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Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide

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I bought Hipster Christianity after reading Brett McCracken's Wall Street Journal article "The Perils of 'Wannabe Cool' Christianity." That article was quick and incisive, and put into words a lot of things I've been feeling about modern Christianity. The article sparked debate among my friends, some of whom appreciated the article as much as I did and others of whom started throwing around words like "fundamentalist." I wanted more of McCracken's perspective.

Now that I've read McCracken's book, I have mixed feelings about it. His WSJ piece, on a second reading, remains a beautifully concise indictment of the Christian hipster subculture, but the book is a much more muddled affair.

The book begins with a "history of hip" that purports to trace the ancestry of today's hipsters. I wasn't convinced by McCracken's summary of that ancestry; it was very, very short and jumped between seemingly unrelated "cool" movements. I have to guess the research involved was scattershot. The following chapter on the history of cool since the 1960s is much better, but still not comprehensive. In what is perhaps the book's most entertaining chapter, McCracken sketches the most common kinds of hipster. McCracken then examines the birth of "Christian cool" among the "Jesus People" of the late 60s and early 70s as well as the modern heirs of their culture.

The second section of the book examines Christian hipsterdom in the present, including summaries of McCracken's visits to numerous hipster churches in both the United States and Great Britain. He also examines the "emerging church," which he describes as a movement already falling by the wayside, and the "missional" movement which is supplanting it.

The final section examines "Problems and Solutions" with hipsterdom in general and Christian hipsters specifically.

To put it charitably, Hipster Christianity sends mixed signals. I think part of the problem is McCracken's extremely loose definition of "hipster." In the chapter on hipster types, he includes yuppies--to me the antithesis of the self-consciously arty hipster types--but otherwise he falls back on the idea of hipster that leaps most immediately to my mind: guys wearing horn-rimmed glasses, ironic t-shirts, and skinny jeans; girls with nose-studs and half-mast eyelids, who snigger at everything but never laugh. At other times McCracken seems to include as hipsters anyone who belongs to any variety of subculture, or anyone regarded as any kind of "cool." He even uses it interchangeably with "hippie" several times. The result is a vacillating definition, sometimes too broad and sometimes too narrow. It was confusing.

McCracken also seems to have a deep ambivalence toward hipsterdom. I understood his message readily enough, but failed to grasp what he was trying to tell me about hipsters. At times he seems to be laughing at them, at other times extolling their manifold virtues, and near the end he seems to issue a blanket condemnation of them as shallow and showy. He claims that hipsters "hate megachurches" but then spends a chapter describing "successfully hip" churches with huge sanctuaries, multiple campuses, and online congregations. He claims that hipsters love traditional religious paraphernalia like candles and incense but also argues they have no respect for the past or tradition. He then describes "Wannabe Hip" churches that don't seem to differ at all from the churches he lovingly described previously--he even takes examples of "wannabes" from the same churches. At times the book seems to be a lengthy "no true Scotsman" fallacy.

Despite all that, I liked Hipster Christianity. Some sections are very entertaining and informative, and the book also did much to humanize to me a subculture for whom I have little or no patience. And McCracken is striving to express some good ideas with this book: Christianity is about changed lives, not imitations of non-Christian lifestyles; Christianity is internal, not external; Christianity is about a Church, not individual cool; and Christianity is about God, not ourselves. These are good ideas, and McCracken argues powerfully for them. But what they have to do with Christian hipsters specifically rather than all Christians I still don't know.

Recommended, but read McCracken's WSJ article as a guide.

In "Hipster Christianity," Brett McCracken takes up an entire book to think out loud. For a fascinating topic, he's constructed a wildly vacillating narrative in which he alternately defends so-called Christian Hipsters, questions their spiritual credentials, criticizes modern churches, praises modern churches, condemns hipsters and even questions himself.

Needless to say, not exactly an authoritative approach.

The result of his uneven narrative is a book that seems to blatantly ignore major forces affecting Christianity in the world today. If you knew nothing about these forces but read this book, you'd come away thinking hipsters were about to take over the church. The reality, of course, is that hipsters are a minor -- perhaps even infinitisimal -- force in Christianity. Whether or not you agree with them, people like James Dobson, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen and Franklin Graham have an immeasurably greater impact on Christianity than the sum total of all Christian hipsters today. The rising influence of prosperity Gospel preachers, too, undercuts the entire premise of "Hipster Christianity." But the book largely ignores these forces. Thus, it lacks basic context.

