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Beautiful Resistance: The Joy of Conviction in a Culture of Compromise
In a time of compromise and disillusionment, God is calling his people to a movement of beautiful resistance.
We live in a time when our culture is becoming increasingly shallow, coarse, and empty. Radical shifts in the areas of sexuality, ethics, technology, secular ideologies, and religion have caused the once-familiar landscape of a generation ago to be virtually unrecognizable.
Yet rather than shine as a beacon of light, the church often is silent or accommodating. This isn’t a new phenomenon. During World War II, pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was deeply troubled by the compromise in the German church. Their capitulation to the Nazi party brought shame and dishonor to the gospel. In response, he helped create an underground movement of churches that trained disciples and ultimately sought to renew the church and culture of the day.
In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship—one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction.
For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what’s been lost—regardless of the cost.
Praise for Beautiful Resistance
“ Beautiful Resistance is one of the most compelling and defiant books I’ve read in a long time. I love Jon’s radical, no-messing vision of the church as a prophetic community. This is a wake-up call for us all from the heart of a man who lives his message, loves his city, and serves his Lord with a passion and intelligence destined to become less rare.” —Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement
We live in a time when our culture is becoming increasingly shallow, coarse, and empty. Radical shifts in the areas of sexuality, ethics, technology, secular ideologies, and religion have caused the once-familiar landscape of a generation ago to be virtually unrecognizable.
Yet rather than shine as a beacon of light, the church often is silent or accommodating. This isn’t a new phenomenon. During World War II, pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was deeply troubled by the compromise in the German church. Their capitulation to the Nazi party brought shame and dishonor to the gospel. In response, he helped create an underground movement of churches that trained disciples and ultimately sought to renew the church and culture of the day.
In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship—one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction.
For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what’s been lost—regardless of the cost.
Praise for Beautiful Resistance
“ Beautiful Resistance is one of the most compelling and defiant books I’ve read in a long time. I love Jon’s radical, no-messing vision of the church as a prophetic community. This is a wake-up call for us all from the heart of a man who lives his message, loves his city, and serves his Lord with a passion and intelligence destined to become less rare.” —Pete Greig, founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement
256 pages, Paperback
Published July 21, 2020
235 people are currently reading
2898 people want to read
About the author
Jon Tyson
30 books276 followersJon Tyson is a pastor and church planter in New York City. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States over two decades ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority, and The Burden Is Light. He serves as the lead pastor of Church of the City New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
January 19, 2021
This book... Just go read it. Every christian needs this book right now.
July 4, 2020
Interesting But Not Revolutionary. This is a fairly standard "Christian Living" book written by a pastor, this time an Australian living in NYC - which at least makes it a bit atypical in that regard. Those outside of Christendom probably will have little interest here, and honestly there is little value for that crowd. For those inside the Church who are looking for a new book to read, eh, there are much worse options. One note here is that, as with far too many books of its type, prooftexting - citing random Bible verses out of context - is rampant in this text as well, and is an automatic star deduction in any review I do for a book that contains it. The 4* total here are because even with the prooftexting, the other sporadic issues with the book don't amount to much either by themselves or in combination. To borrow Tyson's own construction, this book could best be summed up as (Mostly) Solid But Not Remarkable. Recommended.
March 31, 2023
I read this book for a group study. Jon Tyson essentially commends several spiritual disciplines and practices (worship, fasting, love, honor, celebration, etc) albeit from the paradigm of “Beautiful Resistance” against the culture. Tyson frames this paradigm with the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as one of the OG beautiful resisters, so to speak. (My words, not Tyson’s.)
A few critiques or questions of the book.
(1) Tyson starts with Bonhoeffer in the introduction, ends with Bonhoeffer in the conclusion, but only occasionally loops Bonhoeffer into the body of the book in a substantial way. At worst, this seems to baptize Tyson’s thoughts in Bonhoeffer’s influence, and potentially keeps evangelicals away from engaging Bonhoeffer’s own thought (and historical context) at a deep level.
(2) At times the both-sideism is strong. Tyson was a student of Tim Keller or Tim Keller’s organization at some point, and I see the Kellerian influence on this book. If you know you know.
(3) Similar to the both-sideism, there’s just a lot of general references to “culture” as a negative influence in the church. Like this quote from (kindle edition) page 5: “We live in a time when the church is compromising with the culture left, right, and center, and we’re losing our influence.” This sentence boggled my mind by its generality. And despite my hopes, I don’t know if Tyson truly unpacked it in the remainder of his book. I’m still scratching my head asking what exactly is the “culture” we’re compromising with, and how does it compare to the one(s) Bonhoeffer faced?
Some positives.
(1) There’s nothing really surprising or un-orthodox (in the doctrinal sense) in the book from my perspective. It’s kind of garden variety Christian living for the most part.
(2) I thought the latter part of the book was better than the former. For me I think the book peaked on the chapters about “Sacrifice” and “Celebration.” The chapter on Celebration has some neat and creative suggestions.
