Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream Paperback – May 4, 2010

My first impression of "Radical," just from skimming the dust jacket, mirrored the critical review which has been deemed most helpful. I came very close to missing the blessing God had for me through this book.

However as I read "Radical," reflected on it's message, saw its impact on myself and my friends, and pondered the significance of this runaway best seller, my perspective changed completely and I was led to a deep conviction that God is working through this book in an unusual way. I subsequently volunteered to analyze and review the significance of "Radical" for "Mission Frontiers," a major mission strategy magazine. [Google "Mission Frontiers Radical" for a more detailed analysis than fits here.]

Before dismissing "Radical" based on nothing more than the plausibility of a negative review, I encourage you to use Amazon's "look inside" feature or read the first chapter, available free on-line [Google "Someone Worth Losing Everything For"]. Instead of an "outsider" criticizing the Church, you'll find a well-credentialed insider inviting you to join his struggle to understand and close the gap between what he reads in Scripture and how we have redefined Jesus to affirm the way we live.

A friend just read "Radical" and emailed me: "This book haunts me: `My biggest fear, even now, is that I will hear Jesus' words and walk away, content to settle for less than radical obedience to Him.' - David Platt"

BOOK SUMMARY

David Platt's book "Radical" reflects a wider move of God through which He is stirring His people to live radically for Him to finish discipling all nations (Mt. 24:14 and Mt 28:18-20).

"Radical" overlaps heavily with Francis Chan's Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God in urging God's people to live "all out" for Jesus, but puts forth a much clearer picture of the global purposes which God is working to accomplish through His people, and a more practical suggestion for how God's people can begin intentionally engaging together in obeying God and impacting His world.

In the first chapter Dr. Platt develops Dietrich Bonhoeffer's quote "[the first call every Christian experiences is] the call to abandon the attachments of this world." Throughout his book, Platt urges us to discover Jesus (not heaven) as our sole treasure, to lay aside everything that keeps us from pursuing Him above all else, and to realize that "It's Not About Me." [Google the free excerpt from "Radical" available on line at "Mission Frontiers Radical not about me".]

The final chapter of "Radical" opens:
"Throughout this book we have explored a variety of bold claims about our purpose in life that are contained in the gospel yet contradicted in the American dream. Claims such as these: Real success is found in radical sacrifice. Ultimate satisfaction is not found in making much of ourselves but in making much of God. The purpose of our lives transcends the country and culture in which we live. Meaning is found in community, not individualism; joy is found in generosity, not materialism; and truth is found in Christ, not universalism. Ultimately Jesus is a reward worth risking everything to know, experience and enjoy."

Having presented such a challenge, Dr. Platt then takes a surprising departure which seems to have thrown several other reviewers. Instead of calling for immediate dramatic change, as most "high commitment" books do, he suggests the starting point of a growth path which any group can embrace together to pursue greater passion for Jesus and obedience to His global purposes.

The "Radical Experiment" is not radical in where it starts, but in the direction it leads. It is much more like Jesus' initial call to Peter and Andrew in Matthew 4:19--to follow Jesus and let Him change us into effective disciplers--than it is to the kind of radical Luke 14 challenge I and my missionary colleagues like to present.

Like some negative reviewers, I was initially misled into dismissing "Radical" by the low initial commitment required in the "Radical Experiment." "What," I asked myself, "is radical about reading through the Bible in a year, or giving 2% of your time or to a specific cause?" But such a dismissal misses the whole thrust of Dr. Platt's book.

"Radical" will challenge most readers in the healthiest of ways, not simply to agree with what is wrong with the Western Church, but to take practical steps to join others in living for God's global kingdom. As the Chinese proverb says, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

From the one out of eight reviews of "Radical" which are negative, it is apparent that:
- some will read "Radical" as a guilt trip or an appeal for wealth distribution,
- others will question Dr. Platt's motives, lifestyle or position, and
- those who love money will mock the idea of living sacrificially as the Pharisees did.
"The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus" (Lk 16:14 NIV).

But those reactions seem generally to be the result of existing bias or careless misreading of the book.

WEAKNESSES

I find two major weaknesses in the book itself:
1. Extracted from the caring tone of Platt's audio presentations, some will experience the book as a guilt trip. For those with an oversensitivity toward personal guilt for the state of the church, I recommend the audio version Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, or the free original sermon series which I found much richer than the book itself. (Now, I think, found at "radical.net/series/radical-what-the-gospel-demands")

2. While Dr. Platt effectively develops God's intention for those He has blessed to join Him in caring for the poor, inexperienced Western Christians far too often translate this simplistically as "giving to the poor." And this creates more problems than it solves. Unfortunately the current edition of "Radical" does nothing to address this problem (a later edit may), but to his credit Dr. Platt asks that all of his small group leaders read Fikkert and Corbett's When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself.

