The Fine Line: Re-envisioning the Gap between Christ and Culture

by Kary Oberbrunner

What Does It Mean to Be in the World but Not of It? The Answer May Surprise You. Christ-followers are supposed to be the most liberated people ever to walk the face of the earth---with a message powerful enough to cause the dead to rise and the blind to see. We're supposed to have God living inside of us. We're supposed to know how to be in the world but not of it. Does that describe your life? Author Kary Oberbrunner suspects the answer is no, but not because you aren't passionate about Christ. Rather, it's because the church has been ripped apart and reassembled into two main camps that, at best, casually tolerate each other. The first camp separates itself from people, society, and culture for the main purpose of remaining unstained by the world. While the second camp conforms itself to the ideals, philosophies, and goals of the world in an attempt to be all things to all people. So what's the alternative? A growing number of people believe in a different way and a different world. They are transformists. And they have the power to change the world. Care to join them?

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 23, 2008

About the author

KARY OBERBRUNNER is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of 14 books. As CEO of Igniting Souls® and Instant IP™ he helps abundant-minded & coachable-competent entrepreneurs PUBLISH, PROTECT, and PROMOTE their intellectual property and turn it into 18 streams of income so they can change the world.

An award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and inventor, he’s been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, CBS, Fox News, Yahoo, and many other major media outlets. His TEDx has been viewed over 1 million times.

As a young man, he suffered from severe stuttering, depression, and self-injury. Today a transformed man, Kary ignites souls: speaking internationally on a variety of topics and consulting the world's top entrepreneurs and brands regarding publishing, protecting, and promoting intellectual property.

He has several earned degrees, including a Bachelor of Arts, Masters in Divinity, and Doctorate in Transformational Leadership. He also serves as the Berry Chair of Entrepreneurship at Cedarville University, where he teaches on the topics of Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing. Kary enjoys cycling, especially in the French Alps. He lives in Ohio with his wife Kelly and three children: Keegan, Isabel, and Addison.

Reviews

[Darin Simms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without being too critical, you need to really search for the good in this book.

Let’s start with what’s good:
1. It’s written well. Easy to read, to follow, and the understand. There is way to much (Christian/church) insider language & dialogue, but it’s not difficult to interpret.
2. There are some moving moments in the book at the end.
3. Oberbrunner gives a couple of lists that could be helpful.

What could have been better:
1. This book is verbose. It takes too long to get to a point and even then I wondered why he bothered.
2. The editors could have done better work. No typos or grammar mistakes, but lots of wasted words, irrelevant stories, and simplistic charts.
3. There’s no real “A-Ha!” moment when all of the trodding through the book brings that perfect view that challenges or changes your way of thinking, provides with with an insight that stays with you for weeks, or satisfies your expectations (“This was worth reading”).

He writes that there are 3 types of people. Most are either separatists or conformists. Neither is the best way to live. As an alternative, he suggests Christians should be transformists. He gives some examples of what these three types look like but almost always in stereotypical insight.

Overall, if you choose to read it you will probably not hate yourself or the author. Rather, you’ll wonder if it was worth your time and then pick up another book.

[Ruth Showalter]

Skimmed this. I like the idea transformation rather than separatist or conformist views.

[Thomas Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good simple intro. Does a good job showing the need for some balanced perspectives. It is easily to see all the problems with Post-Modernism and forget that there are many problems with Modernism. Neither popular cultural philosophy is based on biblical theology.

I believe the book is weak in mixing how the church relates to culture. There is a strong call to reach out culturally in evangelizing the local world. However, this is often confused into a discussion regarding how a local community of believers should worship together.

The local community of believers should be focused on nurturing a biblical worldview. Their culture will necessarily be different than the world around them. However, they should also constantly be seeking to understand and reach out to the local world in ways that are not ungodly but are culturally relevant.

I feel the book could have done a better job of clarifying these issues. It will be easy for many to look at it and see the author as desiring to bring ungodliness into the church. Others will look at it and feel that he is emergent.

[Sami Fulciniti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Easy to understand. The first time I feel that I've fully understood how to live fully as part of culture but not of the world. Amazing book. Left me with a joyous heart, ready to share Christ in all aspects of my life.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, but probably could be half the size. Here’s my summary: We are relevant to culture when we impact people on an individual level. We are relevant when we love one another, and the world.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thoughtful and thought-provoking book. I will be pondering Oberbrunner's ideas for a long time.

[Dvora Elisheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more relevant today than when first written. Spot on!

[Jt]

a great read