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Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age
We live in a distracted, secular age. These two trends define life in Western society today. We are increasingly addicted to habits―and devices―that distract and "buffer" us from substantive reflection and deep engagement with the world. And we live in what Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor calls "a secular age"―an age in which all beliefs are equally viable and real transcendence is less and less plausible. Drawing on Taylor's work, Alan Noble describes how these realities shape our thinking and affect our daily lives. Too often Christians have acquiesced to these trends, and the result has been a church that struggles to disrupt the ingrained patterns of people's lives. But the gospel of Jesus is inherently disruptive: like a plow, it breaks up the hardened surface to expose the fertile earth below. In this book Noble lays out individual, ecclesial, and cultural practices that disrupt our society's deep-rooted assumptions and point beyond them to the transcendent grace and beauty of Jesus. Disruptive Witness casts a new vision for the evangelical imagination, calling us away from abstraction and cliché to a more faithful embodiment of the gospel for our day.
192 pages, Paperback
Published July 17, 2018
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2607 people want to read
About the author
Alan Noble
4 books552 followersDr. O. Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University and author of numerous articles and a couple books.
In his youth, Alan lived in Lancaster, CA, where he was very homeschooled by his mother. At 16, he finished high school and began attending Antelope Valley College, pursuing a certificate in music which he earned but never filled out the paperwork for, so it probably doesn't count. He did, however, meet his wife, Brittany, at AVC, which definitely counts. Alan continued his undergraduate work at the Cal State Bakersfield satellite campus at AVC, earning his degree in English. Then he earned his Master's in English at CSUB-AV, writing his thesis on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian under the supervision of Dr. Steven Frye.
Other things Alan did while in Southern California: tutored high school felons at a probation camp; substituted at various high schools; helped produce, write, rap, engineer, and record two hip-hop albums; taught composition and literature at Antelope Valley College; went bald; got married.
In 2007, Richard Clark contacted Alan about joining a new venture he was starting called Christ and Pop Culture. That November, Alan began writing and then editing for the site. Brittany and Alan moved to Waco, TX to pursue graduate degrees at Baylor University in 2008. While at Baylor, Alan studied under Ralph Wood, David Lyle Jeffrey, Luke Ferretter, and Richard Russell. His dissertation was written under the supervision of Dr. Ferretter and was titled Manifestations of transcendence in twentieth-century American fiction : F. Scott Fitzgerald, Carson McCullers, J.D. Salinger, and Cormac McCarthy. Charles Taylor's work on secularism and the self formed the theoretical basis for the dissertation and much of Alan's later writing. While in Waco, Brittany and Alan had two children, Eleanor and Quentin, and they attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At nights, Alan continued to write and edit for Christ and Pop Culture, now with the title Managing Editor.
In the fall of 2014, the Nobles moved to Shawnee, OK, where Alan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University. After Richard Clark left Christ and Pop Culture for Christianity Today, Alan became editor-in-chief at the site. At this time, Alan began writing for The Atlantic, Christianity Today, and First Things, particularly on issues related to pluralism and secularism. The Nobles' third child, Frances, was born in 2015. As the 2016 election ramped up, Alan launched the group Public Faith with Michael Wear to offer an alternative evangelical political voice. He also joined The AND Campaign as an advisor.
Alan has written articles for Christian publications such as Modern Reformation, InTouch Magazine, and Christianity Today and for secular publications like VOX, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic. He has been interviewed, quoted, or cited in a number of major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, MTV News, MSNBC, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Politico, Village Voice, Yahoo! News, ThinkProgress, The Blaze, WORLD Magazine, and Slate. And he has spoken at colleges, churches, and youth groups on a range of topics related to the church and culture.
The Nobles attend City Pres in Oklahoma City.
In his youth, Alan lived in Lancaster, CA, where he was very homeschooled by his mother. At 16, he finished high school and began attending Antelope Valley College, pursuing a certificate in music which he earned but never filled out the paperwork for, so it probably doesn't count. He did, however, meet his wife, Brittany, at AVC, which definitely counts. Alan continued his undergraduate work at the Cal State Bakersfield satellite campus at AVC, earning his degree in English. Then he earned his Master's in English at CSUB-AV, writing his thesis on Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian under the supervision of Dr. Steven Frye.
Other things Alan did while in Southern California: tutored high school felons at a probation camp; substituted at various high schools; helped produce, write, rap, engineer, and record two hip-hop albums; taught composition and literature at Antelope Valley College; went bald; got married.
In 2007, Richard Clark contacted Alan about joining a new venture he was starting called Christ and Pop Culture. That November, Alan began writing and then editing for the site. Brittany and Alan moved to Waco, TX to pursue graduate degrees at Baylor University in 2008. While at Baylor, Alan studied under Ralph Wood, David Lyle Jeffrey, Luke Ferretter, and Richard Russell. His dissertation was written under the supervision of Dr. Ferretter and was titled Manifestations of transcendence in twentieth-century American fiction : F. Scott Fitzgerald, Carson McCullers, J.D. Salinger, and Cormac McCarthy. Charles Taylor's work on secularism and the self formed the theoretical basis for the dissertation and much of Alan's later writing. While in Waco, Brittany and Alan had two children, Eleanor and Quentin, and they attended Redeemer Presbyterian Church. At nights, Alan continued to write and edit for Christ and Pop Culture, now with the title Managing Editor.
In the fall of 2014, the Nobles moved to Shawnee, OK, where Alan accepted a position as Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University. After Richard Clark left Christ and Pop Culture for Christianity Today, Alan became editor-in-chief at the site. At this time, Alan began writing for The Atlantic, Christianity Today, and First Things, particularly on issues related to pluralism and secularism. The Nobles' third child, Frances, was born in 2015. As the 2016 election ramped up, Alan launched the group Public Faith with Michael Wear to offer an alternative evangelical political voice. He also joined The AND Campaign as an advisor.
Alan has written articles for Christian publications such as Modern Reformation, InTouch Magazine, and Christianity Today and for secular publications like VOX, Buzzfeed, and The Atlantic. He has been interviewed, quoted, or cited in a number of major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, MTV News, MSNBC, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Politico, Village Voice, Yahoo! News, ThinkProgress, The Blaze, WORLD Magazine, and Slate. And he has spoken at colleges, churches, and youth groups on a range of topics related to the church and culture.
The Nobles attend City Pres in Oklahoma City.
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September 26, 2018
Summary: Drawing on Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, Noble explores our longing for fullness in a distracted, secular age of "buffered selves," and the personal, communal and cultural practices Christians might pursue to disrupt our society's secular mindset.
When I first came across this title, I was expecting something different, a call to a form of Christian activism, a form of resistance against prevailing destructive and unjust structures. This book both isn't and is about that. Noble's analysis looks at deeper causes in the secularism that shapes the warp and woof of our lives.
Drawing on the work of Charles Taylor in A Secular Age, Noble focuses first on the endless distraction of our lives. He illustrates from his own life:
"Sufficient to the workday are the anxieties and frustrations thereof. And so, when I need a coffee or bathroom break, I’ll use my phone to skim an article or “Like” a few posts. The distraction is a much-needed relief from the stress of work, but it also is a distraction. I still can’t hear myself think. And most of the time I really don’t want to. When I feel some guilt about spending so much time being unfocused, I tell myself it’s for my own good. I deserve this break. I need this break. But there’s no break from distraction."
Such distractions are inimical to Christian witness in making us and those we engage with impervious to the contradictions in our fragmented lives, unable to engage in the extended reflection needed to wrestle with hard questions, and prone to present faith as just one more lifestyle option.
All this feeds into a perspective on self that is "buffered" rather than "porous"--where meaning and our understanding of ultimate reality comes from within rather than is open to the transcendent. Noble observes, "As Christianity has ceased to offer the vision of fullness shared by the vast majority of people in the West, in its place we find billions of micronarratives of fullness." It is critical for Christians to understand this, both because they need to abandon treating their own faith as a micronarrative and then, in engaging their neighbors, must refuse to treat faith as mere preference.
The second half of Noble's book explores how we engage in disruptive witness in a distracted world of buffered selves. He explores personal, church, and cultural practices that eventuate in disruptive witness. He begins by commending this double movement:
"This is the movement we need--a double movement in which [1] the goodness of being produces gratitude in us that [2] glorifies and acknowledges a loving, transcendent, good, and beautiful God." [enumeration added]
For this he commends the simple practices of silence, the saying of grace at meals, and the practice of sabbath, each of which open us to gratitude that acknowledges a transcendent God.
