1. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream
    David Platt
    Multnomah / 2010 / Trade Paperback
    Our Price$11.99 Retail Price$16.00 Save 25% ($4.01)
    4.7 out of 5 stars for Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. View reviews of this product. 290 Reviews
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  1. Charley
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: male
    3 Stars Out Of 5
    August 19, 2011
    Charley
    Age: Over 65
    Gender: male
    Quality: 4
    Value: 5
    Being radical is necessary when a person is working the street, shops, etc. Unfortunately, because of religious teaching it is not effective in churchs. But I am very thankful that our Father is about to take back His church and the religious concept will be out the door.
  2. Jim1965
    Beebe, Arkansas
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: Male
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    This work lacks sound doctrinal content.
    January 8, 2012
    Jim1965
    Beebe, Arkansas
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: Male
    Quality: 4
    Value: 1
    Meets Expectations: 1
    Platt's book has received rave reviews by many pastors, including leaders of theological seminaries. Churches have committed to the tenets described in the book in an effort to follow Christ's commandments. After looking through the book, I am appalled at the churches and pastors who have fallen for the emotional appeals of a book that is theologically bankrupt and misleading.

    Here are the problems with the book:

    1) It is over-priced for the content. If the writer wished, he could have easily shortened the content of this book to make it freely available to Christians, but then there would be no book sales. Most of the book consists of stories about the author's experiences, which I call filler material. Ten to fifteen dollars for a theologically bankrupt book that can be boiled down to five simple points is ridiculous.

    2) On page 29, the author states that God hates sinners, which is not true. Here is why: In stating that God is a judge (and He is), we cannot also ignore that God is love. God has many attributes, such as love, absolute righteousness, and justice. Hate, however, is not an attribute of God. Hate is an anthropopathism, a human trait ascribed to God for the benefit of man's understanding. Technically speaking, God does not hate anyone. For example, look at John 3:16, where "God so loved the world..." Again, stating that God hates all who do wrong is a way of allowing man's finite mind to understand God's attitude toward sin and sinners. Is that what David Platt was trying to say? If he was, he needs to clarify that God DOES love the sinner. He did not do that, and not clarifying the issue is misleading.

    3) On page 37, the author states that "...this gospel evokes unconditional surrender of all that we are and all that we have to all that he is."

    And on page 39:

    "Jesus is no longer one to be accepted or invited in but one who is infinitely worthy of our immediate and total surrender." "For the first time, we want God. We see our need for him, and we love him. We seek after him, and we find him, and we discover that he is indeed the great reward of our salvation. We realize that we are saved not just to be forgiven of our sins or to be assured of our eternity in heaven, but we are saved to know God. So we yearn for him. We want him so much that we abandon everything else to experience him. This is the only proper response to the revelation of God in the gospel."

    This is wrong, and anyone who has read the Bible should see right through this and understand that the author is espousing a works-oriented salvation. Works depend on you, not God. Salvation is as follows: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Eph 2:8-9 (ESV)). 30 "Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:30-31 (ESV)). Belief in Jesus means to have faith, to accept that what He has done is enough to save you. Faith in Christ means you accept His work on the cross, that He is your savior. So, contrary to page 37, we DO need to accept Jesus. Accept and believe are synonyms. Point three is a major problem with the book because what the author states is not true. Nowhere in the Bible is the author's viewpoint supported.

    4) The American Dream is not necessarily to be rich. The American Dream is freedom to pursue one's own interests.

    5) On page 58, the author tells us that God sends the Spirit for various things, such as power when we need strength or wisdom when we need discernment. This is wrong. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer from the point of salvation until the believer dies physically. The Spirit is not sent in times of trouble or need. He is omnipresent; he is always here with us. He permanently indwells every believer in the Church Age. Look at Romans 8:1: 1 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1 (ESV)). "In Christ" is your position, which is permanent and can never change. Why have you never heard this before? Because pastors don't teach, they preach. Anyone can preach, but not everyone can teach. Remember, pastor-teacher is a gift from the Spirit. Not everyone has it, and not everyone who has it exercises the gift as they should.

