RADICAL: TAKING BACK YOUR FAITH FROM THE AMERICAN DREAM
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A Book Review
Presented to
Dr. Dan Burrell
Liberty Theological Seminary
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In partial fulfillment
Of the requirements of DSMN 520
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By
Jeremiah Hagler
Student ID: L00074544
October 12, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 2
Summary 2
Critique 6
Personal Application 6
Conclusion 7
Bibliography 8
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Introduction
When you first see the title of David Platt’s book you know that its purpose it to shake up
the status quo and change our view of something. This is exactly what David Platt does in his
book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream. Platt challenges the reader to
change how the average believer views God’s purpose for their lives. Platt takes nine chapters to
challenge how the reader lives and how that reader lives their life for God. Platt changes gear
from the normal, how to live for Him to teaching the reader that if we truly are a believer then
we should be living on mission. Often, Platt’s ideas in Radical will challenge the reader to go
again what society deems, normal. Radical, at its core, is about one thing – being completely
soled out for Christ. After reading this book readers will get the idea that God truly desires for
His followers to live a life on mission.
Summary
Radical is split up in nine chapters that successfully build off of each other. In each and
every chapter, Platt suggests a different way that our lives need to be one of radical living. The
chapters are short and to the point. The author does a good job at also giving the reader practical
application from his own life.
Something Worth Losing Everything For, in the first chapter of the book Platt lays out for
the reader a mandate. This mandate is from Luke 9, and as Platt writes, it is a mandate to cut all
ties with our families for the sake of following after God and living for Him. Platt goes on to talk
about how far the average American believer will go to prevent abandoning all and following
after Christ. In chapter one Platt writes, just like Bonheoffer wrote The Cost of Discipleship,
there is a bigger cost for those that make no attempt to disciple and look over discipleship. Platt
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wraps with discussing the gross difference of the money our churches spend on buildings vs.
sending and equipping missionaries to spread His message.
In chapter two, Too Hungry for Words, Platt discusses the hunger believers have for the
Word of God. Platt goes on to discuss just how hungry for the Word believers are at the many
secret churches he has visited around the world. He says that these believers spend hours
studying the scriptures and He also questions how much the average churches’ understanding of
the Word is biblical and how much is ethnocentric. Next, Platt gives the reader a balanced view
of God and discusses a loving God compared to an angry judge. It’s Platt’s explanation of the
gospel that shows the reader that merely asking God into our hearts isn’t going to cut it when it
comes to living a life on mission.
Platt uses chapter three, Beginning at the End of Ourselves, to talk about how important it
is for believers to rely on God’s power, and His power alone. Platt stresses the notion that the
“American Dream” only emphasizes our own power, but the Gospel-it stresses God’s power and
His power alone. In this chapter the author also discusses the idea the American church has of a
“successful church”. Platt talks about how the average believer measures a churches’ success by
programs, music talent, and even their marketing strategy. He shows the reader that these things
are done at the expenses of the member because they do not focus on what is truly important,
prayer and relying on God. Lastly, Platt challenges the reader to do only those things that God
can do.
In chapter four, The Great Why of God, Platt talks about the struggle that churches have
to take up the commandment of God and take His message to ALL the parts of the earth and
share the good news. Platt brings this point to life by using a story about a church that was
completely content giving money to someone to go overseas, just as long as they didn’t have to
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as well. Platt passionately urges the reader to understand that God call His’ children to not one,
but two purposes. Firstly, He desires that believers have a relationship with Him. Secondly, He
commands that believers go out and make disciples of all the nations. Finally, Platt struggles and
challenges the notion that Christ died for you. Rather, Platt points out that Christ death was not
just for the believer but also for the expansion of His kingdom.
The Multiplying Community is the title of chapter five, and in it Platt focuses on making
disciples. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands each and every believer to go out to every
single nation and make disciples for Him. Platt writes that what is troubling about this is how
each disciple is made. He writes that God’s greatest achievement here on earth was not all the
amazing things he did but rather that he continually talked about the disciples that God gave him.
Platt is pointing out that making disciples should be the joy and passion of each and every
Christian.