Noble is critical of high-tech, staged worship in which "our focus is directed to the stage rather than to one another." In place of this, drawing on James K. A. Smith, he calls for the retrieval of liturgical practices that draw us out of ourselves and remind us of the transcendent. He contends that our observance of the Lord's supper may be one of our most disruptive acts in reminding of the transcendent God who is also immanent, sharing our body and blood, and nourishing us with his in the bread and the cup.
He also advocates culturally disruptive practice, and observes that "intimations of the transcendent" arise in our exercise of human agency, in moral obligations, and aesthetic experiences. As a good English professor, he contends that stories are a place where we may particularly encounter these intimations, offering The Great Gatsby as an example. He concludes by advocating that disruptive witness cannot play by the rules of the secular age, but rather provide a contrast of lives limited around the transcendent that, in Flannery O'Connor's words, draw "large and startling figures."
As I concluded the book, I found myself musing as to whether this was "disruptive" enough. In discussing this with a friend, he observed that the re-centering of our lives around a transcendent God not of our own making is pretty disruptive! Moving from distraction to attentive reflection is disruptive. Refocusing worship from an event with high production values to an encounter with the transcendent God is disruptive. Moving from stroking our personal preferences to recognizing goodness for which we are grateful and turning that to an acknowledgement of the transcendent in our daily practices, and in the stories that shape us, is disruptive.
Alan Noble encourages me that disruptive witness isn't found in how hip, tech-savvy, plugged in, and "relevant" we are, which may be simply Christian versions of a distracted, buffered self. Rather, disruptive witness arises when our lives and cultural engagements are disrupted by the transcendent God in the gospel of his Son. Silence, sabbath, saying grace, participating in liturgy, and the expectation that the transcendent will show up in all of life may seem insignificant, and yet may be the most profound disruptions of all.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
When I first came across this title, I was expecting something different, a call to a form of Christian activism, a form of resistance against prevailing destructive and unjust structures. This book both isn't and is about that. Noble's analysis looks at deeper causes in the secularism that shapes the warp and woof of our lives.
Drawing on the work of Charles Taylor in A Secular Age, Noble focuses first on the endless distraction of our lives. He illustrates from his own life:
"Sufficient to the workday are the anxieties and frustrations thereof. And so, when I need a coffee or bathroom break, I’ll use my phone to skim an article or “Like” a few posts. The distraction is a much-needed relief from the stress of work, but it also is a distraction. I still can’t hear myself think. And most of the time I really don’t want to. When I feel some guilt about spending so much time being unfocused, I tell myself it’s for my own good. I deserve this break. I need this break. But there’s no break from distraction."
Such distractions are inimical to Christian witness in making us and those we engage with impervious to the contradictions in our fragmented lives, unable to engage in the extended reflection needed to wrestle with hard questions, and prone to present faith as just one more lifestyle option.
All this feeds into a perspective on self that is "buffered" rather than "porous"--where meaning and our understanding of ultimate reality comes from within rather than is open to the transcendent. Noble observes, "As Christianity has ceased to offer the vision of fullness shared by the vast majority of people in the West, in its place we find billions of micronarratives of fullness." It is critical for Christians to understand this, both because they need to abandon treating their own faith as a micronarrative and then, in engaging their neighbors, must refuse to treat faith as mere preference.
The second half of Noble's book explores how we engage in disruptive witness in a distracted world of buffered selves. He explores personal, church, and cultural practices that eventuate in disruptive witness. He begins by commending this double movement:
"This is the movement we need--a double movement in which [1] the goodness of being produces gratitude in us that [2] glorifies and acknowledges a loving, transcendent, good, and beautiful God." [enumeration added]
For this he commends the simple practices of silence, the saying of grace at meals, and the practice of sabbath, each of which open us to gratitude that acknowledges a transcendent God.
Noble is critical of high-tech, staged worship in which "our focus is directed to the stage rather than to one another." In place of this, drawing on James K. A. Smith, he calls for the retrieval of liturgical practices that draw us out of ourselves and remind us of the transcendent. He contends that our observance of the Lord's supper may be one of our most disruptive acts in reminding of the transcendent God who is also immanent, sharing our body and blood, and nourishing us with his in the bread and the cup.
He also advocates culturally disruptive practice, and observes that "intimations of the transcendent" arise in our exercise of human agency, in moral obligations, and aesthetic experiences. As a good English professor, he contends that stories are a place where we may particularly encounter these intimations, offering The Great Gatsby as an example. He concludes by advocating that disruptive witness cannot play by the rules of the secular age, but rather provide a contrast of lives limited around the transcendent that, in Flannery O'Connor's words, draw "large and startling figures."
As I concluded the book, I found myself musing as to whether this was "disruptive" enough. In discussing this with a friend, he observed that the re-centering of our lives around a transcendent God not of our own making is pretty disruptive! Moving from distraction to attentive reflection is disruptive. Refocusing worship from an event with high production values to an encounter with the transcendent God is disruptive. Moving from stroking our personal preferences to recognizing goodness for which we are grateful and turning that to an acknowledgement of the transcendent in our daily practices, and in the stories that shape us, is disruptive.
Alan Noble encourages me that disruptive witness isn't found in how hip, tech-savvy, plugged in, and "relevant" we are, which may be simply Christian versions of a distracted, buffered self. Rather, disruptive witness arises when our lives and cultural engagements are disrupted by the transcendent God in the gospel of his Son. Silence, sabbath, saying grace, participating in liturgy, and the expectation that the transcendent will show up in all of life may seem insignificant, and yet may be the most profound disruptions of all.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
January 13, 2019
This fall, Tim Keller tweeted re Disruptive Witness: "Best book I've read recently. No, I did not get paid, nor was I contacted to say that. I mean it."
It’s that good. This book is a must read for anyone doing ministry in America, especially for those working with young people.
Alan Noble is the first I've seen to address both phones and secularism. They are not two separate issues: secularism and distraction. And both contribute to the rampant anxiety of modern America (especially among young people).
"distraction & secularism…perpetuate each other: we long for distraction in part because we are terrified of living in a meaningless world, & we struggle to discover a satisfying sense of fullness in the world because we're constantly distracted"
Many have riffed on Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, explaining the meaninglessness of our modern, secular predicament- Tim Keller perhaps doing the best with "Making Sense of God".
Many have written re the havoc our phones wreak on our ability to think (the best: "Amusing Ourselves to Death" and "The Shallows") and follow God (the best: Andy Crouch's "Techwise Family" and Tim Challies's "The Next Story").
Noble puts the two together.
And he takes it a level further: what does all of this mean for sharing Christ with a distracted, secular world?
Even if we take steps personally "to resist getting sucked into the electronic buzz of the 21st century" (which is NOT easy), how do we reach a culture who is not self-aware enough to free themselves from The Shallows of digital distraction?
"our past models of discussing faith have almost all assumed a listener who is active, attentive, and aware of the costs of believing. But as we have moved to a distracted age, we can no longer make this assumption…For the foreseeable future our society will be…defined by technology designed to continually distract us…[shielding] us from the kind of deep, honest reflection needed to ask why we exist & what is true.”
"The challenge for Christians in our time is to speak of the gospel in a way that unsettles listeners, that conveys the transcendence of God, that provokes contemplation and reflection, and that reveals the stark givenness of reality.”
Another key insight from @TheAlanNoble's Disruptive Witness re the damning effects of our phones:
- How do people come to a saving knowledge of Christ? They 1st have to grasp their own misery apart from God. We can't see our falling-short-ness bc we're too medicated by our phones.
- To think deeply and truly grasp our devastating spiritual condition, you have to be without distraction and be still.
- "We cannot aspire to [God] until we've begun to be displeased w ourselves. For what man is not disposed to rest in himself? Who does not rest, so long as he is unconscious of his misery? Every person…on coming to knowledge of himself, is led as by the hand to find [God]” John Calvin
It’s that good. This book is a must read for anyone doing ministry in America, especially for those working with young people.
Alan Noble is the first I've seen to address both phones and secularism. They are not two separate issues: secularism and distraction. And both contribute to the rampant anxiety of modern America (especially among young people).
"distraction & secularism…perpetuate each other: we long for distraction in part because we are terrified of living in a meaningless world, & we struggle to discover a satisfying sense of fullness in the world because we're constantly distracted"
Many have riffed on Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, explaining the meaninglessness of our modern, secular predicament- Tim Keller perhaps doing the best with "Making Sense of God".
Many have written re the havoc our phones wreak on our ability to think (the best: "Amusing Ourselves to Death" and "The Shallows") and follow God (the best: Andy Crouch's "Techwise Family" and Tim Challies's "The Next Story").
