

Fischer then gives the "Truck World Family Restaurant" example. Truck stops used to be grimy places with bad food, dirty bathrooms, and adult magazines at the checkout counter. "Well, welcome to Truck World Family Restaurant--an oxymoron at best--where you can get a rag doll, a homey wall plaque...Wholesome family videos have replaced the R-rated fare." A little later he writes, "It almost seemed like some kind of Christian takeover of the trucking world by the grandmothers of America." Finally, he writes, "And what could possibly be wrong with wholesome values? I can think of a few things. If wholesome values have replaced the gospel as that which identifies Christians as being Christian, that would not be good. The gospel requires a sinful world in which to function. It is meaningless without it. Ridding the world of sinful influences does not make people any less sinful. It might only be driving sin underground."

Fair enough. I realize changing the environment does not change the heart. However, I still do not see the problem here. Suppose the owner of the truck stop was regenerated, born again? Will the external environment not change to reflect the internal change? Is the truck stop owner going to leave the R-rate magazines and videos on the shelf just to appease judgmental Christians only to be attacked by judgmental Christians? Seems like a damned if you do, damned if you don't predicament to me. Fischer writes, "Sweet-smelling truckers with teddy bears under their arms don't need the grace of God." Ah, but did it ever occur to Fischer that the teddy bear toting trucker may be sweet-smelling BECAUSE of the grace of God? Redeemed people redeem their surroundings. Personally, I think it says something that a mother driving alone with her children knows she can safely pull into a Christian-owned truck stop. Again, it may be indirect but it is still a witness.

The final straw for me was the fictitious award speech. Fischer writes,

"Just once, I would love to see someone get up to receive an award on one of these shows and say something like: 'I know you are probably expecting me to give God the glory for this award tonight, but I'm not so sure he wants any part of this. In fact, it occurs to me as I stand here, that God may not have had anything to do with this award at all. It wasn't God who came up with a great production, it was my producer. It wasn't God who made me famous, it was my marketing company. It isn't God who made me famous, it was my marketing company. It isn't God who is even remotely interested in my popularity, it's my manager....And now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back home to my life as it really is--and to tell you the truth, that life needs a bit of attention right now. You see, I've sacrificed my family for this award, and I need to get home and make sure I still have a family.' Wouldn't that be refreshing? Fearless and refreshing."

No, I would not find that refreshing. I would think such a person had an enormous emotional problem or chip on their shoulder and should have stayed at home rather than venting it on an unsuspecting audience. If God had nothing to do with it then why did you engage in the activity to begin with? And if you came to the realization too late then why burden everybody else with that realization? Maybe the producer, marketer, and manager are gifted. Maybe the recipient, recognizing that every good gift comes from God, could acknowledge those gifts and talents and what they have done for him. Perhaps he could show some gratitude instead of being a sulking, religious killjoy. At the very least, make sure you speak the truth in an edifying and loving manner.

So in conclusion I repeat: I concur with the general premise but found the execution so unbearable that I refused to persevere. In fact, I suspect I may regret giving two stars instead of one. Your mileage may vary.