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.