Noble puts the two together.
And he takes it a level further: what does all of this mean for sharing Christ with a distracted, secular world?
Even if we take steps personally "to resist getting sucked into the electronic buzz of the 21st century" (which is NOT easy), how do we reach a culture who is not self-aware enough to free themselves from The Shallows of digital distraction?
"our past models of discussing faith have almost all assumed a listener who is active, attentive, and aware of the costs of believing. But as we have moved to a distracted age, we can no longer make this assumption…For the foreseeable future our society will be…defined by technology designed to continually distract us…[shielding] us from the kind of deep, honest reflection needed to ask why we exist & what is true.”
"The challenge for Christians in our time is to speak of the gospel in a way that unsettles listeners, that conveys the transcendence of God, that provokes contemplation and reflection, and that reveals the stark givenness of reality.”
Another key insight from @TheAlanNoble's Disruptive Witness re the damning effects of our phones:
- How do people come to a saving knowledge of Christ? They 1st have to grasp their own misery apart from God. We can't see our falling-short-ness bc we're too medicated by our phones.
- To think deeply and truly grasp our devastating spiritual condition, you have to be without distraction and be still.
- "We cannot aspire to [God] until we've begun to be displeased w ourselves. For what man is not disposed to rest in himself? Who does not rest, so long as he is unconscious of his misery? Every person…on coming to knowledge of himself, is led as by the hand to find [God]” John Calvin
November 27, 2018
A great continuation of Charles Taylor's thought into the posture of a truly other-worldly faith. How I wish the author would give us more, but he presents our distracted age with all its warts exposed, while offering us a way forward in our personal, church, and cultural spheres. Church leaders should experience some inner tension when considering how to maintain a witness that is truly disruptive: liturgical churches will need to think about having a witness, while attractional churches should think hard about whether their witness is disruptive at all, or merely diverting. Are we presenting and practicing a faith that is simply one option among many, or is it something truly different?
February 7, 2020
Lots to chew on here. What really stood out for me was Noble's observations regarding how Christian marketing techniques can make faith look like just another option amid a sea of personal choices. And the critique of VBS messaging is spot-on.
May 29, 2018
I've learned more from Alan (who I'm honored to count as a friend) than from almost any other living writer I can think of. His new book does not disappoint. It demonstrates that the problems in our culture and our thinking go deeper than we realize, and yet there is hope for Christians who want to make a difference.
March 14, 2024
Disruptive Witness has been on my to-read list for a while; students have recommended it to me very highly over the past few years. Now that I’ve read it, I can see why they were excited about it. Alan Noble takes grad-school-level sociology and brings it to a general-reader level in a compelling way. Essentially, the book is an extension and application of the main ideas from Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age, with theology drawing on James K. A. Smith’s Cultural Liturgies trilogy (another set of books that has been a tremendous influence on all of my students who have encountered it). The primary concepts that Noble brings over from Taylor include the buffered self (the idea that “modern people imagine themselves to be insulated from forces outside their rational mind, particularly supernatural or transcendent forces” [3]), the immanent frame (that the universe is closed, requiring only natural explanations for all phenomena), and the malaise of immanence (the anxiety that results from the modern assumption that knowledge is fragile and uncertain, rendering our deep beliefs subject to collapse at any moment).
The other idea that I found really useful from Disruptive Witness is Noble’s suggestion that most of us piece together our perspective on the meaningful life out of “thin beliefs”—that is, beliefs that are not robust and well-developed. We move from one supposedly deep conviction to another, but often these convictions are based upon items we come across in our social media feeds or in the news, and the beliefs tend to be more about the identity we want to project to others than about the issues themselves. We may, for example, see something about refugees in a social media post, and we quickly decide that we want to be the kind of person who cares a lot about this issue. With very little information or deep thinking, we’ll even be ready to argue forcefully with anyone who seems to not hold this particular belief. But we haven’t connected this belief to all our other beliefs to see exactly how it fits in, what it requires, how it challenges other assumptions we hold. And so the belief is thin. In reading about thin beliefs, I felt convicted; I’m part of the culture that moves in this way, and I know I’ve moved in this way sometimes. Noble’s book has given me a lot to think about. I’ve been content to be “thin” in some of my beliefs, and sometimes it’s due to laziness, an unwillingness to do the hard work of exploring new possibilities to a greater depth. I want to do better.
All of that material is explained in the first half of the book. In the second half, Noble moves toward the practical. Given that this is the way modern society moves, what can we Christians do to ensure that our faith is lived out in a way that counteracts the thin, fragile tendencies of modern knowledge and belief? It’s very possible, Noble suggests, that our sharing of the gospel is ineffective because it comes across as but one more possible belief in a world already cluttered with options. What is a Christianity that is deeper than individuals’ stories, more certain than merely one option among many for beliefs to add to the identity we want to be known for?
These are great questions, and Noble has some excellent commentary and critique in this chapters. However, I also felt that these chapters were not as comprehensive as I wished they would be. The kind of worship model Noble recommends for corporate church worship is basically the traditional liturgical forms in Anglican/Episcopal and other mainline denominations. That’s fine with me, because that’s the form I’ve long loved the most, too. But I’m currently in a church (for reasons that aren’t very interesting to explain) that has a very different worship model. I recognize its shortcomings (oh, man, do I), but shifting to what Noble recommends would be pretty much entirely changing that church. Is that what’s needed? How can a church that seems so far from the liturgical model become more the kind of church Noble is interested in? That kind of church, interestingly, seems not very Baptist, but Noble teaches at a Baptist university. But he also says he's Presbyterian. I have a lot of questions . . .
As for the personal approach to deepening the faith by resisting pressures toward distraction, Noble’s suggestions work well for people who are already tweedy English majors who love sitting around discussing bleak films and novels. But for blue-collar folk, this book may be less helpful. I believe Noble is on the right track with his recommendations for pushing against cultural norms, but we need a much fuller exploration of what that will mean for all kinds of people, not just the people like Noble.
Even with these criticisms, I loved the book, and I recommend it highly. Among other things, it has pushed me to return to setting aside a weekly sabbath, which has been lacking in my life for several years. I'm grateful for that reminder and the change I expect it will bring about in the way I see time flowing through my life. The book will resonate especially with a certain type of humanities-loving evangelical Christian, and I hope all readers will think about ways that the concepts and practical suggestions can be further broadened to bring more people into the work of a more contemplative, focused life in Christ.
The other idea that I found really useful from Disruptive Witness is Noble’s suggestion that most of us piece together our perspective on the meaningful life out of “thin beliefs”—that is, beliefs that are not robust and well-developed. We move from one supposedly deep conviction to another, but often these convictions are based upon items we come across in our social media feeds or in the news, and the beliefs tend to be more about the identity we want to project to others than about the issues themselves. We may, for example, see something about refugees in a social media post, and we quickly decide that we want to be the kind of person who cares a lot about this issue. With very little information or deep thinking, we’ll even be ready to argue forcefully with anyone who seems to not hold this particular belief. But we haven’t connected this belief to all our other beliefs to see exactly how it fits in, what it requires, how it challenges other assumptions we hold. And so the belief is thin. In reading about thin beliefs, I felt convicted; I’m part of the culture that moves in this way, and I know I’ve moved in this way sometimes. Noble’s book has given me a lot to think about. I’ve been content to be “thin” in some of my beliefs, and sometimes it’s due to laziness, an unwillingness to do the hard work of exploring new possibilities to a greater depth. I want to do better.
All of that material is explained in the first half of the book. In the second half, Noble moves toward the practical. Given that this is the way modern society moves, what can we Christians do to ensure that our faith is lived out in a way that counteracts the thin, fragile tendencies of modern knowledge and belief? It’s very possible, Noble suggests, that our sharing of the gospel is ineffective because it comes across as but one more possible belief in a world already cluttered with options. What is a Christianity that is deeper than individuals’ stories, more certain than merely one option among many for beliefs to add to the identity we want to be known for?
These are great questions, and Noble has some excellent commentary and critique in this chapters. However, I also felt that these chapters were not as comprehensive as I wished they would be. The kind of worship model Noble recommends for corporate church worship is basically the traditional liturgical forms in Anglican/Episcopal and other mainline denominations. That’s fine with me, because that’s the form I’ve long loved the most, too. But I’m currently in a church (for reasons that aren’t very interesting to explain) that has a very different worship model. I recognize its shortcomings (oh, man, do I), but shifting to what Noble recommends would be pretty much entirely changing that church. Is that what’s needed? How can a church that seems so far from the liturgical model become more the kind of church Noble is interested in? That kind of church, interestingly, seems not very Baptist, but Noble teaches at a Baptist university. But he also says he's Presbyterian. I have a lot of questions . . .
