Book Review: Radical by David Platt

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You’ve seen books like this before. Shane Claiborne has written about it in The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical. More recently Francis Chan wrote about it in Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God. These books and now David Platt in Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream all point out that something is amiss in much of the way people who bear the name “Christian” live their lives. Revolution is needed. Crazy love is needed. Radical faith is needed. And I agree.

But Platt’s Radical is more of the same. There is the usual litany of Christian heroes who went all out for God: William Carey, Elisabeth Elliot, George Mueller, John Wesley, David Brainerd, among others. And there are also mini biographies of the author’s own congregants and acquaintances who lived radically. This all shows us what we already knew: that people do manage to live radical lives for Jesus. This we know. The problem, however,  is that we’re complacent, disobedient, and seduction-prone followers of Jesus, and some of us know that this ought not be. Others, don’t mind or care; thus, complacency. But, what Platt would hope to accomplish with his book is a radicalizing of the reader’s faith that would push him past complacency and into active, unwavering, sacrificial obedience to Jesus. And while I don’t think Platt quite gets us there, I think he nudges us in the right direction.

If you actually worked it out, you’d probably find that roughly half the book is made up of personal anecdote and well-known Christian tales of heroic faith. This isn’t all bad as there’s a lot of inspiration to be found in these stories. But if you’ve done much reading or spent much time in Christian circles, I bet you’ll be familiar with many of the tales, which at least for me, this familiarity diminishes their power. Again, the problem isn’t that we don’t already know that people live radically. We’ve heard the stories. The problem is that we have a battle within us to do it ourselves, if we’re at least cognizant of Jesus’ demand on our lives. The problem is we’re just not sure if living radically is for us. For me. Platt is helpful on this point. He shows that if we claim to be Jesus’ followers, radical living is for us. It’s what we signed up for and exactly what Jesus demands. It’s time we read about Jesus in the Scriptures instead of crafting our own that fits well with the American dream. Platt’s convinced that “we as Christ followers in American churches have embraced values and ideas that are not only unbiblical but that actually contradict the gospel we claim to believe” (p. 3).

In all the personal stories Platt shares, I’m struck by the sheer number of mission trips this man has taken. It sounds like the man has been to every continent. The back of the book touts this gospel-centered wanderlust to bolster his credentials, but I’m not so awed. I don’t know the details of his trips, but painting them positive with “a passion for the nations” while calling for radical living that eschews extravagance and calls for sacrificial living/giving strikes me as as bit backwards. One need only consult the incredibly enlightening When Helping Hurts to see that short-term mission trips aren’t all they’re packaged to be.

Perhaps the most helpful portion of the book is the concluding chapter in which Platt outlines a plan for radicalizing your faith to leave behind the gospel-opposed cravings of the American dream. There are five parts to the yearlong “radical experiment.” Pray for the entire world. Read your Bible through. Sacrifice money for a specific purpose. Spend time in another context. And commit to a multiplying community. These steps are great and I really think anyone who gives this experiment a go will be blessed. I mean how could you not expect to be a more radical follower of Christ by praying with a global scope, saturating yourself in his word, sacrificing (not just giving), spending time where you normally wouldn’t and planting yourself in a church where disciples are made? You will grow and be blessed. Also, the best part about these steps is that they are exactly what we are commanded to do anyways. Platt isn’t telling us anything new. It may be a new idea to you–an experiment–but Platt recognizes that this is just how we who claim to be Christ’s followers are to live. Radically.

Should you read this book? Well, have you read the two I mentioned above or others like them? If so, I’d say no. Don’t be dazzled by the endorsements. You already know what to do. So, do it. Try out Platt’s radical experiment and do it. But, if this all seems new to you (radical faith in Jesus that is), then you should give this a read. It won’t take long and Platt really makes sure you realize that God and his gospel are central to the Christian life.

Update

I think there is some valuable criticism of the individualism the book propounds in this review.

16 responses to “Book Review: Radical by David Platt”

  1. Ben Terry Avatar

    It’s interesting to me that you say don’t read this book if you have read Shane Claiborne’s “Irresistible Revolution”, which has nothing to do with the Gospel. I don’t think I could ever endorse a book of his. At least Platt actually spends a chapter in his book solely on defining what the Gospel is in chapter 2.

    At Together 4 the Gospel next week they are handing this book out to the 200 men at Band of Bloggers event, because the “dazzling endorses” believe this book is important to be in the hands of the men in the church so we can be reminded to know God and make God known to all people.

    1. drew Avatar

      Ben, thanks for taking the time to comment.

      I reference Claiborne and Chan simply to show that this type of book is already on the market. I’m not here to defend any man.

      Neither the fact that T4G is giving away 200 copies nor the fact that SEBTS is giving away 500 copies at an upcoming chapel influences my review. The giveaways show Platt’s increasing popularity.

      Note that I said don’t be dazzled by the endorsements. I didn’t say that the endorsements are particularly dazzling. Endorsements can dazzle whether they’re particularly dazzling or not. Platt’s growing popularity provides a prime atmosphere for being dazzled.

    2. nate Avatar
      nate

      If Claiborne’s book has “nothing to do with the gospel,” we have profoundly forgotten the meaning of “good news.”

  2. drew Avatar

    Hey Thomas!

    I do think you will find Platt’s book convicting and worth a quick read even though you’re already familiar with what’s going on.

    Robinson’s book looks like it could be helpful. My concern is that the match is so expensive and instead of concentrating the ones in our matchboxes (churches) on starting a particular fire we often haphazardly strike matches for the thrill of it. Any time we spend that kind of money “for God” we should be sure to think long and hard about our motivation, intented outcome, long-term commitment, etc.

