Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges in an Anti-Christian Culture

by Aaron M. Renn

Learning how to live in today's new social and cultural environment will require examination, trial and error, and adaptation over time. But there are ways to live with integrity and follow Christ today, even in a negative world. From a peak in church attendance in the mid-20th century, Christianity has been on a trajectory of decline in the United States. Once positive toward Christianity and Christian moral teachings, cultural shifts toward the mid-90s led many to adopt a more neutral tone toward the Christian faith, seeing it as one option among many in a pluralistic public square. Today, however, Christianity is viewed negatively, and being known as a Christian often means a lower social status in elite society. Christian morality is openly repudiated and viewed as a threat to the new moral order. In Life in the Negative World , author Aaron M. Renn looks at the lessons from Christian cultural engagement over the past 70 years and suggests specific strategies for churches, institutions, and individuals to live faithfully in the "negative" world—a culture opposed to Christian values and teachings. And since there is no one-size-fits-all solution, living as a follower of Christ in the new, negative world and being missionally engaged will require a diversity of strategies.

Genres: Cultural, Christian, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction, Politics, History

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 30, 2024

Reviews

[Becky Pliego · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is *one* of the books Christians should read to understand the times in which Providence has placed us.

Other books to add to the list are Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield, Rules for Reformers by Douglas Wilson, and (coming in the Spring of 2024) Emotional Sabotage by Joe Rigney.

[Jeremy]

This book grew out of his viral article at First Things. KDY reviews it, fairly, I think, here.

Speaking of negativity, here are a few somewhat negative reviews at Mere Orthodoxy and TGC.

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars = very good, highly recommended

Renn contends that we Christians need to open our eyes and realize that our position in society has changed. During the Positive World (1964-1994) society held a largely positive view of Christianity. Being a Christian in this era generally enhanced social status. Times have changed. He defines 1994-2014 as the Neutral World, and 2014 onward as the Negative World. In today’s culture “Christian morality is expressly repudiated, and now seen as a threat to the public good and new public moral order.”

Of course one could quibble over the dates, but the overall direction of movement is difficult to dispute. So the critical question becomes, “How should Christians and the church respond?” Renn admits (repeatedly) that he is a consultant and not a theologian, but he highlights some problem areas and presents several important strategies. Each is assigned a chapter. When simply listed they might sound obvious and anodyne but I think there is actually great wisdom here:

-Become obedient
-Become excellent
-Become resilient
-Pursue institutional integrity
-Pursue community strength
-Pursue ownership
-Be a light
-Be a source of truth
-Be prudentially engaged

Maybe I’ll later feel inspired to text in some details within each (or some) of these chapter headings. But not tonight!

[Michael K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful hints on how to meander your way through the "anti-Christian" culture of the day. It would seem as though that everywhere you turn, these days, that there is some anti-Christian agenda attempting to tear our heads off even if we look at certain people the wrong way. Almost as though we are the ones who are possessed by some evil entity. We are called to and expected to be silent, be courteous, and accept our proverbial "beatings" or "licks" despite our promises of protection under the First Amendment of our US Constitution. You can speak of Allah, Buddha, Vishnu, etc., but to reference Jesus in any way is considered a faux pax.

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d quibble with Renn’s thesis as an all-encompassing framework and the ways others have sought to apply it, but I think there is some validity to the overall feeling that things have changed rapidly in American culture in the last decade. While I appreciate Renn’s attempt to strengthen families, churches, and institutions at a tactical level, I’d want to say more. I suspect this book will continue engendering good debate among Christians.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was epic! Totally making sense of what I have been seeing in culture and the church. His model makes sense and his suggestions about what to do in response are good. While I think on some he does not go far enough he does make good suggestions. And if we honestly went forward with them then the church would be in a better place.

[Caleb M. Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introduction

Life in the Negative World is an astute look at the state of Christianity in America: the nation’s posture toward the church, and the church’s response to a nation that no longer regards historic Christianity as a moral good. I was highly edified by this book, and it left me with a great deal to think through, along with several practical principles and strategies to ponder and try to apply to my own life. It also made me eager to read the response and follow-up volume recently published by Canon Press, Welcome to Negative World.