As for the personal approach to deepening the faith by resisting pressures toward distraction, Noble’s suggestions work well for people who are already tweedy English majors who love sitting around discussing bleak films and novels. But for blue-collar folk, this book may be less helpful. I believe Noble is on the right track with his recommendations for pushing against cultural norms, but we need a much fuller exploration of what that will mean for all kinds of people, not just the people like Noble.
Even with these criticisms, I loved the book, and I recommend it highly. Among other things, it has pushed me to return to setting aside a weekly sabbath, which has been lacking in my life for several years. I'm grateful for that reminder and the change I expect it will bring about in the way I see time flowing through my life. The book will resonate especially with a certain type of humanities-loving evangelical Christian, and I hope all readers will think about ways that the concepts and practical suggestions can be further broadened to bring more people into the work of a more contemplative, focused life in Christ.
August 7, 2019
Alan Noble gives us a lot of digested Charles Taylor to help us think through the myth of secularism in an age of distraction.
*Hapharzard/Disorganized thoughts below*
One can mine the helpful bits out of chapters 1, 4, and 5 if you don't have much time and are interested in (1) the media ecology that continually distracts us from considering spiritual things. (4) and (5) give personal and church habits we can consider to have a "disruptive witness" in our day and age. Having never read Charles Taylor, it was helpful to be introduced to some of his key concepts as we think of how a Christian worldview clashes with that of the "immanent frame."
As much as the deeper, mindful practices can be helpful, I still wonder how to cut through the noise when many (if not most) people do not give deep thought to cultural objects, whether low or high. In particular, how can we enjoy more face time with people?
Having read this, I feel all the more burdened to spend more time in silence, meditation, and prayer and to divorce myself from my smartphone a bit more.
*Hapharzard/Disorganized thoughts below*
One can mine the helpful bits out of chapters 1, 4, and 5 if you don't have much time and are interested in (1) the media ecology that continually distracts us from considering spiritual things. (4) and (5) give personal and church habits we can consider to have a "disruptive witness" in our day and age. Having never read Charles Taylor, it was helpful to be introduced to some of his key concepts as we think of how a Christian worldview clashes with that of the "immanent frame."
As much as the deeper, mindful practices can be helpful, I still wonder how to cut through the noise when many (if not most) people do not give deep thought to cultural objects, whether low or high. In particular, how can we enjoy more face time with people?
Having read this, I feel all the more burdened to spend more time in silence, meditation, and prayer and to divorce myself from my smartphone a bit more.
August 4, 2024
True to the title, Alan Noble disrupts from the very first page as he challenges the way we share the gospel like a "rhetorical dance," without actually envisioning or communicating the idea of a transcendent God. Noble's observations on distraction and secularism are haunting and convicting - hitting too close to home in the most wonderfully disruptive way. I feel I can never again wear a Christian T-shirt, or stream a church service, or volunteer at VBS, without at least considering what sort of witness I am sharing with the world.
Noble articulates a phenomenon I hadn't consciously synthesized: that ours is a "frenetic and flattened culture...not conducive to wrestling with thick ideas, ideas with depth, complexity, and personal implications. It is a culture of immediacy, simple emotions, snap judgments, optics, and identity formation."
Big takeaway: the gospel is cognitively costly. It demands our time and careful attention. It upsets our secular assumptions and values. Minds and hearts must be disrupted, plowed, prepared to be the good soil to receive the good news.
Noble articulates a phenomenon I hadn't consciously synthesized: that ours is a "frenetic and flattened culture...not conducive to wrestling with thick ideas, ideas with depth, complexity, and personal implications. It is a culture of immediacy, simple emotions, snap judgments, optics, and identity formation."
Big takeaway: the gospel is cognitively costly. It demands our time and careful attention. It upsets our secular assumptions and values. Minds and hearts must be disrupted, plowed, prepared to be the good soil to receive the good news.
March 25, 2018
How does living in a secular world where belief in Jesus is simply one option among many (seemingly) equally valid options change how we proclaim the good news of the gospel? In *Disruptive Witness*, Alan Noble draws on Charles Taylor's work to give readers the perspective to understand how our culture understands the world and then offers suggestions on how to live and worship in such a way that our gospel proclamation disrupts instead of fizzles.
Noble offers a compelling model for Christians today to let their lights shine before people in such a way that the onlookers see their good deeds and praise their Father in heaven rather than responding "You do you" and moving on to the next distraction that catches their attention.
Noble offers a compelling model for Christians today to let their lights shine before people in such a way that the onlookers see their good deeds and praise their Father in heaven rather than responding "You do you" and moving on to the next distraction that catches their attention.
January 1, 2019
We live in an endlessly distracted world. We can easily push the deeper questions of life, purpose, eternity, and God to the side and jump from distraction to distraction to ignore the longings of our heart.
The Christian response cannot be to peddle the gospel as merely another option or idea, but to live and proclaim Christ and him crucified as a reality which shapes our lives.
Alan Noble perfectly identifies the issues of our age and provides criticism and solutions for living out our faith in a way that can disrupt our own distraction and the lives of others in the best way possible.
The Christian response cannot be to peddle the gospel as merely another option or idea, but to live and proclaim Christ and him crucified as a reality which shapes our lives.
Alan Noble perfectly identifies the issues of our age and provides criticism and solutions for living out our faith in a way that can disrupt our own distraction and the lives of others in the best way possible.
May 20, 2019
Are matters of faith—life and death and eternity—more important than, let's say, the latest life hack for managing your daily schedule or the latest health/diet fad? Yes, they are—but the difference grows foggy when we use the same tactics and strategies to communicate ideas of varying importance. If the gospel is the greatest treasure, the most precious reality, perhaps the manner in which we proclaim it to the world matters.
Alan Noble's Disruptive Witness speaks to this quandary, challenging readers to consider how our approach to proclaiming the gospel taints its beauty and renders it near void. Not only is our verbal proclamation a concern—Alan is also concerned about the message proclaimed in the way we choose to live our lives. All at once his words soothe and convict, calling readers to more than inconsequential faith that only buoys our own preferences: “If we try to bear witness to Christ’s finished work in the cross, but in practice we have set our eyes on some secular vision of fullness, our faith will be perceived as just another consumer preference, something we can add to our current lifestyle.”
My heart is crying out in both sorrow (for ways I settle in my faith) and excitement (for ways to live more richly and meaningfully). This is a must read.
Alan Noble's Disruptive Witness speaks to this quandary, challenging readers to consider how our approach to proclaiming the gospel taints its beauty and renders it near void. Not only is our verbal proclamation a concern—Alan is also concerned about the message proclaimed in the way we choose to live our lives. All at once his words soothe and convict, calling readers to more than inconsequential faith that only buoys our own preferences: “If we try to bear witness to Christ’s finished work in the cross, but in practice we have set our eyes on some secular vision of fullness, our faith will be perceived as just another consumer preference, something we can add to our current lifestyle.”
My heart is crying out in both sorrow (for ways I settle in my faith) and excitement (for ways to live more richly and meaningfully). This is a must read.
April 23, 2019
Alan Noble has an important message for the church living in the distracted buffered world of the early 21st century. He wants us to be a disruptive witness in a secular and closed society because nothing else will move people to consider the transcendent message of Christ. People are too distracted and too medicated by media and substances to dwell on the emptiness of their world and their souls. They see the message of Christ as just one of dozens of equally plausible lifestyle options available to them. They may try it to see if it works or they may disregard it, but mostly they don't have the time or mental energy to truly consider it. The genius of Noble's work is that he not only diagnoses the modern predicament but he shows how the church unwittingly plays into this perception. Our use of media to promote the message and our bent toward entertainment meant to make people feel comfortable often package the gospel as a life style choice. Noble is convinced that this will not work. Instead we need to disrupt people with a message from beyond this closed world, a message of weight and eternity. Most people intuit their need for salvation or at least for meaning. The stories we tell in movies and songs point to our existential need but people will only see Christ as the answer if we are in conversation with them and with the culture. This is an important and original work and should be read by anyone who cares about the witness of the church in our world.
April 3, 2020
Such a good book! Clearly explains how we arrived as a culture into “your truth, my truth.” I underlined and highlighted so much in the book. Will refer to it over again. I will be posting a full review on my blog. Www.stonesoupforfive.com
April 1, 2024
Challenging and Helpful.