CONCLUSION

In my experience, "Radical" is most suitable for three audiences:
- Those disillusioned with self-centered "Christianity Lite" will generally find "Radical" both challenging and refreshing.
- Those who have never considered Biblical obedience as an alternative to self-serving religion will find "Radical" a healthy challenge.
- Most real friends of the True King will find value in "Radical" and want to share it with others.
[Toward multiplying the circulation of "Radical," "Mission Frontiers" has arranged a bulk discount for its reader. Google "Mission Frontiers Radical not about me"]

"Radical" is NOT likely to be appreciated by those who
- are prone to feelings of guilt,
- want to justify their attachment to the things of this world, or
- are not prepared to give their lives to drawing close to Jesus and joining Him in His global purpose.

For a mature discussion of the danger of some experiencing "Radical" as a guilt trip, see the concerns of Kevin DeYoung and the response he invited from Dr. Platt, which you can find by googling "DeYoung Platt Root of Radical."

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE IMPACT OF "RADICAL":

The following edited story typifies the impact of Dr. Platt's message. [Find the original by googling "Platt foster care office"]:

Dr. Platt asked a foster care office in Birmingham how many families they would need to care for all the children. They laughed. He asked again. They said 150 families. Platt preached on orphan care from James 1 (v. 27 in particular), and 160 families signed up to serve as foster care families.

---

Today, 11/7/2010, I have moved the following items to a comment under today's date:
- my own transformation of perspective toward "Radical,"
- how God is using "Radical" like He has used "Crazy Love,"
- my unusual involvement in promoting "Radical," and
- related free resources to help you live radically for our King.

To see the kind of practical applications Radical is stirring, google "Waterbrook Multnomah Radical action plan."

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT receive a copy of "Radical" or any other compensation for this review or any other analysis or promotion of "Radical." All of my research and endorsement of this book is a free gift offered in service to my King.

NOTE: [...] Thanks!

O.k. I'm old, so I've seen a lot, even in church. This stuff may be new to the youngsters, but essentially it is what the mainstream Protestant churches have taught in decades past. It is not a bad book, just a bit of a letdown for an "old hand" like me. My Sunday School class (Methodist) used this as a nine-week study. It was interesting, but a lot of what made it interesting was that the teachers (five of them) teaching the various subjects took them farther than Platt did. The question was often asked: If this is what Platt believes, why does he not give up pastoring a megachurch and go do this first-hand? Well, that is not for me to say. Sometimes inspiring others is what a person does best, but it does appear that Platt's real love is in the doing and that the book comes most alive when he is relating his experience dealing with others in far-off lands. It's a decent read, but it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know (but given my age, maybe that is not a fair measuring stick). The chapters read like sermons with a structure that seems as if it would be more suitable to the spoken word. Sometimes it seems it took a long-winded illustration to get to the point. Then, just as it got interesting, Platt was done.

"Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream" is a book with good intentions, but I felt it was a bit incomplete. The author, David Platt, paints a realistic picture of affluent Christians in the United States, and many readers will likely resemble this picture in some ways; however, I don't think you can categorically apply his description to all, nor do I think Christianity is only about evangelism.

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV) This verse along with the other New Testament writings from the apostles places a much stronger emphasis on living the Christian life than it does on evangelism. It feels like Platt encourages readers to give up the American Dream, take a mission trip to a third-world country, and they can be saved! It feels like if you are not compelled to do just that, then something is wrong with your Christianity!

I do think evangelism is an important aspect of Christianity, but I don't think it is the only aspect. If one doesn't have the proper motivation, then I think you fall into the trap of trying to earn your salvation.

I'm on the last chapter and I don't want it to end, but I need to get up and do something. David Platt has woken up my dry bones. I can see my spiritual depravity, I can see why I'm tired and depressed in my faith. Without prayer, reading of the word, fellowship and doing something w my community for the cause of Christ, I'm dead...thank You for showing me what my brothers and sisters on the other side of the world to follow Jesus Christ!

This book is simply brutal. This book cost a split in our small group and cost us a few friendships. The biggest question this book left me with was "If God wants me to do something with my life like pick up my family and move overseas...would I even be willing to listen?"

As a result, my wife and I stepped out in faith and God directed us to international adoption: we've adopted our first and are in the middle of adopting our second. The house upside down on the cover is not symbolic, it's literally what's happened to us: but for possibly the first time in our lives our willing to truly step out and follow God with abandon is leading us down roads we've never traveled to show love to those we would have never considered. I agree with others that it's hard not to turn this book into law (even though Platt says not to do that) but having been knocked out of my bubble, even just a little bit, I would never trade the results and would never go back.

I just disagree that everyone needs to do missions. If I have $5,000 I think i will make a much bigger impact by donating that money to a reputable charity than if I were to pay my travel expenses to get somewhere first.