Good Faith
- Christian Living
- Publisher: Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2017
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Publisher's Description
Many Christians today feel overwhelmed as they try to live faithfully in a culture that seems increasingly hostile to their beliefs. Politics, marriage, sexuality, religious freedom--with an ever-growing list of contentious issues, believers find it harder than ever to hold on to their convictions while treating their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members who disagree with respect and compassion. This isn't just a problem that affects individual Christians; if left unaddressed, the growing gap between the faithful and society's tolerance for public faith will have lasting consequences for the church in America. Now the bestselling authors of unChristian turn their data-driven insights toward the thorny question of how Christians talk with people they know and love about the most toxic issues of our day. They help today's disciples understand what they believe and why, and how to keep believing it without being judgmental and defensive. Readers will discover the most significant trends that offer both obstacles and opportunities to God's people, and how not only to challenge culture but to create and renew it for the common good. Perhaps most importantly, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons invite fellow Christians to understand the heart behind opposing views and show them how to be loving, life-giving friends despite profound differences. This will be the go-to book for young adult and older believers who don't want to hide from culture but to engage and restore it.
Endorsements (16)
“Good Faith is a wise and accessible guide to ‘being a Christian in the public square’ today. For nearly a generation there have been voices calling the church to rethink its mission and life in the post-Christian West, but David and Gabe’s volume brings those more general and academic discussions down to earth and up to date.”
“When the landscape changes, you look for pioneers to mark a fresh, meaningful, and thoughtful way forward. Kinnaman and Lyons are second to none. Unrelenting in its research, compelling in its humility, powerful in its approach, Good Faith is a landmark and thought-provoking read—that could become literal good faith through us to further a humble and winsome common good. A highly anticipated and needed must-read for every engaged thinker.”
“The signs of the times signal fear and confusion for many orthodox Christians—but not for David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. They are trustworthy guides through the emerging post-Christian order because they neither deny the urgent reality of the bad news nor downplay the radical hope of the Good News. What stands out about Good Faith is its unflinching realism, a quality that challenges the false but emotionally satisfying narratives of happy-clappy optimists and sky-is-falling pessimists. This prophetic book inspired me to rethink my own assumptions about how to live faithfully in our American exile.”
“I love this book. It is a timely reminder that Christians don’t have to conform in order to survive. It encourages those of us with deep convictions not to cower but to boldly speak truth with wisdom and love. Radical followers of Jesus can be relevant.”
“David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons have a deep understanding of the challenges facing Christians in a post-Christian world, with solid research to back it up. If you have a desire to truly love your neighbor without compromising your principles, this book is for you.”
“Good Faith speaks prophetically to the church by diagnosing our condition and prescribing a course of powerful treatment. God’s people must practice Spirit-filled faithfulness in a culture defined by allegiance to self. This book is a trustworthy guide for that practice.”
“Pastors are feeling the heat of our new cultural reality. How should we engage? How can we equip our congregations to respond? Kinnaman and Lyons turn down the temp and offer leaders a box of cultural engagement tools to use and pass on to our churches. Every pastor and leadership team should read Good Faith.”
“As agents of redemption, our biblical metric of kingdom effectiveness lies not in our rhetoric but in our actions. We are redeemed to redeem the world. Good Faith equips us with the necessary tools to share Christ with grace and love.”
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez
“Good Faith will equip you to live in a courageous, intelligent, loving, and faithful way in our changing culture that has grown less friendly to followers of Jesus.”
“This book will prove to be most helpful to young Christians who are confused about their values and how to interface with a culturally tumultuous world. It will provide a biblical rationale for many moderately conservative believers to engage in new ways of practicing good faith.”
“Deep inside every Christian is a desire to make an impact on the world around them. But too often there is a large divide between such desire and the actual impact. Believers can feel powerless in a culture that is pushing hard against what they stand for. The church has believed lies regarding our involvement in culture, and we have withdrawn into our Christian communities, taking our influence with us. Good Faith is a much-needed book for this hour because it slams into that powerless feeling and calls us not to retreat but to engage. Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman call Christians to use their faith to make society a better place, and more importantly, they equip us to walk in courage and hope.”
“Most of us know Christians who are strong on convictions, but you would not want them to represent you as a fellow believer to the broader culture. On the other hand, there are many Christians who are so strong on civility you have no idea what they believe. In Good Faith we have practical tools for living out our faith in a rapidly changing culture.”
“This book is an act of leadership that Christians need to follow. Because it gets right to the guts of the botched conversation between churched and unchurched people, Good Faith is a must-read for pastors, students, and everyday Christians who want to have better conversations about faith.”
Dr. Todd Hunter
“How do we live out our faith in America today in a way that is both true to God’s Word and culturally relevant? In a way that turns people to God rather than away from him? This is a tough question that Willie and I grapple with daily and one that all Christians should be asking themselves. God calls us to be salt and light to this world. He asks us to live in it but not be of it. Boldly and with love, Good Faith lays out how we just might do that. It’s an important book for all believers to read.”
“Jesus’s first followers were on fire with a world-changing mission, and they transformed their culture. Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman give clarity to the challenges Christians face while inspiring us to recognize the power we have to rekindle a flame that will transform our world.”
“When the issues of our day threaten to divide the Church, we must lean in with wisdom and truth while loving with abandon and grace. For any generation, living in this tension is no easy task. Gabe and David are leading the way for the Church and help us faithfully navigate the new terrain.”
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