Concept: ★

Renn presents a framework consisting of three worlds: Positive World, Neutral World, and Negative World. In his account, American Christianity moved from a setting where public Christian identity generally helped a person’s standing in society, to one where Christianity became one option among many, and finally to a setting where historic Christian conviction is now treated as a social liability, especially among the elite. Life in the Negative World expands that framework, which he originally set out in an earlier essay, into a practical question: how should Christians, churches, and institutions live faithfully when the surrounding culture is no longer friendly to Christian moral claims?

I found this framework and thesis very helpful because they explain why older Christian instincts can suddenly feel inadequate to the present moment. If we assume we are still in Positive World, we will expect Christian faithfulness to be broadly respected, and we will assume that those around us are generally working from the same basic moral standard. If we assume we are in Neutral World, we will expect to be tolerated so long as we tolerate others in return: Christianity is one legitimate option among many, and decent people will respect that. Renn argues convincingly that these assumptions no longer hold. In Negative World, public Christian conviction often comes with real social costs, especially when it touches contested moral questions like sexual ethics or gender roles.

This understanding of our cultural milieu is important for evangelicals to grasp. There are many evangelical reactions that suddenly make more sense when put in this framework: third-wayism, winsomeness, the eleventh commandment of “niceness,” and a dozen more. These instincts often come from faulty assumptions about “what time it is.” But Christians are called to be men of Issachar, who understand the times. Renn helps us do that.

Style: ★

Renn’s writing is intelligent, practical, and full of conviction while remaining eminently accessible and refreshingly irenic. He knows what he thinks, and he argues for it directly, but he also leaves room for Christians, churches, and institutions to apply his principles in different ways according to their own callings, circumstances, and levels of responsibility. I found his style engaging and easy to follow, and I ripped through the audiobook in an afternoon.

The narrator was perfectly acceptable for nonfiction, though I found his voice a little too nasal at times. A stronger narrator would have made an already good experience even better, but that is a minor quibble rather than a serious strike against the audiobook.

Structure: ★

The book is well structured and very clear. The chapters build naturally, first providing the argument and the necessary background for it, then moving into various principles, strategies, and exhortations for Christian life in Negative World in a way that I found helpful and convicting. It never overstayed its welcome, but it also did not feel scattered or underdeveloped. I was rather impressed by the result.

Content: ★

The personal exhortations were very helpful and convicting. Renn argues that Christians “must be obedient to Christ,” and that challenge was one of the places where the book felt most edifying to me. He is not content to diagnose the cultural moment from a distance. He presses the point into personal life, family life, and local community, asking what kinds of virtues Christians need to practice most keenly in Negative World. That made me want to do more than agree with his analysis. It made me want to live with more obedience, resilience, and responsibility, the three virtues he commends for Christians living in Negative World.

The institutional material was great too, especially because it speaks to something I already aspire to. Renn exhorts Christian institutions toward trustworthiness, competence, and a clear focus on their mission. He also urges individual Christians to think more broadly about the structures they depend on, so that they can become less dependent on hostile systems, take more ownership, and become more resistant to outside pressure. All of that was very helpful to me. I do not want to retreat into my own little corner and call that enough while the world changes around me. I want to be entrepreneurial, work hard, and help make a good life for my family and community. Renn’s treatment here rekindled that desire in me. Christians need to build. And they need to build with integrity, ownership, excellence, and concern for the people around them.

Themes: ★

I follow Aaron Renn on X and have often appreciated his insights there, but this book sold me on his larger project. I had minor nitpicks throughout—Renn is probably more of a standard conservative type than I am—but he was so genuinely charitable that I could not help but appreciate every chapter. He was faithful to Scripture, realistic without giving in to despair, and unwilling to settle for naive winsomeness without becoming bitter or reactionary.