  3. Student Life Blog » Blog Archive » Some Early ‘Radical’ Reviews

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  4. Ched Avatar

    Drew,

    Regarding your critique of short-term mission trips, Platt himself makes this caution as well. In the recent interview he did at JT’s blog, he addresses the relationship of long-term and short-term mission endeavors:

    “There are so many abuses when it comes to short-term mission trips, and we certainly need to be careful to avoid various pitfalls. The goal is always long-term impact through short-term mission . . . on a couple of different levels. . . .”

    I’ve also heard him recommend When Helping Hurts to someone inquiring about short-term trips on more than one occasion.

    Anyway, thanks for posting on this. I enjoyed reading your review.

    1. drew Avatar

      Ched, thanks for reading my review and commenting. I’m glad to learn what else Platt thinks of short-term trips and has read When Helping Hurts. I now wonder why he didn’t balance out his book with this caution.

      1.  Avatar
        Anonymous

        probably because when helping hurts has more to do with eastern philosophy than it does Christianity. the idea of give a man a fish feed him for a day….. is not found in the bible and goes against much of what Christ taught us. i am surprised platt suggested it.

  5. Lindsey Avatar
    Lindsey

    Good review. On the contrary, I appreciated the book because after spending most of my life in churches that preach their own gospel, I grew a little cold. It’s good to see people are finally saying something, and preaching the gospel as it was intended.

  6. Steve Avatar
    Steve

    Drew,

    I have now read several reviews similar to yours and it seems in some ways a different version or re-write of similar themes based on; like the others, C. S. Lewis’s book “Mere Christianity.”

    Would you agree?

    I do intend to read the book and I am sure it will still challenge and convict me in my daily walk.

    Interested in your thoughts.

    Thanks!

    1. drew Avatar

      Hi Steve! You’re saying that Radical sounds a bit like Mere Christianity to you? I hadn’t noticed a connection. MC seems to have a more apologetic edge than Radical.

  7. Dara Harvey Avatar
    Dara Harvey

    Drew,

    My husband and I have been members of David Platt’s church since before he became it’s pastor. At first we agreed wholeheartedly with the message he preached, and it seemed to be the first time we had heard the Gospel presented in such a challenging way. We tried to participate in the Radical Experiment. My husband wrote one of the emails to David that is included in the book. However through time we’ve noticed a complete lack if emphasis by Platt on growing in the Spirit and sanctification. You can do all the things David talks about in the book in an effort to be obedient, and still be spiritually empty. This promotes legalism. I don’t think David intends to lead his church in this manner, but it is the effect nonetheless. My husband and I recently joined several other families who have left David’s church for this reason. I agree with your review and believe David is overlooking some crucial components of the Gospel as he pursues the one thing he, personally, is most passionate about. It’s fine for him to be committed to radical obedience; it’s another to unknowingly lead a congregation toward the dangers of legalism.

  8. Wendy Shank Avatar

    Can’t believe someone wrote basically the same review I did almost a year before I did, and I am just now reading it! Your point about questioning Platt’s travels reminded me of something I scribbled at the top of page 33: “Are YOU radical enough to give up your globetrotting so that others may eat?” Yes, sometimes we need to go and see for ourselves and BE with people, but those exotic trips can become seductive just like everything else that’s available to wealthy Christians. There’s a steep bill to be paid for those travels, not to mention the assault on the environment that we add to every time we board a jet. I too am hoping he’s considering very carefully the stewardship of all that; maybe he is. The lady in his church who challenged him on it was right: it’s worth thinking hard about, especially when you are on the receiving end of the donations (using others’ money for your plane ticket) and you are challenging people to live radically simply. I appreciated his story about the man in Sudan who told him how much his (Platt’s) physical presence in Africa meant, and I’m sure that was a heartfelt comment; but Platt’s comment that then he “was convicted for even considering that I should give money instead of actually coming to Sudan” negates what I’m reading above about his reservations & cautions about mission trips.

  9. J. Dean Avatar

    A little late to the party on this, but I’ve been seeing this book a lot lately, and while I’ve not read the whole thing, a few things really trouble me about this book.

    I don’t think anybody here disputes Mr. Platt that greed and materialism are real problems in the world and even in the church. That being said, I get the following impressions from the book that make me wonder whether or not Mr. Platt is going too far and beyond the bounds of Scripture in some of his assertions:

    -That the book is changing “The love of money is the root of all evil” into “Money is the root of all evil”
    -That it’s a sin to be rich if you’re not spending every spare penny on a cause
    -That if you’re buying french fries in a restaurant, you’re cheating God of money
    -That reducing yourself to an austere poverty level is somehow more spiritual (which smacks of Roman Catholic monasticism)
    -That Mr. Platt is taking something that God has called him individually to do and is improperly applying that same calling to all Christians. It’s like saying “I’m called to be a full-time pastor, therefore all Christians are called to be full-time pastors.” Do you see the problem with this?

    Again, being clear, I agree completely that greed and materialism are real sins and that those real sins need to be addressed in the pulpit. The Word of Faith movement is a prime example of this fallacy, that God calls us all to be healthy and wealthy without exception, and it seriously errs from the faith on this point.

    I also believe that we as Christians should find a good faith-based cause such as mission work or gospel-centered charity with which we can help in some way. Christians should be generous and charitable, and should be regularly looking for (and praying for) opportunities to be generous.

    But I also believe that going to the other extreme, which at times sounds like “justification by poverty” or “Protestant monasticism” is a slippery slope in the opposite direction that can lead to a false idea of Christianity. It flirts with a judgmental attitude toward people who may have more or less than we have, and puts far too much emphasis on the external appearance of possessions (or a lack of possessions) rather than the internal state of the heart before God.

    Just my thoughts. Thank you for permitting me to post them.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      i read the book and did not get that from it at all. he is simply trying to challenge people to follow Christ in every area of there lives.

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