In chapter six, How Much Is Enough, Platt points out the gap there is between all the
wealth that Americans have to all the poverty outside of the United States. Platt does his best to
point out to the reader that part of this gap is due to man and woman’s sinful nature. He is quick
to point out that while taking care of those less fortunate than us is not a one way ticket to
salvation, materialism and our earthly desires are a blinder for the American Church. Those rich
people that neglect the less fortunate and do nothing to help them are not followers of God. Platt
ends with stating that the heart of the American Christian is at war with materialism and that the
church has overlooked this for far too long.
The way to salvation is the topic of chapter seven, There Is No Plan B. Platt makes it
clear to the reader that God has made one single way to salvation. As Americans, many believers,
have grabbed on to what culture says about ideas and how all are created equal. Unfortunately,
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this has also carried over to religions as well. It is in John 14:6 that Jesus makes it clear, with no
wiggle room, that it is only through God that one can come to salvation. American’s idea that all
religions and beliefs ultimately are equal and lead to the same God is based on taste and in no
way is based on scripture. It is this point that should spark urgency for sharing the gospel; there
is no plan b!
Platt uses chapter eight, Living When Dying Is Gain, to discuss what exactly Jesus was
talking about when He asked people to follow Him. While He commanded the disciples to go,
Jesus was also very clear about just what exactly they would face. He let them know they would
see the sick, the dying, and people that wanted to hurt them. Pratt illustrates this very idea by
telling a story of members of his church who went to and HIV infected area. While they were
there two of the members were pricked with infected needles. He continues after this story to
challenge the reader to pursue Christ and go out to all nations and make disciples. Platt wraps up
by talking about those people that gave their lives for Christ. He points out that life can truly be
lived radically when we start to see death as a reward and not a punishment.
Platt wraps up the book with chapter nine entitled, The Radical Experiment. In chapter
nine Platt wraps by proposing a one-year experiment that he says all Christians should take part
in. Platt’s experiment is made up off five simple tenants: praying for the entire world, reading the
entire Word of God, give up your money for a specific goal or purpose, give of your time in a
different context, and lastly commit your life to a community that multiplies. Platt wraps by
going over each one in length and explaining that if the reader truly lives these things out then
they in fact will, be radical. Platt continues to challenge to live a radical life and a radical faith. It
is clear that Platt desires the reader to truly give up everything, go out, and make disciples for
Jesus Christ.
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Critique
It is this author’s opinion that David Platt’s book is a new and fresh way on how to live
our lives. Radical, truly does challenge its reader to live a life just as the title says, radically.
While there are plenty of brilliant points made in Platt’s book, there is also one thing that this
particular author has an issue with. This author’s issue comes when Platt discusses making
disciples. While it is clear that Jesus clearly commands all believers to make disciples in His
name, the American way to do this is by feeding those that are without. This is great, but this
alone is not enough. It is the understanding of this author that Platt is not saying this alone is
enough but urges the reader to carefully digest and listen to what Platt is saying.
Outside of this trivial nitpicking Platt does an amazing job at dissecting the American
dream. It is clear that Platt is doing his best to make sure that believers remove this notion from
their mind and instead live their lives radically. Platt does an excellent job laying out every goal
that he set out for himself in this book. If the reader desires to be challenged and for their faith to
grow, then Radical is the book for them. This book is not just a book for the average believer but
a book that every seminarian and Christian alike should read.
Personal Application
After I read Platt’s book Radical, I am challenge to do many things differently. The first
thing that I desire to do is take the one-year challenge that Platt laid out in chapter nine.
Secondly, I want to examine my life to see what in it is truly of God and what parts of my life are
just those trivial things promoted by the “American dream”. My hope is that those trivial things
will be stripped away and I will live a life on mission. I will live a life that desires to give up
everything and make disciples for Him. Next, I want to pray that God will give me a chance to
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go to a unreached people group and share His good news to them, whatever the cost. Lastly, I
desire to continually teach those around me that it is not the “American dream” that defines us
but rather a life that is radically changed by Christ.
Conclusion
Radical does an amazing job at challenging the way that the church acts compared to the
culture around it. Platt does an excellent job showing the reader that while culture portrays the
“American dream” as an amazing thing, many times it goes completely against what the gospel
has to say about how we should live our lives. We need to be brave enough to realize that if
something goes against the Word of God then no matter how strongly culture promotes it we
need to stay away from it. Platt does an amazing job at using life experiences and interpreting
scripture to help the reader understand that a radical life is the only way we should be living. I
would certainly not hesitate to recommend this book to any one I come across.
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