Noble’s book easily convinces you that we are too distracted from thinking about God well because of technology and western misconceptions about the value of productivity. He also convincingly shows you how individualism shapes almost every aspect of western culture, which we need to know if we want to reach others in evangelism.
The book isn’t about the evils of technology but about how we constantly let ourselves be taken along by it without a second thought about swimming against the current. The book aims to help Christians see not only how they keep themselves from thoughts about God but also how the broader culture uses distractions to “buffer” themselves from God-thoughts. We need to break through distractions as we witness to others.
One of the most helpful ideas was his comment that when constantly fill ourselves with distractions we begin to crave being distracted more. (I see that in how we want “mindless content” all the time). We don’t desire thinking deeply about life, truth, and God, which dangerously leads us to thinking wrongly about those things.
On the one hand, I didn’t feel smart enough to understand some sections. So, not all of the book is an easy read. That’s okay though. On the other hand, I felt like everyone should read his chapter about being distracted. On a third ironic hand (let’s keep the rules bodily physics out of view), I read this book on my phone when I didn’t have anything to do. So, the very thing that distracts me became the tool to learning. My phone, admittedly, is rarely this sort of do-good hero and only became so for this book because of a strict Lent restriction. So, Noble’s point stands.
Overall, the book is helping me to think about the ways I am unhealthily filling every moment of the day with something just because it’s available.
Here’s some initial things I want to change in my own life:
- Don’t choose to look at my phone every down moment, especially if I’m outside. Walk home without looking at the phone. Pray. Or just walk.
- Don’t listen to a podcast EVERY time I do the dishes. Doing dishes without a podcast won’t make me more holy, but it will train myself to not constantly want to be distracted.
- Use a physical Bible on Sunday morning (and always) instead of relying on a digital version.
- Take more advantage of big cultural stories/events to talk about the deep transcendent ideas with neighbors and friends.
- Keep my kids from a distracted life by modeling it.
Small, almost obvious, things. But functionally pretty big things when you stop to observe people.
Noble’s book easily convinces you that we are too distracted from thinking about God well because of technology and western misconceptions about the value of productivity. He also convincingly shows you how individualism shapes almost every aspect of western culture, which we need to know if we want to reach others in evangelism.
The book isn’t about the evils of technology but about how we constantly let ourselves be taken along by it without a second thought about swimming against the current. The book aims to help Christians see not only how they keep themselves from thoughts about God but also how the broader culture uses distractions to “buffer” themselves from God-thoughts. We need to break through distractions as we witness to others.
One of the most helpful ideas was his comment that when constantly fill ourselves with distractions we begin to crave being distracted more. (I see that in how we want “mindless content” all the time). We don’t desire thinking deeply about life, truth, and God, which dangerously leads us to thinking wrongly about those things.
On the one hand, I didn’t feel smart enough to understand some sections. So, not all of the book is an easy read. That’s okay though. On the other hand, I felt like everyone should read his chapter about being distracted. On a third ironic hand (let’s keep the rules bodily physics out of view), I read this book on my phone when I didn’t have anything to do. So, the very thing that distracts me became the tool to learning. My phone, admittedly, is rarely this sort of do-good hero and only became so for this book because of a strict Lent restriction. So, Noble’s point stands.
Overall, the book is helping me to think about the ways I am unhealthily filling every moment of the day with something just because it’s available.
Here’s some initial things I want to change in my own life:
- Don’t choose to look at my phone every down moment, especially if I’m outside. Walk home without looking at the phone. Pray. Or just walk.
- Don’t listen to a podcast EVERY time I do the dishes. Doing dishes without a podcast won’t make me more holy, but it will train myself to not constantly want to be distracted.
- Use a physical Bible on Sunday morning (and always) instead of relying on a digital version.
- Take more advantage of big cultural stories/events to talk about the deep transcendent ideas with neighbors and friends.
- Keep my kids from a distracted life by modeling it.
Small, almost obvious, things. But functionally pretty big things when you stop to observe people.
January 15, 2019
Wow, this was a tremendous read! Noble is a brilliant cultural exegete, able to give us insightful understandings of cultural trends that we as Christ-followers should not ignore. It is concept-heavy and not an easy read, but I appreciated the concrete examples he provides throughout so people like me can follow what he's saying.
Noble draws heavily from Charles Taylor, but does an incredible job laying out how easily distracted we have become as a culture and as a result, unable to reflect about deeper things of life and eternity. We don't know how to process anything well. As Christ-followers, how do we engage deeply ourselves and be relevant to "disrupt" this flow in the lives of people around us with the life-giving truth of the Gospel? I especially loved the chapter of disruptive cultural practices; how diving deeply into "disruptive" literature and movies, for example, play a significant role to help us engage with our present culture.
Noble draws heavily from Charles Taylor, but does an incredible job laying out how easily distracted we have become as a culture and as a result, unable to reflect about deeper things of life and eternity. We don't know how to process anything well. As Christ-followers, how do we engage deeply ourselves and be relevant to "disrupt" this flow in the lives of people around us with the life-giving truth of the Gospel? I especially loved the chapter of disruptive cultural practices; how diving deeply into "disruptive" literature and movies, for example, play a significant role to help us engage with our present culture.
June 17, 2022
Great book exploring the impact of two major factors--living in a distracted age and the force of secularization--upon living and communicating the Christian faith.
Most of what Noble draws comes from Charles Taylor and some from James K. A. Smith. However, Noble has done a great job making those works more applicable and accessible to a broader audience.
Most of what Noble draws comes from Charles Taylor and some from James K. A. Smith. However, Noble has done a great job making those works more applicable and accessible to a broader audience.
March 30, 2019
Convicting!
September 8, 2018
If you asked twenty good men whether or not we lived in a culture that was both distracted and secular, nineteen of them would reply, Yes. We know our condition, at least in part. We know that our society is growing more “post-Christian,” and we know that technology is damaging our ability to focus and be present. It is telling when Instagram rolls out a usage tracker for the sake of its users’ mental health — the platform half-heartedly acknowledging the issue without fundamentally changing anything about its services.
But one of the key problems with our cultural analysis, I believe, is that we have placed The Issues out there somewhere. Like Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem, we look from afar and bemoan where society seems to be, as if we are not under its spell. But we should not think so highly of ourselves. These struggles are not just abstractions and generalities floating around in culture. They are very much affecting our very selves, our church bodies, and our cultural participation. My witness is being taxed on every side by tendencies toward secularism and distraction, and I must begin to pay attention to it if I ever hope to be an effective carrier of the gospel.
This is the goal that Alan Noble writes towards in Disruptive Witness. “The best strategy for addressing our society’s condition is to offer a disruptive witness at every level of life” (88). Most of us view our communicating the gospel in the world as planting a seed, which isn’t inherently wrong. But just as important as planting the seed of the gospel is our obligation to “plant it well” (5). And given the state of things, it is likely we need to pay extra attention to “plowing” the ground we hope to plant in. “Unlike the gentle at of sowing seeds,” Noble writes, “a plow’s work is violent, disruptive, and exhausting. It unsettles the ground. It softens by tearing up. When a field has been plowed it no longer appears the same” (6).
What I love most about Disruptive Witness is that the book itself is disruptive, especially to the American Evangelical. It pulls no punches. It is not afraid to “go there,” because we must “go there” if we hope to change. One example of this comes in Chapter 5 when Noble critiques a popular and familiar Vacation Bible School curriculum. I knew well-meaning churches that used this curriculum, and I personally never realized the potential damage it was doing to our witness. Perhaps I was too distracted to notice.
Noble enters complex worlds like technology, identity, and worldview and speaks into them with rare clarity. Leaning on the work of Charles Taylor throughout the book, Noble brilliantly pinpoints how distraction and secularism have come together as a perfect storm, but one we can temper with the power of the Holy Spirit and proper preparation. In sync with Taylor, Noble gives many readers new vocabulary to work with as they process our cultural condition — what it means to live in the “immanent frame,” living as a “buffered self,” pursuing a “double movement.” After outlining the specific problems of distraction and secularism (Chapter 1-3), Noble argues that we fight these problems on three major fronts: our personal habits, our church practices, and our cultural participation (Chapters 4-6).
I have seen some reviews say that Disruptive Witness is borderline an academic work. While I agree it is well-researched and carefully explained, I hope this does not deter the common reader from picking it up. No book about these themes should be simple. Noble has no interest in distracting you from the real problem by writing a book that gets nowhere.