In addition, the author seems to allow his own (acknowledged) hipster biases to disproportionately inform his writing. That is, for example, he invariably emphasizes obscure Christian hipster music artists as examples of how hipsters' influence on the religion is burgeoning. In reality, though, hipster musicians like Sufjan Stevens -- whom McCracken clearly adores -- have little impact on the Christian music industry, not to mention the religion itself. Put it this way: The influence of worship music created by Chris Tomlin -- a single artist, mind you -- on the Christian church surely outweighs the sum total effect of the entire hipster movement on Christian music.

In the end, McCracken surprises the reader by reaching a conclusion that most will probably agree with: that Christians must embrace the basic principles of Christianity, because living an authentic Christian life is cooler than embracing the hipster world. Good for him.

But many conservative readers will be borderline offended by McCracken's basic acceptance of the constantly evolving principles that define moral ambiguity. His permissive stance toward alcohol, partying, profanity and other threats to Christianity will not sit well with his more conservative readers.

Nonetheless, there's certainly something to be gained from McCracken's book. It's important to understand the mindset of Christian hipsters. The fallacy in the book, however, is that McCracken fails to properly emphasize the real driving force among young Christians today: a desire for something authentic.

Brian McCracken presents a well researched and introspective look at Hipster Christianity, where cool and the Church intersect within our culture. McCracken begins with a detailed history of hip, and conveys to the reader how the secular concept of cool has become a facet of contemporary Christianity in some Christian circles. While the author cannot stay completely away from caricatures, he does the best he can to present the reader with a variety of examples of how cool and Christianity collde to form distintictive subcultures within the American church, all leading up to the big question: are these subcultures of cool good for the Church? McCracken answers the question with a plea for the authentic and the real to become the focus of the Church, and that Christians begin to make their own worship and culture instead of trying to mimmick it.

You'd think buying a book called "Hipster Christianity" would dial you in to the what's-what and help you comb your faux hawk just right. Sadly this is not that book. Brett McCracken's book is more of a tale and less a "guide."

Brett writes with a touch of wit and wry sarcasm, and he drops named like Dennis Miller on speed. But again, I warn you, don't buy this book if you're in a dying church and you're hoping to steal some "cool-points" and rev up your congregation. This is not a "how-to" book.

Paul Grant defines cool as: "I am an individual; you are a clone. I know what's really going on here; you don't. I can get out of here; you can't."

The book chronicles the rise of "cool" through church history, from Godspell to Stryper to Relevant Magazine; Brett has really done his homework. That said, I would also offer the book is extremely dated - Brett lists several "hipster" churches, their pastors, books, fashion and "where hipsters hang out" in his book - all of which will surely change in the years (months?) to come as fashion forward moves... well... forward.

Interestingly enough in Brett's "hipsters today" he describes my hipster personality "type." Turns out I am the Detached Ironic. "Media savvy...class-clown...with an ever ready arsenal of witty remarks...popular in large groups... distant in close personal relationships... blogger."

And while you may shun the "hipster" title and decide that neither church nor Christians need be relevant or cool - you may also find yourself (or your church) described within Brett's book (unless you're over 50).

Brett says the reason he wrote the book was because he loves the church. "I want to see her thrive, expand and be all that she can be for the world. I want to see the cause of Christ advanced and not muddled up. And this topic - the relationship of the church to the notion of "cool" - strikes me as a vitally important issue that needs to be addressed with tenderness, nuance and when appropriate constructive rebuke." (page 13)

Is Christianity cool? What you might think was a promotion for hipster Christianity, Brett surprisingly warns against...

"Things can get a little out of hand when pastors no longer care about the rightness or wrongness of something in pop culture, only that it can be used as an attention-getter or gateway to a theologically apropos discussion." (page 182)

"I think the Christian hipster lifestyle has become far too accommodating and accepting of sin, something that should actually shock and disturb us. If it's uncool to draw lines about what behavior is permissible and prudent for the Christian, then Christians should start getting used to the idea of being uncool." (page 200)

But that's just the thing with defining "cool" isn't it? What is so uncool today, becomes cool tomorrow... only to one day become uncool again.

Last year Brett McCracken caused a stir when he wrote about a growing trend within the Church called hipster Christianity. I got a huge kick out of it, because he pretty much described me down to a T. Finally last month Brett's book "Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide" came out, and it can best be described in just one word:

Eh.

What could have been either a hilarious satire of a current fad, or a thought-provoking look at churches trying to be relevant to culture, turns out to be just an okay musing on elite hipster snobs. I've read Brett's stuff in Relevant Magazine, so I know he's really a good writer. This book, unfortunately, ends up being a misguided attempt to seriously examine how the Church should respond to culture.