(3) Tyson had a nuanced approach to intersectionality and Critical Theory. (Really the bar is pretty low for white male authors associated with evangelicalism though!)
A few critiques or questions of the book.
(1) Tyson starts with Bonhoeffer in the introduction, ends with Bonhoeffer in the conclusion, but only occasionally loops Bonhoeffer into the body of the book in a substantial way. At worst, this seems to baptize Tyson’s thoughts in Bonhoeffer’s influence, and potentially keeps evangelicals away from engaging Bonhoeffer’s own thought (and historical context) at a deep level.
(2) At times the both-sideism is strong. Tyson was a student of Tim Keller or Tim Keller’s organization at some point, and I see the Kellerian influence on this book. If you know you know.
(3) Similar to the both-sideism, there’s just a lot of general references to “culture” as a negative influence in the church. Like this quote from (kindle edition) page 5: “We live in a time when the church is compromising with the culture left, right, and center, and we’re losing our influence.” This sentence boggled my mind by its generality. And despite my hopes, I don’t know if Tyson truly unpacked it in the remainder of his book. I’m still scratching my head asking what exactly is the “culture” we’re compromising with, and how does it compare to the one(s) Bonhoeffer faced?
Some positives.
(1) There’s nothing really surprising or un-orthodox (in the doctrinal sense) in the book from my perspective. It’s kind of garden variety Christian living for the most part.
(2) I thought the latter part of the book was better than the former. For me I think the book peaked on the chapters about “Sacrifice” and “Celebration.” The chapter on Celebration has some neat and creative suggestions.
(3) Tyson had a nuanced approach to intersectionality and Critical Theory. (Really the bar is pretty low for white male authors associated with evangelicalism though!)
August 3, 2021
Pretty top shelf when it comes to the "Christian Living" genre (why is that even a genre anyway?) The book gets stronger and more compelling as you read it. Each movement Tyson argues for is necessary and helpful for following Jesus today. I was particularly moved by "Honour must resist contempt", "Sacrifice must resist privilege" and "Celebration must resist cynicism", as well as the central illustration around Bonhoeffer and Nazi Germany.
October 20, 2020
"Discipleship must be stronger than cultural formation." Yes! And this book helps both individuals and communities of faith discover what that might look like in their daily lives. This is not an unrealistic call to better discipleship. This book is practical, helpful, and full of biblical insight.
August 18, 2020
Lots of good stuff in here. This is almost the perfect book for our cultural moment. God will definitely use this tome to impact many readers to change and live a life from a deeper and more profound connection to the gospel of cultural resistance.
April 29, 2023
I resonated and related with many areas of this book. What great encouragement and truth in teaching and reminding all of us to see others through the lenses of God and his love for all people, rather than my own personal foggy and tainted lenses. I loved his take on hospitality, something we heartily promoted in raising our children. But I thought given the title of the book, "The Joy of Conviction in a Culture of Compromise," that the message of the book fell short. I.e, the section "Remembering our True Identities," Pages 54-57.. If there is something which today's culture is bent on complicating, which has caused us to grapple for truth, it is certainly- How is our personal sexual identity in Christ defined? What is our biblical identity, having been created in the image of our God? The author immediately sets into the workplace-a usual suspect. And in this section, the only suspect addressed. Work is a worthy enemy of our true identify in Christ and one that needs ample consideration. But what about our culture handing us -and what’s more- our children- so many sexual orientation options to choose from regarding our personal identities? This coupled with the full onslaught of social media has combined to create enormous chaos for both the Christian and the non Christian in the area of "Remembering Our True Identify..." prompting the popular cultural buzz question “How do you identify?” In the year 2020 if you write a book devoting an entire section to one’s identity in Christ and leave any reference to this ginormous issue out of the equation, that certainly seems like the proverbial “elephant in the room!” I understand as an author, it’s safer to not go there. But where is the conviction in that?
January 14, 2023
Very thought provoking book. I was unsure what kind of resistance I was going to be reading about but this is one of getting back to the heart of Christianity.
Some things are easier than others, for sure, but what is nice is that there are definitely things one could do pretty quickly.
At times it seemed like there was some idealism to the book and I wish he hadn’t used some words that he did (they are just too charged). I definitely did not agree with everything but he made some amazing points.
What’s super cool to me is how he is so inspired by Bonhoeffer, who is one of my “heroes”.
There is a discussion guide at the end and I could see some VERY interesting discussions coming out of this book ;)
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All options are my own and a favorable review was not required.
Some things are easier than others, for sure, but what is nice is that there are definitely things one could do pretty quickly.
At times it seemed like there was some idealism to the book and I wish he hadn’t used some words that he did (they are just too charged). I definitely did not agree with everything but he made some amazing points.
What’s super cool to me is how he is so inspired by Bonhoeffer, who is one of my “heroes”.