That balance is one of the book’s great strengths. Renn does not panic as he lays out the cultural hostility Christians are facing. Instead, he uses it as an occasion to send out a call for obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. He assumes, rightly, that Christians still have real duties toward the world around them, even when that world is hostile. He also puts those duties in the right order: personal, familial, and communal faithfulness first, then larger questions of culture war, politics, and public engagement. The book was serious without being frantic, and practical without feeling small.

Conclusion: ★★★★★

Five stars. The “Three Worlds” framework is clear and genuinely useful, the style of the book is sharp but accessible, the structure builds naturally, the content is practical and convicting, and the themes are handled with conviction and charity. I had small nitpicks along the way, but none of them meaningfully weakened the book for me.

I would recommend Life in the Negative World to evangelicals everywhere who want to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in our current cultural moment, but especially to men. Christian men need to build and fight, and this book helps them understand both the battlefield and the strategies for victory. Renn manages to do this without being too dogmatic and without being too timid, and I think that is a major point in its favor. It has broad appeal, but even more than that, it has the potential to gather many like-minded Christian men under a common banner and give them marching orders in the hostile world we currently inhabit.

Soli Deo gloria.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sets up a framework in which to analyze attitudes toward Christianity in modern American culture. Then offers solutions Christians can pursue while living in the negative world. Basically boils down to: Create stronger, more resilient Christian communities. Simple, but true.

References The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation.
References MTD from Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.

I also want to read: Christians in the Age of Outrage: How to Bring Our Best When the World Is at Its Worst.

[Alice Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pretty underwhelmed with this one honestly. Apparently it was expanded out of a First Things article, and it probably should have stayed there but instead we read it for parish group

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful in many ways, with a few qualifications. Many of Renn's observations will be surprisingly helpful outside former Christendom, on mission fields.

[Thomas Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved reading Aaron Renn’s material for years, so was eager to read his latest book.

The book is built out of his famous “three worlds of evangelicalism” model which explains the different ways culture has seen western Christianity as it has declined (positive, neutral, negative) and the major approaches taken by Christianity to combat this decline in each stage/world (culture war, seeker sensitivity, cultural engagement).
He argues that we haven’t worked out a clear strategy for the “negative world” and offers some catalytic ideas, recommendations and reminders at a personal, church and missional level.

Well written but I had already encountered most of the content from reading his monthly newsletter articles.

“Counter-catechises: the church today not only has to teach its members and next generations what it believes, but explain why it doesn’t believe certain doctrines accepted in the world.”

4/5 stars

[Wesley Rinehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaron Renn writes with a logic and a clarity that make him hard to ignore.
This book is absolutely fantastic. Any Christian who occupies or aspires to occupy a leadership position, whether in the family, the church, or the institution, should read this book.
Renn succinctly examines the last half century of the American evangelical movement, and then offers several thoughtful chapters on how to move forward in a culture that views Christianity negatively.

[Adam Nesmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very timely and thought provoking book. Essentially this book has two major sections: the first an expansion of Renn’s original online essay that proposes a model for understanding Christianity’s relation to American culture since the 1960s and the second part giving practical recommendations for the Church now living in the “negative world” as Renn puts it. As I read the book, the famous quip “all models are wrong but some are useful” came to mind. This book I can see disappointing multiple types of people: it isn’t an exegetical treatise on how Christianity and culture, and it also isn’t a sociological research paper referencing statistics and surveys and data. Renn is purposely panting with a broad brush and giving Christian’s a helpful metaphor for understanding the turn American culture has taken since 2014. There are sections of the book I disagreed with and I imagine any reader will have personal critiques with Renns analysis. But as a catalyst for conversation and a book helpful for framing the church’s strategy at this cultural moment, I think the book succeeds and exceeds expectation.

Personally I found the suggestions on individual actions to take to be less insightful than Renns suggestions for institutions. I particularly think his comparison of Protestant evangelicals as a large non ethnic religious minority with Catholicism in the 19th and 20th century and with the Quakers as trustworthy citizens in the 18th as particularly helpful. All in all, a worthy read for any conservative Protestant in America today; it is a good starting model even if Renn leaves many gaps unfilled.

Truth: 4/5
As I said, Renn is painting with a broad brush so some of his conclusions are more asserted than argued. He does have a decent amount of citations in the back of the book to pull on some threads Renn mentions.