For starters, the book starts off on the wrong foot. In the first two chapters, Brett goes through the "history of hip," which includes the French bohemian poets, the Beat generation, the hippie movement of the sixties, and the current hipster trend. I understand Brett's just trying to provide some background, but I really didn't think it was necessary. Besides, in these chapters he basically suggests that being cool is just a selfish ambition to be better than everyone else.

Things start to pick up when he talks about the Jesus People movement of the '60s, and how that led to the current hipster Christian trend. He goes on to explain what defines a Christian hipster: they prefer Sufjan Stevens over Michael W. Smith, N.T. Wright over Joel Osteen, liturgy over megachurches, and Wes Anderson movies over Fireproof. He also devotes chapters to social justice and the Emerging Church movement . . . which is where the book goes downhill again.

Brett suggests that the emerging church movement is just about making Christianity cool, and the current interest in social justice is just a fad. I disagree. While there are plenty of Christians who talk about fighting poverty but don't actually do anything about it (I can be like this sometimes), I know a lot of other Christians who really are committed to social justice. They're not trying to be hip and cool; they've actually held children in their arms as they died from AIDS. As far as the emerging church movement, while I understand why some Christians disagree with some of the theological views of Brian McLaren and Doug Pagitt, they are not just trying to make Jesus hip and cool. The emerging church is about rethinking what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st century. I've interviewed both McLaren and Pagitt, and I feel they really are committed to being the salt and light of the world.

Now Brett does get one thing right. During the final third of the book, he talks about churches that try way too hard to be cool. We all know the type: the pastor makes awkward references to "Desperate Housewives" and Paris Hilton, the youth group has an "X-treme Faith" theme, lots of laser lights and smoke machines, etc. So how can churches be cool without overdoing it? Brett says it's pretty simple: just stay true to the Gospel.

By the end of the book, I couldn't help but wonder, "So what?" Maybe he should have taken his own advice and focused more on authenticity than a passing fad.

A few months ago I saw that Brett McCracken was writing a book titled Hipster Christianity. I mean, how cool is that?! I went to the book's website and took a quick quiz to figure out my own Christian Hipster Quotient. When I read the first question, I knew I would fare pretty well.

"Which of the following books would you consider the most spiritually significant?"
* Sheldon Van Auken, A Severe Mercy
* John Piper, Desiring God
* Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ
* John Eldredge, Wild at Heart
* none of the above

I'm such a book nerd, I mean so cool, that Brett even sent me an early copy of book, one that was a full 8 ½ x 11 page size in comb binding. I'd cart it around with me to coffee shops, even if I didn't plan on reading it that day, because it gathered attention and started interesting conversations.

When I read the book I was a bit surprised. I assumed Brett had jumped onto the Jonathan Acuff's "Stuff Christians Like" bandwagon and had written a clever book pointing fun at various aspects of our Christianized culture. This isn't that book. Not that there is anything wrong with that kind of book, but this is a 'real' book. I'm not saying Acuff's book is fake, it isn't. It's quite funny. And cool. But Brett's book took a lot of research and study. Not that Acuff didn't work hard too. I'm just trying to say the books are different. Cool?

Brett begins his book by sharing the history of coolness, the progression of coolness, the history of hip Christianity, and what Christian hip looks like today. He follows this with a section on hipster Christianity in practice (where he identifies several different examples of the types of churches that are considered hip), a great chapter on the emerging church through the lens of hip, a chapter on missional church and social justice, and a thoughtful piece on how cool churches interact with art.

The last section of the book is where Brett was trying to get to all along. The question he wants to answer is whether or not Christianity is supposed to be cool. Some of the themes behind being hip--individualism, alienation, competition, pride and vanity, a focus on the immediate, a focus on the visual, even rebellion--don't equate to the values Christianity purports. But Brett doesn't bash all coolness; he draws the line between being authentically unique (thereby actually cool) and a forced attempt at cultural relevance.

I really encourage pastors, church leaders, ministry leaders and teachers to read this book. It might just make a difference in the way you decide to approach building your identity in this culture. And if it helps you have the conversations that move you to a place of authenticity instead of the high costs of image promotion, that would be really cool.

What could possibly be wrong with churches pursuing "cool" culture in an attempt to attract today's young, trend-obsessed congregants? In Hipster Christianity, Brett McCracken speaks about the church's need to use discernment in its quest to engage contemporary audiences. In his analysis of hipster culture, Brett speaks quite frankly about some of the problems that may be evident in a realm of spiritual discipline that has become second nature for most people. I genuinely believe that Brett's message is worth considering by all who have an interest in the direction that some of today's churches have chosen to pursue.