    6) Page 70-71: "The message of biblical Christianity is not 'God loves me, period,' as if we were the object of our own faith. The message of biblical Christianity is 'God loves me so that I might make him–his ways, his salvation, his glory, his greatness–known among all nations.' 'God loves us for his sake in the world' and 'God creates, blesses, and saves each of us for a radically global purpose'" (page 71). Are you hearing this? God has ulterior motivation for saving you, according to the book. He didn't just save you because you are a sinner in need of salvation (as the Bible so states).

    7) Page 193: On giving, he says "Notice I didn't merely say "give"; I said "sacrifice." An illustration given is of a church member selling his/her house and down-scaling to an older home so he/she could support missionary work. Then the author suggests ways for us to spend our money. What does the scripture say? "7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7 (ESV)).

    8) Page 218-219: The Radical Plan: Commit to these five things:

    Point 1: I will pray for the entire world.

    Point 2: I will read through the entire Word.

    Point 3: I will sacrifice my money for a specific purpose.

    Point 4: I will spend time in another context (this means mission-type work somewhere other than your immediate geographical area).

    Point 5: I will commit my life to a multiplying community (your church, that is).

    I agree with points 1, 2, and 5. Point 3 is not in my Bible. It's not in yours, either. Point 4 is David Platt's plan, not God's plan for my life. Who's plan are you going to work?

    9) Radical is a 5-point plan devised by a man. Points 1, 2, and 5 are fine, but the point I am trying to make is that following this book may lead you out of the plan that God has for your life. If God's plan for you relates to one geographical area, then that is where you need to stay. The Great Commission applies to all Christians, but not in the same way. The plan God has for an individual is just that, individual. Operating the Radical plan will not lead you to spirituality. If you are looking for spirituality, then what you need to do is to study under a pastor who teaches the Bible from the original languages, who is steeped in systematic theology, and who explains scripture in the light of its historical framework. Biblical teaching is what you need to reach spiritual maturity. A cookie-cutter approach will not work.
  3. Anna Wood
    Mobile, AL
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    Radical Isn't Radical Enough
    January 10, 2011
    Anna Wood
    Mobile, AL
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: female
    Quality: 2
    Value: 2
    Meets Expectations: 1
    David Platt has a passion for the Gospel. In his book, "Radical", we are confronted with the absolute holiness of God, the Sovereignty of God, the depravity of man, the vileness of sin, the necessity of repentance and the fact that the Gospel, properly believed, will change your life. After reading this book, one is left with a proper, and humbling, view of himself before God Almighty. If the book stopped here, I could unhesitatingly recommend it.

    Unfortunately David doesn't stop here. He also leaves us pondering our desire to take the Word to the world: the world, it seems, is out there and not here in the Gospel-impoverished United States. We cannot simply have a heart for the United States, we are told; to be right with God, we must have a heart for the world, also. That is, we must also serve there if we desire to serve here.

    David deals soundly with the lust for money and things; unfortunately for weaker or younger Christians, perhaps just a little too soundly. Statistics of those who die daily from hunger and disease are intermixed with stories of those who are dying without the Gospel; this sets the stage for many to come away confused and questioning how to live out their faith (Is it teaching the Gospel? Or does it by necessity require that we also alleviate hunger and illness?). Though his challenge to us stops short of imploring us to sell all and GO, we are left wondering if anything less is enough? Yet the Gospel isn't confronting and eradicating poverty (the groundwork for social change takes place, however, when the Gospel is properly preached), the Gospel is confronting mankind's sin with God's perfect holiness which led to the death of Jesus on the cross. David, who earlier in the book, did such a magnificent job of confronting sin, now lets it take a back seat to the call to meet mankind's physical needs.

    "Radical" is egalitarian in nature and men and women are both referred to as "leaders" in the church. The story is told of a young single woman going to a foreign field to do what God has called man alone to do: preach the Word. One wonders to what happened to the radical call to women to be godly wives, mothers and homemakers?