Structure: 4/5
Some chapters I felt were too short while other sections seemed inordinately long (like a section where Renn gently critiques popular conservative views of marriage and gender roles). There were also chapters that felt more topical rather than structured to make a coherent argument.

Usefulness: 5/5
Practical and thought provoking. Renn doesn’t try to pretend to be a pastor which is actually helpful. He speaks as a fellow Christian seeking faithfulness in our current cultural moment.

[Noah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A valuable map for the American church. Maps have to choose the most relevant details give what's needed to orient and navigate. The landmarks Renn highlights were enlightening and convicting for me. I appreciate the survey of different possible approaches the church has had toward the culture, and the call to personal and institutional resilience and excellence.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. Thought it got better as it went along. I was particularly intrigued by the author’s proposal for possible practical responses to living in the “negative world.” Even the stuff I didn’t resonate with still struck me as thoughtful and worth serious consideration.

The main bummer about the book was the audiobook narrator who sounded like AI.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes an author will coin a phrase that gets absorbed so thoroughly into the popular vernacular that the term just becomes assumed. This seems to have happened with Aaron Renn's "negative world" paradigm, as a way of describing the current cultural climate in which the church finds itself.

For most of American history, the culture has been very positive toward Christianity. That changed in 1994 (dates negotiable), according to Renn, when our society transformed into a more neutral stance toward Christianity. That is, the church no longer had a privileged status, but it wasn't necessarily disfavored (p.6-7).

It wasn't long before the neutral world morphed into the negative world, which the church has inhabited since 2014. Renn describes the negative world like this: "Christian morality is expressly repudiated and now seen as a threat to the public good and new public moral border." (p.7).

Renn's purpose in this book is to awaken Christians to this reality. His assumption is that too many Christians assume we are still living in the positive or neutral worlds. As if the world will like us if we just like them. But sooner or later, these believers will receive a rude awakening and need to plan now for how they will respond faithfully to God's word when they lose their job or get blackballed for simply believing the Bible.

What I appreciate most about Renn's analysis is that he obviously speaks as one who knows how the world works. As one who has worked in politics and finance, he brings a perspective that seems street-wise and free from the naïveté that can sometimes limit the perspective of evangelical leaders who only know church life. Renn doesn't embrace Rod Dreher's "Benedictine option," but neither is he on board with the winsome cultural engagement model that has been so popular in reformed circles recently. Renn is clearly proposing something different – an approach that isn't fleeing the culture, but one that is definitely not trying to flatter the culture either.

Renn spent considerable time at the end of the book discussing the importance of gender roles, which I did find instructive and helpful, but the space given to this topic seemed a little out of balance. He also mentions the importance of gender confusion, race relations and politics as issues "where the church is in conflict with the culture" (p.187). The book might be more helpful (and certainly longer) if he devoted equal time to these issues, not to mention the church's response to LGBT matters.

This is still a very clearly written, well organized, and super relevant book that all Christians, but especially Christian leaders, need to read.

[Samuel Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long time reader of Aaron’s newsletter and a huge fan of his work. Though reading him in long form is not the best way to digest his ideas, it certainly made for excellent discussion. A valuable asset, to Christians looking to navigate the cultural landscape.

[Joshua Matthews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This captures how evangelicals are dealing with their loss of the sociocultural limelight after dominance for a good number of years. Some of the prescriptions remind me of Jehovah’s Witnesses (make your own space, counter/pre evangelize, etc.) and others are coming to grips with the fact that power isn’t a given anymore. What I found especially insightful was his idea of sexual economy or the need to emphasize marriage and family and also encourage family formation and dating. He cusps on a solution for the problem without really saying anything.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been an article-reading Renn fanboy for a time, and am happy to report that book-length Renn does not disappoint. He is a modern "Son of Issachar" who "understands the times, to know what [we] ought to do." (1 Chronicles 12:32). Renn has the observational skills and naming talent to clearly explain where we have been, where we are now, and how/why people behave in response to the ground shifting under their feet. Further, his practical suggestions for how to think and act in the new negative world are of very high quality.* This would be a great book to study as a church or do a book group through.

