I enjoy reading reviews of my books–pro and con. If people are wrestling with the issues I present…that is a win. Two recent reviews of Pop Goes the Church:
The book is filled with true-life stories from our church and other similarly-minded churches who have leveraged pop-culture to the benefit of the Gospel. This doesn’t mean we have shiny, sparkly things to lure you in and then you can say that you go to church and belong to our little club. It means that we “meet you where you are”, to use a phrase repeated throughout “Pop Goes The Church”. It means that we care about your comfort. It means that we don’t think you need to be cleaned up for God to love you. It means that you don’t have to jump through hoops just to show up. We make things as easy and as comfortable as possible for you to learn about the love God has for you and we are there to assist you on your journey in any way possible. I cannot stress enough that you should, whoever you are or wherever you are in any sort of spiritual journey or lack thereof, read this book! (from blogger Stephanie Jean Salisbury).
And another:
The question the church must reckon with is this: is Christianity a “product” we must sell? Looking at the language many pastors and Christian leaders use today, it certainly sounds like it. In Pop Goes the Church, Tim Stevens argues that effective churches are those that identify the needs of their audience, speak their language and “scratch where they itch.” In Branding Faith, Phil Cooke says that the church needs to “start thinking in reverse,” by focusing on the audience rather than the message and realizing that “it’s not the message you send, it’s the message that’s received that counts.” … To “scratch were they itch,” then, seems like a futile pursuit for a church trying to win converts to the Gospel. People are itching for a lot of things, and some of them might actually add up to what the gospel of Christ offers, but at the end of the day the gospel is defined outside of and with little regard to whatever it is people think Christianity is or should be. (from blogger Brett McCracken, author of new book Hipster Christianity).
Two very different reviews on the same book. Which blogger got it right?
4 Comments
I'm not certain how we can compare the two reviews as they come from completely different sources.
While the bio information about the first blogger is not as complete, just in reading the two you notice a massive difference in how they approach the text. You can't compare their reactions on equal ground as they don't have the same background in approaching the text.
Someone with a specialization in media, culture, and aesthetics has a different approach to a text like Pop Goes the Church than someone who has had no study in these areas. Truth be told the reviews are as different as a PhD in ecclesiology and a car mechanic reviewing the book. Both have varied perspectives though when it comes to digging to the bones of the matter there is a significant difference.
Ironically by comparing the two and asking who is more right seems to fall into the exact fallacies that the second blogger notes about the book.
Both bloggers have opinions–and those opinions have merit. I wasn't asking for an analysis on the quality of the blogger. Just trying to create conversation around their content.
Tim, you bring up a good point about the fact that these are opinions, & there are times when the opinion we may have on an work may be shaped before we even sit down & read it. Depending on where we're coming from on a whole host of issues (theology, church model, use of tech, etc., etc.), our opinion could be almost unmovable. The other thing is that sometimes we state our opinions a little too absolutely, as if they are immutable truths. That becomes dangerous to everyone.
I guess a good thing to take away from it (as both opinions exist, have merit, etc.) is to see that there is not a one size fits all solution. Who got it right?
They both did…to themselves. So when I approach communications I know I sometimes think everyone gets it my way, but (unfortunately) they don't.
Now they all happen to be wrong…those that disagree with me.
But, none-the-less this post is a good reminder at the varied opinions and attitudes out there.