When a man you respect tells you that three books have most impacted his life (aside from the Bible), then suggests you read one of them ... you read it!
My senior pastor asked me to read Franky Schaeffer's Addicted to Mediocrity. [Yes, that's Francis Schaeffer's son.] He apparently read it in the mid-80s and found it revolutionary. Knowing that I was going to be preaching on the subject of Christians and the arts, he recommended it to me. He even lent me his copy; how could I not read it?!
I think I understand why he found the book such a challenge to his thinking...
I remember what the late 1980s were like in the bubble of evangelical Christianity: anything not explicitly "Christian" was often deemed bad. "Christian" as an adjective ... !!! Another post, someday soon...
Anyway, in that climate any art that didn't portray overt, explicit imagery of Jesus was frowned upon. Sad. Silly. Ridiculous, to be honest.
In that climate, I can understand why this book we be revolutionary. In today's, I'm happy to report that it's not so outstanding. This is a good thing! Schaeffer would - I think - be happy with the progress we've made in this area. [Franky Schaeffer's personal journey is a whole different matter ... ]
If you grew up - like me - in an evangelical world that belittled anything not "Christian" than you should read this book. If that's never been a struggle of yours, pass on this one.
One specific quote I liked: "When our Christianity is allowed to become merely spiritual and inward without the incarnational and outward expressions of God's presence in the world, our faith is no longer meaningful in all areas of life. This indeed is what happened to Christianity during the twentieth century." (p.28)
I'll leave you with this - arguably the funniest endnote I've ever read: "In looking at the diversity of the Scripture in its content and form, one can hardly imagine that the Bible has anything to do with the present narrow theological sloganeering aspects of evangelical Christianity. It seems to me that if the Bible had been written along the lines of what much of evangelical Christianity represents today, instead of being the full comprehensive wonderful Book of diversity, beauty, knowledge, truth, wisdom, it would be a three-page pamphlet printed probably in words of one syllable, preferably on pink paper (because pink sells), possibly with a scratch and sniff section on the back to stimulate some spiritual experience while reading it. In contrast, the real Bible, the Word of God, is solid, human, verifiable, divine indeed." (p.20, endnote 1).
Hatushili
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Book Review: Addicted to Mediocrity
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2 comments:
Hey Hatushili,
I read this book a couple of years ago after having written a number of stories and attending a writers' workshop. There were two other believers at the conference; we all displayed God's character in our writing while telling stories or connecting with common human emotions rather than being explicitly Christian in content. Having come to Christ in the late 80's and having been steeped in the attitudes Scheaffer describes, I have had to fight through the false conception of the arts while resuming my writing.
I think that the political culture of the 80's and 90's where the "Christian Right" fought against the gov't funding of liberal, anti-christian art contributed to the attitudes described in the book.
Haggis Breath
Knowing you and your roots, I can see how this book would've been a big deal to you. I guess I have the "benefit" of being a tad younger than you, eh? :)
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