*Much better than, say, Dreher's weaker Part 2 in Live Not by Lies

[Lizze Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book helps us tell what time it is and what we should do next. Please read.

For me to remember: Important focus areas…
Pursue excellence.
Be resilient and antifragile. (Clean house institutionally.)
Aquire ownership.
Speak truth clearly.

[Eddie Mercado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Renn’s three worlds thesis intrigues me. The shift in perception from positive world to negative (or as Renn suggests, suspicious) world is quite discernible. But as someone who is at this point quite ambivalent vis a vis Christians making some sort of impact culturally, I’m not sure if what Renn provides is THE answer for engaging with a world that looks at orthodox Christians with skepticism. I’m of the persuasion that the church is at her best when the world looks at her with some degree of suspicion. And that’s because Christians ought to be weird. We are people in a place that’s not our own. It’s an enjoyable read, and an easy read, so I can easily recommend this book. I hope it will provoke hearty conversations throughout the year.

[Ryan Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on Christianity and Culture I’ve read in awhile. Renn starts by classifying various time periods in American history depending on how the culture views Christianity: positive, neutral, and negative. Renn classifies our current time as negative. Renn then gives strategies for how to then live in this negative world: obedience, excellence, resilience, building institutional integrity, building community strength, ownership, engaging missionally, being a source of truth, and prudential engagement. I especially appreciated this chapter on views on gender and what can be learned from the secular figures who speak to men like Joran Peterson. Also his Christian take on Nassim Taleb’s ideas I found very helpful. Renn does a great job of being practical and realistic

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far better to read Shepherds For Sale by Megan Basham and the article written by the author for First Things. Then discuss it with like minded people. Illustrations of points were usually one-sided which was shallow and became tedious.

[Zak Schmoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a lot to talk about in this book. I am also going to be writing a longer review of this, so you will see that in the coming days. However, for now, I will say that this is one of those books you will want to read. You might not agree with everything in it, but I think it is important to think about what happens to evangelical Christians when we no longer have the luxury of being the cultural norm and being a Christian is no longer assumed to be the sign of respectability. We don't have that luxury anymore, so we need to consider what that means. I will have a lot more to say about this one.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has the status of Christianity in our culture changed dramatically in a small period of time? As a generational Xer, I think so. Renn explains this period of time in three time periods: positive, neutral, and negative. Most of his focus is on the negative giving practical advice for the faithful believer to live out their Christian faith in this negative, anti-Christian world.

I recommend this book to every believer who often feels like a minority in this post-Christian world. We know the realities we live with, we are faced with them everyday. But this book will encourage you to live in the world but not of it, without the tired cultural war rhetoric that seems to have lost its way.

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A necessary and helpful guide for Christians living in “negative world”—a time in which being a faithful Christian is no longer viewed positively or neutrally but rather as a negative. Renn traces the brief history of these shifts and provides a framework for thinking through the future. It’s not a battle plan but it is a call to reconsidering how Christians ought to engage with the world.

[Chuck Ransford · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I don’t agree with every word written in this book, I very much appreciate the perspective of a non-pastor/theologian on how Christians should live in the so-called negative works. Renn provides numerous examples of things we could be doing better, and the church would do well to heed his advice.

[Darren Nisly · Rating 3 out of 5]

My fundamental worldview differences with the ideas presented in this book became more and more apparent the more I read. The author articulates his positions reasonably well, and I do appreciate the effort to write something of a positive vision for the church. There were some nuggets of goodness that I will stash away, but the overall vision (story?) offered up to the reader is not one I believe to be reflective of the calling of the Body of Christ.

[jacob van sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drop everything you’re doing and read this book.

[Josh Simons · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is good but as a layman I am discouraged at what I can do beyond my own personal family circle. If it weren’t for hope in the gospel, the Lovecraftian level of existential dread in the negative world would be overwhelming. I’m thankful for Aaron Renn’s spearheading the unknown days ahead of us with this book. The next steps don’t feel quite so blinding.