{"id":735,"date":"2009-04-16T04:01:16","date_gmt":"2009-04-16T04:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/check-out-the-divine-commodity-by-skye-jethani.html"},"modified":"2009-04-16T04:01:16","modified_gmt":"2009-04-16T04:01:16","slug":"check-out-the-divine-commodity-by-skye-jethani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/04\/check-out-the-divine-commodity-by-skye-jethani.html","title":{"rendered":"Check Out The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>When I was asked to participate in the blog tour for Skye Jethani’s new book, The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity<\/em><\/a>, I had mixed feelings. I do think it’s essential for Christians (including me) to discover a faith beyond consumer Christianity. So I was inclined to recognize the value in Jethani’s book. Yet, I’ve read plenty already that bemoans the materialistic nature of American Christianity. So I wondered if Jethani would simply rehash valid but well-worn gripes. I would have been inclined to turn down the book tour invitation for this reason, except I knew something of Jethani’s writing from pieces I’ve read elsewhere. I knew him to be a creative and engaging author. So I took the risk of signing on to the tour.
\nAs I expected, Jethani’s book does offer a critique of Christian consumerism. But I did not expect him to go well beyond the familiar argument that we Christians care too much about “stuff.” In fact, he shows how this care shapes our Christian faith, our churches, and our mission.
\nAs I expected, Jethani does this with insight and a delightful writing style. He is a brilliant thinker and a top-notch writer. But I did not expect him to interact so ingeniously with art, especially the art of Vincent Van Gogh.
\nAs I expected, Jethani’s critique of “consumer Christianity” is trenchant and well worth reading. But I did not expect his proffered solutions to be equally insightful, gripping, and somtimes even surprising. I was challenged, both intellectually and personally, but The Divine Commodity<\/em>.
\nWhile I was reading Jethani’s book, Newsweek<\/em> ran a cover story on “The End of Christian America<\/a>.” It occurred to me that many of the ideas in The Divine Commodity related to this article, and vice versa. So my question for Skye Jethani asked him to comment on these connections. Here is our interchange:
\nMark:<\/em>
\nI would like to ask you to talk about the relationship between your book and the recent Newsweek<\/em> cover story on \u00e2??The End of Christian America.\u00e2?\u009d I can think of several interesting connections, but rather than asking about these, I\u00e2??d rather give you free reign to comment on how you see The Divine Commodity relating to state of Christianity in America, and especially its purportedly waning influence.
\nSkye:<\/em>
\nI believe the North American church is in a time of \u00e2??creative dislocation.\u00e2?\u009d I agree with Dr. Mohler, who is quoted extensively in the Newsweek article, that we are seeing a remarkable cultural-shift, and that the \u00e2??Judeo-Christian consensus of the last millennium has given way to a post-modern, post-Christian, post-Western\u00e2?\u009d culture. Where I depart from Dr. Mohler is when he calls this a \u00e2??cultural crisis which threatens the very heart of our culture.\u00e2?\u009d
\nChristianity is indeed losing its privileged position of cultural authority in North America, but this dislocation is creating the conditions for God to do something new within and through his people. For those who believe the church and its mission can only succeed by maintaining control of schools, institutions, and governments, then I can understand why trends outlined in the Newsweek article would stir worry. But my guess is that these folks have bought into what I call The Daisy Cutter Doctrine (as discussed in Chapter 9 of The Divine Commodity<\/em>).
\nThe Daisy Cutter Doctrine is the belief that God\u00e2??s huge mission can only be legitimately accomplished with huge methods. For example, to impact the United States for Christ, Christians should seek control of the United States Government. Or, if we want to shift cultural values Christians should be producing Hollywood blockbusters that promote the virtue of monogamous, heterosexual marriage. The idea is that a big mission requires big methods for a big impact.
\nBut with Christianity and the Church becoming increasingly marginalized in our culture, the opportunities for massive cultural impact are shrinking. This, I suspect, is what has people like Dr. Mohler so concerned.
\nI am not.
\nThe overwhelming witness of Scripture is that God transforms the world using the smallest and most unlikely methods\u00e2??the outcasts, the underdogs, the forgotten, and the under-resourced. Last week was Passover and Easter. In one story the most powerful empire on earth is defeated and plundered by a band of poor slaves in communion with God. In the other story, the powers of evil and hell are defeated by the death and resurrection of a poor itinerant preacher from the backwaters of Galilee.
\nBeyond the testimony of Scripture, a glimpse at the state of global Christianity shows that many of the places where the faith is growing most rapidly are also where it lacks a privileged position. China may be the most vivid example, or among the Dalit (Untouchables) of India.
\nFor those church leaders that have great concern over the \u00e2??decline\u00e2?\u009d of Christianity in America, I believe The Divine Commodity<\/em> carries a message of enduring hope. God may be simply refining his church and burning away the cultural dross that we\u00e2??ve acquired from our privileged position. This refining may be painful as we lose institutions, facilities, and even some previously impactful ministries. But in the end I have great confidence that Christ\u00e2??s Church, even in America, will prevail. For when we are weak, then we are strong.
\nMark:
\nThanks, Skye, for this thoughtful answer.
\nSo, blog-reading friends, I highly commend The Divine Commodity<\/em><\/a> by Skye Jethani.
\nTo check out other “stops” on Skye’s blog tour, see Chris Fann’s blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was asked to participate in the blog tour for Skye Jethani’s new book, The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity, I had mixed feelings. I do think it’s essential for Christians (including me) to discover a faith beyond consumer Christianity. So I was inclined to recognize the value in Jethani’s book.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-735","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-holy-week-easter"],"yoast_head":"\nCheck Out The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=735"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=735"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=735"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=735"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}