LIVING THE DREAM?
The Problem with Escapist, Exhibitionist, Empire-Building Christianity
Some Christians are obsessed with “Life Hacks” and self-realisation, whilst others preach hate and encourage division, and then there are those who are indifferent towards our ecology and matters of justice. They all say they’re seeking God’s dream for their lives and this world, but is the Kingdom of God supposed to be so tribal and self-saturated?
In Living The Dream?: The Problem with Escapist, Exhibitionist, Empire-Building Christianity we’ll voyage through the scriptural story, glimpsing the kaleidoscopic beauty of God’s Dream. As we do, we’ll discover that this has never been about the ascent of humanity into some heavenly sphere, or worldly dominance, or into our ideas of the perfect me. The central focus of the story, its main melody from the Garden to the Cross, has always been the descent of God—a truth that should disturb our self-inclination, shatter our walls, and reform our posture as disciples.
What Are People Saying About Living the Dream?
“In Living the Dream?, Tristan Sherwin takes aim at three ‘E’s’—Empire Building, Escapist, and Exhibitionist Christian thinking. But instead of just critiquing and deconstructing them, he imagines a better way forward. With incisive clarity and creative storytelling, he presents to us a prophetic Jesus, a welcoming Table, and a divine Artist who is making a masterpiece out of this broken world. Care about the future of the faith? Need fresh vision for what’s to come? Drop everything and read this book!”
—Zach Hoag, author of The Light is Winning: Why Religion Just Might Bring Us Back to Life
“Reading Living the Dream? called to mind a line from Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower — “So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.” In his latest book, Tristan Sherwin does not talk falsely — he writes with boldness, conviction, and urgency. Sherwin has climbed into a watchtower, seen the gathering threats posed by Escapism, Exhibitionism, and Empire, and has sounded an alarm. For Christianity to have a credible witness to Christ in the 21st century, it needs to embrace the kind of robust and beautiful vision Sherwin sets forth in Living the Dream? I find hope in such prophetic voices.”
—Brian Zahnd, Pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri; author of Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God
“You won’t agree with everything you read in Tristan’s newest book. If you do, you have probably not read it closely enough. Tristan speaks from a prophetic posture, lighting a fire that will both purify and, hopefully, ignite a more truthful way of being in those who read it. The book is written by Tristan, a Pentecostal, and it clearly speaks to his tribe. But the book clearly speaks to those of us who live and move in other tribes too. Tristan puts his finger on aspects of western culture that make the church ill and calls us to remedy this situation. I recommend reading and digesting his words. I pray the book would challenge and inspire you as it did for me.”
—Fr. Ryan Cook, DipCm, MTS, Doctoral Candidate. Anglican Priest, Vancouver, Canada
“This book rightly recognizes and identifies many of the ‘isms’ that intrude into our interpretation of the truth God offers us. For, whether they be escapism, nationalism, materialism, exhibitionism, consumerism, individualism, militarism or a dozen others, their impact will leave us with a shrunken or unrecognizable Gospel, and affect our own faith lives. Corruptions of the Christian faith leave everyone impoverished. Yet in Living the Dream? Tristan Sherwin does more than offer us warnings. He invites us back into the living text of the Bible, so we can read it better. Whoever you are, and whatever turmoil you might have encountered, I believe that by the time you reach the final pages, you will be more conscious that a Christian way forward is a joyful challenge for any human being.”
—Elaine Storkey, award-winning author of Scars Across Humanity: Understanding and Overcoming Violence Against Women.
“We humans have an unending propensity to find our security and value everywhere but Christ. As such, it has always been necessary for the church to become aware of how the idols of its age are drawing it away from its mission. In this compelling book, Sherwin raises a prophetic voice inviting us to see how we have become enamored by idols in our own time. We’ve substituted an embodied faith that makes a difference in this present world for spiritual escapism. We’ve traded the power of Christ’s love and humility for power rooted in influence, celebrity, and politics. We’ve giddily taken over the Spirit’s task of judgement, evaluating everyone around us, narrowing the definition of the Gospel until we are clear about who is in and who is out, with our own hand comfortably guarding the gate. The resulting brand of Christianity feels obvious and familiar to us, but it has so little in common with the vibrant faith and practice of Jesus’ first followers. With honesty, vulnerability, and thoughtful theological reflection, Sherwin invites us to hear again the voice that animated those first Christians—we can be a part of the community that incarnates Jesus, participating in God’s masterwork of restoration that is truly good news for all humanity and, indeed, for the whole cosmos. This is a message the church in our age desperately needs.”
—Marc Alan Schelske, Teaching Elder of Bridge City Community Church in Milwaukie, Oregon; author of The Wisdom of Your Heart: Discovering the God-given Purpose and Power of Your Emotions.
Available in Paperback and Ebook versions wherever books are sold online!
(Including: Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Wordery, Book Depository , Barnes & Noble and Waterstones etc.)
LOVE: EXPRESSED
To follow Jesus is not a superstitious practice. It shouldn’t be motivated by fear or the loss of control, or pursued as if it’s just another “self-help-therapy” — all of which are just guises for a “help-yourself” lifestyle. We are the product of a real love, and we are called to participate in and reciprocate that love; a give-yourself commission.
As such, Love: Expressed explores what it means to live a faith that is an expression and extension of the generous love that God has already shown towards us, while guiding us away from a faith which seeks to extract something from God via our performance.
“Tristan Sherwin has written a smart and beautiful book showing us that Jesus Christ is the love of God expressed as a human life. This is the life we are called to imitate; this life of love is what we are made for.”
–Brian Zahnd; Author of Water To Wine and A Farewell To Mars
“Refreshing, authentic, inspiring, and yet practical–Tristan is a breath of fresh air.”
-Jeff Lucas; Author, International Speaker, Broadcaster
“Love: Expressed is a work of dirt-under-your-fingers spirituality.”
–Jonathan Martin; Author of Prototype and How To Survive A Shipwreck
“Sherwin has created Love: Expressed to answer those questions about love. His answers are as simple as they are profound, written in an engaging, conversational style that may make this my favorite book about “theology” this year, perhaps because it is less about theology and more about living one’s faith”
–Glynn Young; Writer, Author and Blogger at Faith, Fiction, Friends
Love: Expressed is now available at all good online retailers in both Print and ebook formats; Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and more.
Also available for special order inside all LifeWay Christian Stores!
Check out the reviews on Goodreads.com
TRISTAN SHERWIN 