Beginning with a treatise on the history of hip culture both outside and within the church, and moving into contemporary perspectives, the more McCracken discussed notions of hipness within Christian communities, the more I could relate. Several times I caught a chill reading his descriptions of some very familiar patterns. He notes certain hipster Christian quirks, from post-church activities such as dining--and drinking (!)--en masse, to attitudes regarding the arts.

Overall, McCracken intelligently discusses problems inherent in attempting to apply a "cool" aesthetic to something as transcendent as the Christian faith. For instance the notion of cool itself calls to mind something that is pleasing to the masses. In certain "hip" Christian circles this aim to please may manifest itself through practices such as refusing to take a strong theological stance on anything that is not audience-friendly. After all, who wants to go to church and be told that the way they are living could be wrong?

Ultimately some churches might get on this way out of a desire to make Christianity appear comfortable for the sake of retaining an audience. Yet why, exactly, do any church's leaders want to have an audience? Is it because of a desire to sustain the church itself, merely as an institution run by men, for profit and popularity? Or are today's leaders interested in generating an audience for the church, as the bride of Christ, designed to represent both His grace, as well as His standards? The latter model may not necessarily earn any cool points. But as McCracken gently reminds his readers, that's not what we're here for.

Some of the book's most valid content can be found in its final segment. Here, among many excellent points, McCracken notes the importance of acknowledging the church's past--flaws and all. The Christianity of our forefathers was far from perfect. However in their efforts to improve our faith for the future, some Christians seem a little too eager to dismiss certain aspects of our heritage. They have acted as though they are unable to distinguish between wrong behaviors such as legalism or bigotry, versus things that are difficult for them to relate to (items or traditions that seem odd, perhaps because of their generational appeal). Various aspects of traditional Christianity have been despised or even mocked, simply for mocking's sake. Meanwhile, are these undesirable items truly an abomination that will mean the end of Christendom? Or is it just that certain aspects of our past are not "cool" enough to impress the trendy faithful and our secular peers?

There was a Life and a Love before this. And it wasn't all terrible.

Over the years people have poured their lifeblood into "cool" oriented ministries. I'll be the first to admit that some of McCracken's assertions may be met with resistance. (His "Twelve Types of Christian Hipster" made me bristle a little.) And I should also point out that if one chooses to go by some of his criteria related to likes and dislikes, I am a hipster. (The Imitation of Christ, anyone?) Yet I sincerely hope that today's church folk give his words a chance. Hipster Christianity contains more important points than this review can convey. Its author has shown courage in publicly discussing the nature of a system that needs to consider its true identity. As I wrote in one of my copy's margins, it is vital for all Christians to remember that our chief obsession should not lie in pursuing culture or creation, but the heart of our Creator.

The collision of cool and Christianity. Most would not think there would be enough material there to fill a book. Or that said material could be intelligent, humorous, and thought-provoking.

Brett McCracken has proven most of us wrong with Hipster Christianity. Brett does an excellent job of taking what could easily be a wholly tongue-in-cheek topic and turning it into something theologically deep and challenging. While he seems to spend more time forming and asking questions than answering them, the questions he does ask are important ones. Consider:

"Perhaps there is a third option--a much more insidious, countercultural idea: perhaps Christianity is hopelessly unhip, maybe even the anticool. What if it turns out that Christianity's endurance comes from the fact that it is, has been, and continues to be the antithesis and antidote to the intoxicating and exhausting drive in our human nature for cool?"

This is not to say that the book is simply cold and academic. The research-paper-on-steroids feel is broken up by occasional humorous lists like: "Favorite Hipster TV Shows", "Reasons Why Calvinism is Hipster-Friendly", and the uncomfortably close to home "CCM Albums of the Nineties That Make Christian Hipsters Nostalgic". Brett treads the fine line in addressing a serious issue within Christianity with care, insight, and healthy dose of irony and wit. This is certainly something quite difficult to pull off and the fact that Brett does so with such seeming ease is a true testament to--dare I say it?--how cool he is. (See what I did there? Emphasized the point with a negative example.)

In Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide, Brett McCracken, a twenty-something self-proclaimed Christian hipster, explores the age old concept of "cool" and the evolution of today's "hipster" label and how they relate--or don't relate--to Christianity.

The book itself is an irony because the concept of "hip" is not something frequently discussed, especially among hipsters (as McCracken frequently points out). But, he assures in the introduction, "It's not a joke, and though it is humorous at times and occasionally ironic, it is by no means an exercise in sarcasm."

