postChristian: What's Left? Can We Fix It? Do We Care?

by Christian Piatt

Overview

It's the end of Christianity as we know it. But it's not a catastrophe -- it's an opportunity.

Thousands are walking away from the church. Christians are grappling with their faith. And both believers and nonbelievers wondering -- what's coming next?

Fearless and provocative, spiritual trailblazer Christian Piatt offers a roadmap to the future of faith with an unflinching examination of the church today.

What's left? Pairing the best "virtues" and worst "scandals" of Christianity, Piatt invites us to abandon institutional religion for deeper, truer faith.

Can we fix it? Guided by the biggest historical, religious, and pop-cultural pioneers of the postChristian era, he demonstrates how to save the best of what Christianity has to offer -- and how to rediscover and reinvent the rest.

Do we care? There's plenty of good left in Christianity -- if we dare to be as scandalously graceful and loving as Jesus Himself.

Bold and insightful, POSTCHRISTIAN dares Christians to break out of the box and invites outsiders into the fold as we revolutionize faith for a postmodern world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781455573110
Publisher:	FaithWords
Publication date:	08/12/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Christian Piatt is an author, editor, speaker, musician and spoken word artist. He co-founded Milagro Christian Church in Pueblo, Colorado with his wife, Rev. Amy Piatt, in 2004. Christian is the creator and editor of the Banned Questions book series, which include Banned Questions About the Bible and Banned Questions About Jesus. He co-created and co-edited the WTF: Where's the Faith? young adult series with Chalice Press, and he has a memoir on faith, family and parenting published in 2012 called PregMANcy: A Dad, a Little Dude and a Due Date.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Lions and Lambs: Seeking Peace with Those We Hate to Love 3

Chapter 2 The Gospel According to Kerouac: The Journey Itself is the Point 10

Chapter 3 Then Comes the Fall: The Christian Scandal of Pride 26

Chapter 4 Speaking Silently: The Christ-Like Virtue of Humility 38

Chapter 5 House of Cards: The Christian Scandal of Certainty 50

Chapter 6 Life on a Flat Planet: The Christ-Like Virtue of Faith 67

Chapter 7 From Breast to Cross: The Christian Scandal of Lust 75

Chapter 8 Re-Membering: The Christ-Like Virtue of Love 88

Chapter 9 A Gambler's Empire: The Christian Scandal of Greed 103

Chapter 10 Hungry as Dogs: The Christ-Like Virtue of Charity 114

Chapter 11 If Only They Were (Fill in the Blank): The Christian Scandal of Judgment 126

Chapter 12 Ninja Jesus: The Christ-like Virtue of Mercy 136

Chapter 13 Millions in the Hands of an Angry God: The Christian Scandal of Fear 146

Chapter 14 Carrying Each Other: The Christ-like Virtue of Courage 155

Chapter 15 Tyranny of the Un-Possessed: The Christian Scandal of Envy 164

Chapter 16 What love Births: The Christ-like Virtue of Justice 175

Chapter 17 Which Side of History?: What's Left? Can we Fix it? Do We care? 185

Acknowledgments 207

Notes 208

About the Author 215

Editorial Reviews

06/09/2014
Any book, not least an ostensibly Christian one, that announces its plan to “piss you off” promises to be provocative. Piatt (PregMANcy) delivers on his disconcerting promise as he calls out Christianity for what he sees as its “seven deadly scandals” (pride, certainty, lust, greed, judgment, fear, and envy) and invites everyone to imagine a more humble, faithful, loving, charitable, merciful, courageous and just future. Piatt pulls no punches in his postmodern verdict against Western Christianity, and his analysis of the “post-Christian” moment should touch a nerve among progressives and traditionalists alike. Piatt is an expert at deconstructing false precepts, false practices, and prejudices of all sorts. Still, while he criticizes Christendom’s mistaken sense of cultural hegemony, he leaves too many of his readers of faith standing foundationless and asking nervously, “Now what?” That may be exactly what the author wants. Instead of offering pat remedies to Christianity’s ills, he invites readers on a Kerouac-style journey of faith on the road with others who are preoccupied with similar questions and are comfortable living, and dying, with them. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Christian Piatt is one of the smartest and most provocative young voices we have."—Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners

"POSTCHRISTIAN is written directly for the spiritual needs of the 21st century."—Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, Executive Religion Editor, The Huffington Post

"I recommend this book to anyone of any religion who cares about a better, more compassionate world...important book full of righteous anger and profound mercy."—A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically

"For a profound book, it proved to be an easy read-but very disturbing."—Tony Campolo, Professor of Sociology, Eastern University

"Touching, insightful, personal... Don't be deceived-the book is put in simple terms but it represents a powerful challenge."—John D. Caputo, Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus, Syracuse University

"Piatt is no reactionary, wanting to save a dying institution, but neither does he take the popular route of simply walking away. Instead he believes that there is a subversive core in the tradition worth remembering and retaining."—Pete Rollins

"Like the first rumble before a volcano explodes, POSTCHRISTIANprefigures the revolution that will remake Christianity in North America, and maybe the world."—Frank Schaeffer, author, And God Said, "Billy!"

"Christian Piatt is right: behind the statistics of decline and the stories of dropouts is a platinum opportunity-one we Christians might never have seen or begun to seize if not for the wake-up call we've received."—Brian D. McLaren, author, We Make the Road by Walking (www.brianmclaren.net)

"Important, insightful, and timely...His words offer wisdom for a path forward and hope for the future of God."—Matthew Paul Turner, author of Our Great Big American God and Churched

"A powerful, reasonable book that takes an honest look at the Church's vices as well as its virtues in the hope that both the Church and its detractors can move beyond the zero sum game of 'us vs. them' and explore more constructive ways of living together."—Kevin Miller, director of Hellbound?

"In POSTCHRISTIAN, Piatt gives us an operating manual for the faith of tomorrow."—Jason Boyett, author of O Me of Little Faith and Pocket Guide to the Afterlife

"Don't read this book because you want to. Read it because you have to."—Chris Yaw, founder, ChurchNext TV

"A new fresh take on the problems, possibilities, and potential of the original Christian message."—David J. Lose, Marbury Anderson Professor of Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary

"Not only does he connect dots like a pro theology nerd, but you can actually read the book without Advil and a dictionary."—Tripp Fuller, founder, HomebrewedChristianity.com

"If you stick with [this book], really stick with it, hope, love, and imagination will blossom into a love-filled reality of what Christendom can evolve into: the Kingdom of God in the here and now."—Rev. Phil Shepherd, aka The Whiskey Preacher

"Piatt peels back the dead wood of our faith and shows us the tender new life, reminding us of our core."—Rev. Carol Howard Merritt, columnist for The Christian Century

From the Publisher