Reviewed by: G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Introduction

Title: In Search of the Common Good: Christian Fidelity in a Fractured World

Author: Jake Meadors

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Format: Hardcover

Length: 208 pages

OVERVIEW

America’s common culture has clearly reached a low point. People’s families are often in shambles, the work they get paid for rarely provides any real meaning, and political fighting only seems to muddy the waters even more. In the midst of all this, the church is in terrible shape. What will it take to make American culture healthy? Jake Meador argues that the problem is people have been pursuing the wrong vision of what “the common life” should be. He analyzes modernism’s effect on key cultural areas (the places people find meaning, their sense of wonder, and the sense their work has value). From there, Meador presents a new way to view those areas, and shows how Christians can recapture a perspective that makes their lives meaningful, God-honoring, and impactful.

Meador uses many kinds of sources, from classical theology works to book about American workforce culture, for his thesis but he uses them in ways that make his ideas simple to understand. His writing style blends creative nonfiction and cultural analysis into something highly readable and edifying. When he describes what’s wrong with the American church, he hits on truths many people won’t admit but are key to why American Christianity often seems so dysfunctional. The solutions he suggests for how the church can get back on track are sound and well founded in Scripture. All in all, this is a highly compelling book that will change readers in ways that few books can.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

5 stars

Intended Audience

Christians interested in what it means to build a “Christian community,” Christians seeking to better understand America’s current social or cultural issues.

Christian Impact

This book creates a humbling but also uplifting picture of what it means to live the Christian live well, helping readers discover new spiritual maturity.

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