I don’t want to elaborate much more here, because I’d much rather you stop reading my review and buy the book at this point. It is easily one of the most important books for the Church that was written this year. As a pastor, Disruptive Witness is the kind of book that I will buy multiple copies of to keep in my office for the sake of giving out. One should read it for his own soul, being willing to engage in deep and honest self-reflection about the nature of his heart and the ways in which he has been a part of the problem. But Disruptive Witness is rich in hope. Though it admittedly will never solve these age-old problems on its own, it wraps up with this reminder about the gospel’s power:
It’s the easiest thing in the world to make Christianity just one more identity waving at us for attention as we float along. But it’s not. The gospel is not a preference. It’s not another piece of flair we add to our vest. It’s something far more beautiful and disturbing. The gospel is the power to raise the dead, to proclaim the greatness of God in a fallen and confused world. (172)
But one of the key problems with our cultural analysis, I believe, is that we have placed The Issues out there somewhere. Like Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem, we look from afar and bemoan where society seems to be, as if we are not under its spell. But we should not think so highly of ourselves. These struggles are not just abstractions and generalities floating around in culture. They are very much affecting our very selves, our church bodies, and our cultural participation. My witness is being taxed on every side by tendencies toward secularism and distraction, and I must begin to pay attention to it if I ever hope to be an effective carrier of the gospel.
This is the goal that Alan Noble writes towards in Disruptive Witness. “The best strategy for addressing our society’s condition is to offer a disruptive witness at every level of life” (88). Most of us view our communicating the gospel in the world as planting a seed, which isn’t inherently wrong. But just as important as planting the seed of the gospel is our obligation to “plant it well” (5). And given the state of things, it is likely we need to pay extra attention to “plowing” the ground we hope to plant in. “Unlike the gentle at of sowing seeds,” Noble writes, “a plow’s work is violent, disruptive, and exhausting. It unsettles the ground. It softens by tearing up. When a field has been plowed it no longer appears the same” (6).
What I love most about Disruptive Witness is that the book itself is disruptive, especially to the American Evangelical. It pulls no punches. It is not afraid to “go there,” because we must “go there” if we hope to change. One example of this comes in Chapter 5 when Noble critiques a popular and familiar Vacation Bible School curriculum. I knew well-meaning churches that used this curriculum, and I personally never realized the potential damage it was doing to our witness. Perhaps I was too distracted to notice.
Noble enters complex worlds like technology, identity, and worldview and speaks into them with rare clarity. Leaning on the work of Charles Taylor throughout the book, Noble brilliantly pinpoints how distraction and secularism have come together as a perfect storm, but one we can temper with the power of the Holy Spirit and proper preparation. In sync with Taylor, Noble gives many readers new vocabulary to work with as they process our cultural condition — what it means to live in the “immanent frame,” living as a “buffered self,” pursuing a “double movement.” After outlining the specific problems of distraction and secularism (Chapter 1-3), Noble argues that we fight these problems on three major fronts: our personal habits, our church practices, and our cultural participation (Chapters 4-6).
I have seen some reviews say that Disruptive Witness is borderline an academic work. While I agree it is well-researched and carefully explained, I hope this does not deter the common reader from picking it up. No book about these themes should be simple. Noble has no interest in distracting you from the real problem by writing a book that gets nowhere.
I don’t want to elaborate much more here, because I’d much rather you stop reading my review and buy the book at this point. It is easily one of the most important books for the Church that was written this year. As a pastor, Disruptive Witness is the kind of book that I will buy multiple copies of to keep in my office for the sake of giving out. One should read it for his own soul, being willing to engage in deep and honest self-reflection about the nature of his heart and the ways in which he has been a part of the problem. But Disruptive Witness is rich in hope. Though it admittedly will never solve these age-old problems on its own, it wraps up with this reminder about the gospel’s power:
It’s the easiest thing in the world to make Christianity just one more identity waving at us for attention as we float along. But it’s not. The gospel is not a preference. It’s not another piece of flair we add to our vest. It’s something far more beautiful and disturbing. The gospel is the power to raise the dead, to proclaim the greatness of God in a fallen and confused world. (172)
October 9, 2025
Such a disruptive book—if I may say so.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the first part. It felt as if someone had finally articulated and made sense of what’s happening in our age. The author’s ability to translate and interpret Charles Taylor’s ideas for a layperson like me was both thought-provoking and enlightening.
I do wish the second, more practical part of the book had been explored in greater depth. The first part stirred my reflections so powerfully that the second half, while still meaningful and valid, felt like a conversation left unfinished.
Great - 5/5, and I'll come back to it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the first part. It felt as if someone had finally articulated and made sense of what’s happening in our age. The author’s ability to translate and interpret Charles Taylor’s ideas for a layperson like me was both thought-provoking and enlightening.
I do wish the second, more practical part of the book had been explored in greater depth. The first part stirred my reflections so powerfully that the second half, while still meaningful and valid, felt like a conversation left unfinished.
Great - 5/5, and I'll come back to it.
January 2, 2021
The second half of this book is incredible. It fosters and puts names to human longing and way of wanting to be in the world and suggests a way forward.
I picked this book up today and was about half way through. I fully intended to skim through the rest so I could mark it "finished," give it away, and move on... but I will be keeping this one. The second half makes me want to preach and lead in ministry and imagine a better way forward. It makes me ponder what my life and home can do thats starkly different than my world.
I remember the first half being somewhat sterile, but admittedly I read it quite a while ago...
I picked this book up today and was about half way through. I fully intended to skim through the rest so I could mark it "finished," give it away, and move on... but I will be keeping this one. The second half makes me want to preach and lead in ministry and imagine a better way forward. It makes me ponder what my life and home can do thats starkly different than my world.
I remember the first half being somewhat sterile, but admittedly I read it quite a while ago...
February 24, 2021
Noble argues that we live in a distracted age. Secularism bombards us with a paralyzing amount of "options" in terms of what to think about ultimate matters of meaning and existence. And the technological forms and habits of our current existence keep us sufficiently preoccupied such that the tide of modern life pushes us towards diminishing space for deep reflection. Both of these factors work to make modern humanity a deeply distracted, shallowly reflective bunch. The views we hold are "thin," often inconsistent, and performative (cue social media)--perceived not so much as actual truth claims about the core of reality, but expressions of self-identity, and thus on par with personal preferences. In part 1 Noble unpacks this situation, drawing on observations from folks like Charles Taylor; and then in part 2 he offers practical counter-measures for how we can bear a sort of witness that disrupts the distracted, anesthetized age in which we live.
Relating this book to other literature: I felt like Noble's work here was like a particular practical application of a slice of Carl Trueman's recent work, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (cf. expressive individualism). In addition, I sensed a lot of overlap in philosophical-cultural analysis with Rod Dreher's The Benedict Option (cf. we live in a now "unenchanted" world). Noble also expressly draws on the work of James K.A. Smith's "cultural liturgies" and the church's counter-formative liturgy. And then finally, there's Charles Taylor of course.
Very thoughtful. Very insightful. Very good.
Relating this book to other literature: I felt like Noble's work here was like a particular practical application of a slice of Carl Trueman's recent work, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (cf. expressive individualism). In addition, I sensed a lot of overlap in philosophical-cultural analysis with Rod Dreher's The Benedict Option (cf. we live in a now "unenchanted" world). Noble also expressly draws on the work of James K.A. Smith's "cultural liturgies" and the church's counter-formative liturgy. And then finally, there's Charles Taylor of course.
Very thoughtful. Very insightful. Very good.
March 24, 2019
The book is conceptually brilliant – (what could I possibly mean by that?). The topic the author is wrestling with should be of enormous importance to any true follower of Jesus. He rightly points out that too many churches have subconsciously bought into the anti-Christian views of secularism, where Christianity is merely one of many things one can believe. Instead, if Christianity is true (as I believe it is) then it is something that should be very disruptive in our distracted age. He then goes on to discuss how we can live and provide a disruptive witness in our world. I would give him 5 stars for what he is discussing. The author also provides good ideas regarding what the way forward might look like, with ample opportunity for creativity, adaptation and refinement. However, I do not like the style of the book, as the author writes in a manner that I would describe as artistically unclear. Thus, while I was very excited to start reading the book, by half way through I was disappointed and then somewhat recovered through the second half of the book. As a result, I would recommend the book, but with a health warning regarding the maddeningly non-direct style chosen by the author.
