Radical

 Radical

Radical is a book written by David Platt. This book can be an eye opener for many, or it can be an agitator for some. This all depends on how bogged down you get in tradition. If you are the type of person who gets sick at their stomach because the prayer was led after the third song instead of the second song, then this book will probably make you quite angry. That being said, there are many lessons that Mr. Platt illuminates for us that can be quite life altering if we will allow them to be. Also, as with many books, there is a bit of error in this book as well. I will try to give the following areas attention: Content, Readability, and Doctrinal Errors.

Content

Overall, the content of Radical is quite enlightening. Mr. Platt's basic premise is that we ("Christendom") have a completely incorrect view of the first century Jesus. He says that we have turned the Jesus of the Bible into our own version of Him; The American Jesus. Consequently, by doing this we are not conforming ourselves to the image of Him. We are conforming ourselves to the much easier version of Him. Mr. Platt makes several arguments from the Bible that the biblical Jesus was very radical in His thinking and actions, and that we are not doing radical things today because our American version of Jesus is not at all radical. The book is divided into three different sections: (1) A personal Story by Mr. Platt, (2) A theological section outlining his beliefs on certain topics he believes are misunderstood, and (3) A practical section pushing for the reader to live life radically. The first section is an interesting story of how the author had the privilege to teach in secret house churches in the Far East. He later takes this experience and turns it into a practical exercise here in America, which he calls "Secret Church." I will let you read the book and find out what "Secret Church" is. The second section is quite disappointing compared to the first and last sections because this is where the doctrinal errors are found (these we will discuss later). While there are doctrinal errors in this section, there are plenty of valid points made as well. Mr. Platt brings us into a discussion of the importance of evangelism and making disciples, which are two topics that are rarely discussed these days. The section on making disciples is quite intriguing since it goes against Platt's obviously Calvinistic background. The third section is where this book really hits home. Mr. Platt does an excellent job of bringing the points he made in the previous two sections around to some wonderful application. Basically, his application is stop going through the motions of "church" and be a practicing, excited, and productive Christian!

Readability

Radical is quite an enjoyable read. It is not at all boring or difficult to read. Mr. Platt does not try to "wax eloquent" with his words, neither does he make endless lists of biblical parenthetical notations (i.e. God loves the world (John 3:16)). His writing is easily understood and enjoyed by both new converts and mature Christians. His use of personal stories and illustrations throughout the book make for a great change of pace. I believe the book has a great balance between illustrative writing and doctrinal writing. You will not be disappointed in this area.

Doctrinal Errors

I mentioned that this book had several doctrinal errors within it and it does. First, within a very short time of reading, it becomes obvious that Mr. Platt is highly Calvinistic. He references the "total depravity" of man frequently (see Rom 6:1-2; we have the ability to STOP sinning). Also, his view of how the Holy Spirit operates in the lives of people is a commentary on his belief of Calvinism, as he frequently references that the Holy Spirit must personally change us; we cannot do it ourselves. I think at times the book can be quite harsh, but that is the nature of the topic. Whether we are serving a made-up Jesus or the Jesus of the Bible, many are not serving Him with zeal, and I think that is Platt's point.

I would like to give a better score for this book, but some of the doctrinal errors are so glaring that it would be remiss to do so. I give Radical a 7 out of 10 for a lot of wonderful content, great readability, but also a few errors.

Crazy Love

Crazy Love

Crazy Love, a book by Francis Chan, is a plea for mankind to realize the profound love that God has for them by reciprocating love back to Him; thus the arrows of love pointing up and down on the book cover. The book contains some very radical notions that one who is entrenched in tradition might not take lightly. I think an adequate and thorough discussion of this book should include the following areas: (1) Content, (2) Readability, and (3) Doctrinal Errors.

Content

Overall, the content of Crazy Love is top notch. I would be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't be impressed with the biblical points and life changing assertions Chan makes. The chapters are named in such a way as to strike interest in the reader. For instance, the first chapter is entitled "Stop Praying." Anyone who is familiar with the Bible would recognize this as an odd statement for a religious writer to make, seeing as Christianity has its basis on the act of praying. This sparks curiosity in the reader and urges us to read on and see what he means by "stop praying." This "shock jock" style of writing is definitely part of the intrigue of the book. It doesn't stop with the chapter titles though. The book is filled with radical statements that are both intriguing and thought provoking. Chan challenges the longstanding practice of "as long as I go to church i'm safe," by emphasizing that God's astounding love for us deserves so much more in return than just attending church services and sitting in a pew. He calls this type of limited devotion "serving leftovers to a Holy God." He then describes the actions and attitudes of this type of person as being "lukewarm" in a chapter entitled "the profile of the lukewarm." This chapter in particular is one that many readers might find harsh, but eventually true. Chan then goes on to outline someone who is totally given over to serving God. He describes this person as the "obsessed" in a chapter entitled "the profile of the obsessed." Basically this entire book is an expounding upon what Jesus said in Luke 9:23: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Chan's point is a much needed and strong one. Our devotion and love for God cannot possibly be summed up in the number of times we set foot in the church building every year, but rather it is how far I am willing to devote my time, effort, and money to the cause of Christ.

Readability

I include readability in my review of this book because it is all too often that writers commit one of two (and possibly both) errors. Sometimes they write over the heads of their audience, and sometimes they write seven hundred facts down on paper and call it a book. Francis Chan commits neither of these two evils. Crazy Love is written where anyone can understand it, and it is also written with a nice flow; there are no boring facts recited. In fact, I found myself reading this book into the wee hours of the night (or morning if you're a stickler for detail) without any inclination to put it down. There is so much content in the book that has never really been brought to our attention in other books. You will be interested in the different ideas that Mr. Chan discusses. It is because of this quality that I think you will find Crazy Love to be a page turner.

Doctrinal Errors

While Crazy Love is filled with many refreshing ideas, it does contain some obvious doctrinal errors. Several times throughout the book Chan makes the statement that he deliberately puts himself in scary and risky situations in order to express his faith in God (p. 169). While on the surface this may seem like a very admirable and holy thing to do, I believe the contrary. I think that deliberately putting myself in a situation where I must see God help me is in and of itself a lack of faith. Let me explain. Faith is described as my belief in God even though I cannot physically see Him (Heb 11:1, 6). I should not do great and wonderful things for the cause of Christ simply so I can see my faith confirmed in an action from God. I should do great and wonderful things for God simply because I love Him and He told me to do these things. God never commanded me to go do things that scare me. He did, however, command me to do things that require great sacrifice to accomplish. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not refuse to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue just so they could have their faith confirmed and see God working. They refused to bow down because the only God they would bow down to is the One, True and Living God (Dan 3:16-18). Faith should never be dependent upon how "much" we see God working in our lives.

Overall, I give Crazy Love an 8 out of 10. The content and readability of this book make it a must read, but Mr. Chan obviously has some misconceptions about scripture. If you can read this book with an open mind and a willingness to change, you will benefit from it.