Negatives:

The first two parts are long and drawn out, and McCracken seems to be saying some of the same things over and over again. While all that background, the definitions, explanations and history are important and necessary for the discussion, they could have been condensed. He doesn't get to the main point of the book until two thirds of the way through.

In places, it's wordy and poorly edited. He uses a lot of big uncommon words that aren't a part of the average person's vocabulary. A good portion of the content could have been written using a lot less words, and many of the fancier words could have been replaced with simpler ones that mean the same thing.

Many portions of the text in part three seem unorganized and full of ramblings, while not pushing deep enough into the topic. It starts to read like a research paper for English class, going a little too heavy on the quotes and references to other works.

Positives:

The book is well researched and thought out. McCracken does not simply give his own opinion. He writes about visiting different hipster churches worldwide in preparation for the book, quotes a large number of expert and relevant sources on the topic and references a good amount of Scripture in appropriate contexts.

It's non-bias and well-balanced. It's not an advertisement for Christian hipsterdom, nor is it a condemnation of the church. Rather, it is an honest search for the truth and a well-balanced evaluation of the topic and question at hand: whether or not Christianity can, or should, be cool.

He writes in the beginning that he is not out to bash or criticize the church, and he does well in keeping this promise. He points out not only what Christians are doing wrong, but also what they are doing right and how they can do better.

Read the conclusion to this review on my blog: http://life-now-in-color.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-review-hipster-christianity-by.html

I live in a hipster neighborhood. I go to a hipster church. I've also spent the past number of years exploring the universe of urban hipsters, however they are labeled (i.e. Creative Class, cultural creatives, etc). On a whim as I was scouring Amazon for books related to this topic (and the convergence with the church and/or church planting) that I might include for upcoming seminary classes I'm teaching, I was pleasantly surprised to run across "Hipster Christianity: Where Church and Cool Collide" written by Brett McCracken. Quickly I ordered the book and started reading it the day I received it.

What was immediately noticeable was how well the book was written. That theme was carried throughout as I appreciate McCracken's rich vocabulary and writing style. It was truly an enjoyable book to read that kept things going at a good clip and I didn't get bogged down moving from chapter to chapter. The book is unique in that it address the topic of hipsters in general but then transitions to hipsters who are Christians. In essence "the book explores the whole concept of 'cool' as it pertains to Christianity." (12-13) While at first blush the book seems to be rather tongue-in-cheek, as you'll find in the various descriptions of hispters ranging from "The Mountain Man" to "The Newbie" to "The Detached Ironic" and much more. There certainly is an element that pokes fun at the scene and even the "Christian hipster" scene. In the chapter titled "Wannabe Hip Churches" McCracken snarkily comments:

The wannabe hip pastors can be spotted a mile away. They are firmly entrenched in their midthirties or forties, and yet wear clothes from Hot Topic, Hollister, Element, or Ed Hardy. They have the requisite ever-changing arrangement of scruffy facial hair, and they frequently sport earrings or (if they are really committed) tattoos. They wear tight-fitting clothes, a lot of black, and often don tick-rimmed glasses. The ones who are not bald spend a lot of time on their hair, frequently sculpting it into a spiky variation on the faux-hawk. The most daring wannabe hip pastors might even wear jewelry or wallet chains. All of them care very much about shoes. (183)

Joking aside, the book traces the development of hipsters both outside the church and within the church dove-tailing the emerging church, social justice, missional, etc. However, the price of the book, if one is into a more serious critique of Christian hipsters, is found in the last few chapters. The tenor of the book takes a decisive turn from playfulness to a sincere and serious analysis of the convergence of cool and the church. "Are the pursuits of Christianity and cool irreconcilable?" (191) Later on in the chapter McCracken answers the question when he writes, "To the churches and pastors who are rushing to brand themselves as cool and hip, and to fashion themselves in the accompanying image, I would say this: tread carefully. The message cannot be divorced from its presentation, and for all the reasons mentioned in this chapter, a hip presentation carries with it quite a bit of baggage that I'm not sure can be reconciled with the core assertions of the gospel." (203)

It is in the details where the reader will need to decide how to apply the book. In our image-obsessed Western culture we can readily and humbly admit that it (cool, hip) indeed has crept into the church. In some cases, welcomed with open arms. For many the motives are to truly become indigenous and missionaries to our host culture and in that regard, it is noble and worthy of applause. But how far is too far? How much or little do we let in? In the context of this book, how much should hipster culture influence and dictate certain cultural norms in churches today? McCracken bravely tackles the subject whether one agrees with his assertions or not. It is certainly a must read, especially for those who live in the city, particulalry gentrified neighborhoods which house a high density of hipsters.