July 17, 2018
“The gospel is not a preference. It’s not another piece of flair we add to our vest. It’s something far more beautiful and disturbing. The gospel is the power to raise the dead, to proclaim the greatness of God in a fallen and confused world. To be a follower of Christ in the early twenty-first century requires a way of being in the world that resists being sucked into the numbing glare of undifferentiated preferences we choose from to define our identity.” - Alan Noble
Thankful for this beautiful unpacking of some truths from Charles Taylor's book, A Secular Age, and how this caused me to stop and think.
Thankful for this beautiful unpacking of some truths from Charles Taylor's book, A Secular Age, and how this caused me to stop and think.
November 14, 2018
This is not an easy read. It's not for people who want to leisurely read a book. It takes a lot of effort to concentrate on what he's saying and it can get a bit dry, but let me tell you, it changes your worldview. Alan Noble discusses the issues with how Christianity can be portrayed and gives simple, realistic ways to be a "disruptive" witness in this world. Instead of adding Christianity as another hobby or list to do, Alan Noble discusses how our faith should be a reflection of God's love to us. Highly recommend.
August 14, 2018
I especially appreciated chapter 5, “Disruptive Church Practices.” A refreshingly countercultural perspective on corporate worship.
August 29, 2018
I broke up reading this by returning to Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death and Noble hits on a lot of similar themes as Postman does although with a more direct call to action for a Christian audience. Postman spends a good chunk of his book looking at how television trivialized religion and Noble spends a lot of his book looking at how Christianity has been reshaped as just another personal preference in an ocean of cultural ideas where we all just pick and choose identities.
The opening section of the book is a convicting examination of how much modern life is filled with constant distractions that remove us from the time to feel uncomfortable and existential. Noble looks at how those moments could be key for us in modern society and how the Bible calls us to times of rest and reflection.
If Christianity is nothing more than a social club or a way to socialize our kids with other kids of a similar demographic, then religion is truly nothing more than a lifestyle choice. But if it is a deeper truth claim to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, that truth should disrupt our lives and the lives of those around us. Noble obviously argues for the latter and tries to find practical ways to achieve that.
Probably the most convicting is sabbath rest, which is the easiest to overlook for the modern Christian where a Sunday is certainly a time for worship but also time to do all kinds of personal activities missed on the work week or catch up on a week's worth of articles. The act itself of worship disrupts the tendency to use Sunday for our own benefit but also asks us to look beyond ourselves and to others in the Christian community, the rest of the day should also be spent in an outward movement instead of an inner retreat.
Noble is spot-on in his assessment of the modern world and the big issue plaguing both society and the church today. It's easy to fall into the age of distraction but truly seeking God is a practice that disturbs creature comforts and asks us to engage in an age where so much of life is spent disengaging from that which makes us uncomfortable or uncertain.
The opening section of the book is a convicting examination of how much modern life is filled with constant distractions that remove us from the time to feel uncomfortable and existential. Noble looks at how those moments could be key for us in modern society and how the Bible calls us to times of rest and reflection.
If Christianity is nothing more than a social club or a way to socialize our kids with other kids of a similar demographic, then religion is truly nothing more than a lifestyle choice. But if it is a deeper truth claim to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, that truth should disrupt our lives and the lives of those around us. Noble obviously argues for the latter and tries to find practical ways to achieve that.
Probably the most convicting is sabbath rest, which is the easiest to overlook for the modern Christian where a Sunday is certainly a time for worship but also time to do all kinds of personal activities missed on the work week or catch up on a week's worth of articles. The act itself of worship disrupts the tendency to use Sunday for our own benefit but also asks us to look beyond ourselves and to others in the Christian community, the rest of the day should also be spent in an outward movement instead of an inner retreat.
Noble is spot-on in his assessment of the modern world and the big issue plaguing both society and the church today. It's easy to fall into the age of distraction but truly seeking God is a practice that disturbs creature comforts and asks us to engage in an age where so much of life is spent disengaging from that which makes us uncomfortable or uncertain.
April 17, 2018
“The best strategy for addressing our society’s condition is to offer a disruptive witness at every level of life” (87).
Disruptive Witness is a thoughtful work addressing a pervasive and pernicious reality—American culture desperately needs a Gospel witness that can and will shake it from the secular lethargy driving it into greater and greater hopelessness. And for the record, the church is not immune from this difficulty.
Noble devotes the first half of the book to diagnosing the current cultural situation. He examines how technology has conspired with the common, human tendency to avoid genuine introspection and thoughtful engagement with much of anything, creating a nation of people incapable of unplugging from sources of distraction. He sees our culture as complicit in the creation of citizens who are excessively busy, distracted by technology, and addicted to novelty. In this culture, “the space between the trivial and the crucial has shrunken” to the point of making a distinction between the two virtually impossible (23). Noble is clear that the intention of his work is to help us “understand the contemporary challenge of bearing witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ” by encouraging us to consider “our way of life in this distracted age, and what effect it has on our ability to reflect, contemplate, and respond to conviction” (7). Noble argues that the difficulties in evangelism for out contemporary situation is based on the shifts of culture that undermine many of our previously held beliefs and techniques: “(O)ur past models of discussing faith have almost all assumed a listener who is active, attentive, and aware of the costs of believing—a listener who conceives of a thick world. But as we have moved to a distracted age, we can no longer make this assumption” (25). Noble proposes the need for a new way of evangelism, a way of bearing witness to the Gospel in our lives that “unsettles people from their stupor” brought about by the “fluid market of ideas within secularism” and the utter distractedness so prominent in our culture (60).
But it is not only unbelievers who have been thoroughly inundated by the forces of secularism. Emphasizing the distinction between immanent and open frame perspective on the world, Noble encourages the reader to consider how often our “experience of the world (serves as) a testament to humanity, not God, because everything in your experience conditioned you to look to this world and its physical laws. It all makes sense as a self-sufficient immanent world, even though you know that Jesus is our Creator and Sustainer. And so, we experience life in the immanent frame even as we confess that it is open to an outside, transcendent force” (57).
It is important to note that Disruptive Witness is not a rant against technology or a pining for some foregone “good ol’ days.” Noble is not a curmudgeon (at least not in the book-- I mean, I don’t know the guy, so…). Rather than a diatribe against screens and anything rechargeable, Disruptive Witness is an exhortation to believers to avoid the pitfalls of distraction and learn how to engage a culture that is both secular at its root and distracted through and through.
Also, worth noting is the slew of resources from which Noble pulls. Noble uses plenty of anecdotes and a ton of Scripture, but he also brings to his argument lots of Charles Taylor and Jamie Smith, as well as a few generous helpings of John Calvin, Cormac McCarthy, and others. Taylor’s perspective on secularism, as well as ideas like “buffered self” and the “immanent frame” undergird much of Noble’s diagnosis of our current situation. Smith’s arguments about the formative power of liturgical routine plays a crucial role in Noble’s prescriptive sections.
The second section of Noble’s work is incredibly practical. His encouragements are simple and clear. Recognize the beauty that fills the world, pray before meals, practice the sabbath, and embrace liturgy are all simple imperatives. But as Noble unpacks them, it is easy to see how powerful they could be in shifting ourselves from distracted secularism to engaged and thoughtful living in light of a transcendent reality. “Bearing a disruptive witness,” Nobles argues, “involves adopting a new movement, a shift in ends from ourselves to a transcendent God, and then letting that shift shape us in every aspect of our lives” (90). Noble also emphasizing the importance of stories in this process. “Stories,” he says, “have a unique ability to tap into and evoke our desires for the transcendent” (154). Too often though, the narrative arts are discounted, dismissed, or demonized in religious circles. Rather than adopting the “correct posture for approaching a story” of “humility, charity, and a desire to know” (160), Christians either prejudge the story or uncritically (distractedly) engage it. Building off of Paul’s admonition to do whatever we do to the glory of God, Noble emphasizes that “every action (including telling and listening to stories) ought to have its telos in God and his glorification” (95).
I am not sure of Noble’s connection to Zuckerberg Inc. but I assume some sort of data breach occurred that allowed him to expose both my online activities and the thought processes behind much of my distractedness, selective outrage, thin beliefs, and pervasive efforts to define “me.” Or maybe I am just a bit less unique than my 2nd grade teacher swore I was. Either way, to say that Disruptive Witness is an insightful work is true but does not seem near emphatic enough. Noble’s prose and insightful anecdotes disarm the reader, making the impact of his points that much greater. Incredibly engaging and immensely readable, Disruptive Witness serves a dual purpose: it stands on its own as both a warning against the perils of a distracted life and the efforts by which Christians have a chance of affecting those around them with the Gospel while also serving as a gateway to the writings of Charles Taylor, Jamie Smith, and others to equip believers to even greater a degree.