    In the end, "Radical" doesn't quite call us to be radical enough. Living the radical life is simply living as Christ has called us to live and nothing more than a whole Gospel makes a whole (and radical) Christian. While those who are mature in their faith can receive some nourishment from "Radical", those younger or weaker in their faith or in their knowledge of Scripture just might be led astray. Because of its shortcomings I recommend it only hesitatingly and then only to mature Christians.

    I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
  4. Ashley DeLen
    Rural Kansas
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    Maybe not such a great read?
    February 11, 2011
    Ashley DeLen
    Rural Kansas
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 2
    Value: 2
    Meets Expectations: 2
    In the Book, "Radical: Taking back your faith from the American Dream," David Platt works to shine a light on misconceptions within the church and society of today. The goal of the book is to be life changing and dramatic, well radical actually. The change is directed towards letting go of our financial comforts and giving the majority of our money and possessions away to help the poor and needy in America and in other countries, while sharing the name of Jesus with others and trusting the Lord for our provisions.

    The definition of the word "radical" from Webster's Dictionary is as follows:

    a) very different from the usual or traditional (extreme)

    b) favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions or institution

    c) associated with political views, practices and policies of extreme change

    d) advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs

    Synonyms:

    extremist, fanatic, rabid, extreme, revolutionary, revolutionist, ultra

    The very definition of the word used to title the book is accurate. There are huge portions of this book that I disagree with. I believe that the heart behind what Platt is saying is honest and truly does seek to honor the Lord. However, he makes very bold broad statements that take parts of scripture out of context (or at least I believe he does). It feels like in huge segments of this book that Platt forgets how many details, messy details at that, make up the character and life of a follower of Christ. It also seems that he forgets that God does give each of us different gifts and talents and that what he has called one son or daughter to do in their life, he might not have called you to do the same (example John the Baptist and his cousin Jesus, one drank wine and the other did not, one was called to a very simple life in the desert and the other was not). Within the boundaries that the Lord has created for us to follow and strive to achieve we are all unique individuals, not one of us the same, so a cookie cutter mold may not be the best answer. I guess what I'm saying is, that's great if God has called you to sale every item you have and move your family into the inner city. But I do not believe he has called all Christian's to do that.

    After reading this book. I still disagree with the majority of it. I did however enjoy the challenge of reading this book. If anything Platt made me think about and research a lot of what he said. "Radical" did help me to work through some of the issues that I do have with culture today, but it also helped to remind me what America was founded on and that was Christ and the freedom to follow him.

    If you do read this book, please read Matthew 6: 1-4 and remember to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit.
  5. Darin
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: male
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    Believers have different callings
    July 31, 2015
    Darin
    Age: 45-54
    Gender: male
    Quality: 2
    Value: 2
    Meets Expectations: 1
    While it contains some good information, Platt seems to be saying that Christians MUST do overseas missions to be a "real" Christian. Are some called to go overseas? Yes. Are some called for other work? Yes. I don't think it was his intention, but based on what Platt says in his book, he seems to believe only the overseas work matters. If that is correct, he is wrong. Consider Paul's journeys in Acts. While traveling, he stayed with believers in various cities. Under Platt's model, there would be no one in those cities to exercise the spiritual gift of hospitality. There would be no one in church A to donate to those in need in another city.

    What about the single parent? What about someone with severe disabilities? What about the believer who is homeless? Must they all go overseas? I don't think so. All can (and should) pray for those spreading the Gospel. Any other work they do should be based on the spiritual gifts bestowed upon them. While they can exercise radical faith, such faith may be in their local church, with a small group, in their family, their community, etc.

    In my review, I indicate I would recommend this to a friend. That is with a caveat that reflects my review. Platt has many good things to say, but his fundamental premise as it seems to be presented in the book is flawed.
Displaying items 281-285 of 290
Page 57 of 58