Gray Matters

Culture. As Christians we're encouraged to engage it, create it, redeem it. And today many of us are actively cultivating an appreciation for aspects of culture previously stigmatized within the church. Things like alcohol, R-rated movies, and secular music have moved from being forbidden to being celebrated. But are we opening our arms too wide in uncritical embrace of culture? Can there be a healthy, balanced approach--or is that simply wishful thinking?With the same insight found in his popular Hipster Christianity, Brett McCracken examines some of the hot-button gray areas of Christian cultural consumption, helping to lead us to adopt a more thoughtful approach to consuming culture in the complicated middle ground between legalism and liberty."McCracken charges headfirst into controversial questions and leaves no stone unturned. The result is a truly spectacular book that carves a path between an oppressive, rules-based religion and a powerless, free-for-all 'faith.' If you start reading it, beware--you won't be able to put it down."--Jonathan Merritt, faith and culture writer; author, A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars"A helpful, critical, reflective exploration of how we should consume culture as Christians, one that is neither reactionary nor defensive, triumphalist nor despairing. Few younger Christians have navigated these turbulent waters with as much even-handed clarity as this book does, which makes it an important read."--Matthew Lee Anderson, MereOrthodoxy.com; author of Earthen Vessels: Why Our Bodies Matter for Our Faith"Idealism is all the rage among bright young evangelicals today, but Brett McCracken brings something all too rare to the table: he holds his earnest idealism in tension with lucid good sense and winsome moderation. May his tribe increase!"--John Wilson, editor, Books & Culture"Martin Luther said the world was like a drunken man, first falling off one side of the horse and then the other. With a fresh and thoughtful look at challenges such as food, music, film, and alcohol, Brett McCracken has offered a new generation a way to stay on the horse."--Roberta Green Ahmanson, writer and speakerBrett McCracken is a Los Angeles-based journalist. He is the author of Hipster Christianity and has written for many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, and Relevant. A graduate of Wheaton College and UCLA, Brett currently works as managing editor for Biola magazine and teaches journalism at Biola University. Follow him at his blog, The Search, at www.stillsearching.wordpress.com.