ARC provided through NetGalley.
Disruptive Witness is a thoughtful work addressing a pervasive and pernicious reality—American culture desperately needs a Gospel witness that can and will shake it from the secular lethargy driving it into greater and greater hopelessness. And for the record, the church is not immune from this difficulty.
Noble devotes the first half of the book to diagnosing the current cultural situation. He examines how technology has conspired with the common, human tendency to avoid genuine introspection and thoughtful engagement with much of anything, creating a nation of people incapable of unplugging from sources of distraction. He sees our culture as complicit in the creation of citizens who are excessively busy, distracted by technology, and addicted to novelty. In this culture, “the space between the trivial and the crucial has shrunken” to the point of making a distinction between the two virtually impossible (23). Noble is clear that the intention of his work is to help us “understand the contemporary challenge of bearing witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ” by encouraging us to consider “our way of life in this distracted age, and what effect it has on our ability to reflect, contemplate, and respond to conviction” (7). Noble argues that the difficulties in evangelism for out contemporary situation is based on the shifts of culture that undermine many of our previously held beliefs and techniques: “(O)ur past models of discussing faith have almost all assumed a listener who is active, attentive, and aware of the costs of believing—a listener who conceives of a thick world. But as we have moved to a distracted age, we can no longer make this assumption” (25). Noble proposes the need for a new way of evangelism, a way of bearing witness to the Gospel in our lives that “unsettles people from their stupor” brought about by the “fluid market of ideas within secularism” and the utter distractedness so prominent in our culture (60).
But it is not only unbelievers who have been thoroughly inundated by the forces of secularism. Emphasizing the distinction between immanent and open frame perspective on the world, Noble encourages the reader to consider how often our “experience of the world (serves as) a testament to humanity, not God, because everything in your experience conditioned you to look to this world and its physical laws. It all makes sense as a self-sufficient immanent world, even though you know that Jesus is our Creator and Sustainer. And so, we experience life in the immanent frame even as we confess that it is open to an outside, transcendent force” (57).
It is important to note that Disruptive Witness is not a rant against technology or a pining for some foregone “good ol’ days.” Noble is not a curmudgeon (at least not in the book-- I mean, I don’t know the guy, so…). Rather than a diatribe against screens and anything rechargeable, Disruptive Witness is an exhortation to believers to avoid the pitfalls of distraction and learn how to engage a culture that is both secular at its root and distracted through and through.
Also, worth noting is the slew of resources from which Noble pulls. Noble uses plenty of anecdotes and a ton of Scripture, but he also brings to his argument lots of Charles Taylor and Jamie Smith, as well as a few generous helpings of John Calvin, Cormac McCarthy, and others. Taylor’s perspective on secularism, as well as ideas like “buffered self” and the “immanent frame” undergird much of Noble’s diagnosis of our current situation. Smith’s arguments about the formative power of liturgical routine plays a crucial role in Noble’s prescriptive sections.
The second section of Noble’s work is incredibly practical. His encouragements are simple and clear. Recognize the beauty that fills the world, pray before meals, practice the sabbath, and embrace liturgy are all simple imperatives. But as Noble unpacks them, it is easy to see how powerful they could be in shifting ourselves from distracted secularism to engaged and thoughtful living in light of a transcendent reality. “Bearing a disruptive witness,” Nobles argues, “involves adopting a new movement, a shift in ends from ourselves to a transcendent God, and then letting that shift shape us in every aspect of our lives” (90). Noble also emphasizing the importance of stories in this process. “Stories,” he says, “have a unique ability to tap into and evoke our desires for the transcendent” (154). Too often though, the narrative arts are discounted, dismissed, or demonized in religious circles. Rather than adopting the “correct posture for approaching a story” of “humility, charity, and a desire to know” (160), Christians either prejudge the story or uncritically (distractedly) engage it. Building off of Paul’s admonition to do whatever we do to the glory of God, Noble emphasizes that “every action (including telling and listening to stories) ought to have its telos in God and his glorification” (95).
I am not sure of Noble’s connection to Zuckerberg Inc. but I assume some sort of data breach occurred that allowed him to expose both my online activities and the thought processes behind much of my distractedness, selective outrage, thin beliefs, and pervasive efforts to define “me.” Or maybe I am just a bit less unique than my 2nd grade teacher swore I was. Either way, to say that Disruptive Witness is an insightful work is true but does not seem near emphatic enough. Noble’s prose and insightful anecdotes disarm the reader, making the impact of his points that much greater. Incredibly engaging and immensely readable, Disruptive Witness serves a dual purpose: it stands on its own as both a warning against the perils of a distracted life and the efforts by which Christians have a chance of affecting those around them with the Gospel while also serving as a gateway to the writings of Charles Taylor, Jamie Smith, and others to equip believers to even greater a degree.
ARC provided through NetGalley.
November 18, 2019
When we talk about our faith, we may be thinking of beliefs, ethics, and worship. But what others hear, says Alan Noble, is our preferences. They see these as lifestyle choices we use to craft an identity—like jerseys of our favorite sports team, our vegetarian diet, or volunteering to tutor.
What makes engaging others about religion even more difficult is our culture of distraction. Social media, entertainment, busy schedules and more all keep us from reflecting on ideas, on substantive issues, on our own lives. Both people of faith and people of no faith rarely stop long enough to wonder about our path in life. Yes, I too reflexively take a dose of social media even in the bathroom.
In Alan Noble’s transforming book Disruptive Witness, he unpacks these two forces—identity formed by preferences and endless distraction—based on Charles Taylor’sA Secular Age. With gentle but persistent insight, Noble considers how our culture makes faith a challenge for all of us, in ways we may be largely unaware of.
The second part of the book looks at practices we can engage in to break or disrupt these forces—personally, as a church, and as we interact with culture. These are not suggestions for evangelism as we might typically think of them. They are more like spiritual disciplines to reorient our own lives before (or as) we engage with those outside God’s family. I could wish for more here, but Noble gives us a necessary beginning.
This important book deserves a wide reading for understanding ourselves, our neighbors, and our world—and for living more closely attuned to the reality of God.
—
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. My opinions are my own.
What makes engaging others about religion even more difficult is our culture of distraction. Social media, entertainment, busy schedules and more all keep us from reflecting on ideas, on substantive issues, on our own lives. Both people of faith and people of no faith rarely stop long enough to wonder about our path in life. Yes, I too reflexively take a dose of social media even in the bathroom.
In Alan Noble’s transforming book Disruptive Witness, he unpacks these two forces—identity formed by preferences and endless distraction—based on Charles Taylor’sA Secular Age. With gentle but persistent insight, Noble considers how our culture makes faith a challenge for all of us, in ways we may be largely unaware of.
The second part of the book looks at practices we can engage in to break or disrupt these forces—personally, as a church, and as we interact with culture. These are not suggestions for evangelism as we might typically think of them. They are more like spiritual disciplines to reorient our own lives before (or as) we engage with those outside God’s family. I could wish for more here, but Noble gives us a necessary beginning.
This important book deserves a wide reading for understanding ourselves, our neighbors, and our world—and for living more closely attuned to the reality of God.
—
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. My opinions are my own.
December 30, 2018
Disruptive Witness does a fantastic job both helping us understand the culture we live in and how do speak the truth of Christianity in the midst of it. The first half of the book looks at how we have a distracted and “buffered” culture. We are distracted by our technology and that leads us to be buffered from thinking of bigger questions of existence and meaning. It leads us to look for identity within us instead of looking outward to God. The last half of the book talks about specific habits we can use personally and as a church to be a disruptive witness. By that he means not just share the gospel as one idea among many but help open people’s minds and lives to a transcendent God. Very interesting read!
April 11, 2019
We live in a distracted age where we have distractions from our distractions (i.e. scrolling through social media while watching TV). We also live in a secular age where we are told to look inward to find our own meaning and truth. This combination has resulted in thin belief where it’s easy to pick and choose identities and beliefs that fit into your preferred lifestyle even if some of them contradict each other. It has most disturbingly uprooted deep and honest reflection.
A focus inward in and of itself will result in loneliness and depression. We turn inward to recognize our misery, which should lead us outward to live in relationship to God and others.
“The constant distraction of our culture shields is from the kind of deep, honest reflection needed to ask why we exist and what is true.”
A focus inward in and of itself will result in loneliness and depression. We turn inward to recognize our misery, which should lead us outward to live in relationship to God and others.
“The constant distraction of our culture shields is from the kind of deep, honest reflection needed to ask why we exist and what is true.”
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