There is a discussion guide at the end and I could see some VERY interesting discussions coming out of this book ;)
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All options are my own and a favorable review was not required.
May 21, 2022
What a book! So much wisdom packed in here. Forgive me for my lackluster review--I'll just be spitting out what's on my mind in no particular order.
- The way Tyson described the church as a person suffering from locked-in syndrome was interesting and something I'll ponder for a while. (ch. 1)
- I wept hard so, so hard as Tyson discussed Philip Yancey's experience with a disease-stricken Nepali woman and his (Yancey's) wife. This story will never leave me, and I find myself reflecting on it almost weekly. Yancey describing the Nepali woman named Dahnmaya: "...an old crone who would flunk any beauty test ever devised except the one that matters most. Out of that deformed, hollow shell of a body, the light of God's presence shines out" (p. 17). What a powerful reminder of what true beauty actually is. (ch. 1)
- I found the chapters on fasting and celebration especially compelling since they're definitely not hot topics today. (ch. 4, ch. 9)
This will definitely become a regular reread for me.
- The way Tyson described the church as a person suffering from locked-in syndrome was interesting and something I'll ponder for a while. (ch. 1)
- I wept hard so, so hard as Tyson discussed Philip Yancey's experience with a disease-stricken Nepali woman and his (Yancey's) wife. This story will never leave me, and I find myself reflecting on it almost weekly. Yancey describing the Nepali woman named Dahnmaya: "...an old crone who would flunk any beauty test ever devised except the one that matters most. Out of that deformed, hollow shell of a body, the light of God's presence shines out" (p. 17). What a powerful reminder of what true beauty actually is. (ch. 1)
- I found the chapters on fasting and celebration especially compelling since they're definitely not hot topics today. (ch. 4, ch. 9)
This will definitely become a regular reread for me.
October 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this book! Lots of practical advice on how to live in this crazy world. While perhaps it wasn’t completely new information, I feel like it was timely as the church is seeming to be something people walk away from so easily. It was encouraging and inspiring and one I’ll be returning to for sure!
June 16, 2023
Compelling and hopeful.
November 21, 2022
A bit of a smorgasbord of thoughts. But they’re good and well-worth a reader’s time. This would be a great book for a small group study.
December 31, 2020
This is such a solidly hopeful foundation for living the Christian life in our modern context. I will return to this book often as a companion and road map for following Jesus wholeheartedly.
May 18, 2022
A difficult book to reflect on. Each chapter could almost be a book itself. Also, a lot of topics I’ve already read about in other books were touched on briefly here (ex. Sabbath and hospitality). Would have liked Tyson to have woven his 9 ideas together because without that it feels like an overwhelming to do list (I feel this way with a lot of books though). I do have a greater understanding of Honor and Contempt (chapter 6), a topic I feel like is not often, if ever, addressed (same with the idea of Celebration). This is one I would like to focus on applying to my life. Overall, left with a desire to press in and to fight for the church no matter how messy and difficult it might get.
A quote I found to relate to in the Epilogue:
“And as of late, to be honest, these years seem to have taken a toll. I have asked God for an easier call. I have had the desire that I can’t ignore to go someplace else. Somewhere less secular, somewhere less transient. Somewhere the walk with Jesus is downhill.”
I feel that especially with moving to STL. Thoughts of not working for the church and doing something easier are tempting. Yet, this is the work He has called me to. I will obey, fail, and try again to obey. Lord Jesus be with me through it all.
A quote I found to relate to in the Epilogue:
“And as of late, to be honest, these years seem to have taken a toll. I have asked God for an easier call. I have had the desire that I can’t ignore to go someplace else. Somewhere less secular, somewhere less transient. Somewhere the walk with Jesus is downhill.”
I feel that especially with moving to STL. Thoughts of not working for the church and doing something easier are tempting. Yet, this is the work He has called me to. I will obey, fail, and try again to obey. Lord Jesus be with me through it all.
May 17, 2020
This was an excellent read that encourages each of us to resist.
To resist what's popular.
To resist putting the accumulation of material goods ahead of people and love.
The author encourages us to value key Christian principles, eg: practising Agape love, to value rest (rather than feeling the need to work until we're exhausted), to value out relationship with God over giving in to the many pressures created though our peers and cultural environment.
We need to strengthen our convictions in order that we don't compromise.
We can't let others sabotage our faith
Our examples of discipleship (how we live) will speak volumes.
There is a detailed study guide that follows on to increase the impact of the contents.
With thanks to #Netgalley, WaterBrook & Multnomah for the Advanced Reader Copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
To resist what's popular.
To resist putting the accumulation of material goods ahead of people and love.
The author encourages us to value key Christian principles, eg: practising Agape love, to value rest (rather than feeling the need to work until we're exhausted), to value out relationship with God over giving in to the many pressures created though our peers and cultural environment.
We need to strengthen our convictions in order that we don't compromise.
We can't let others sabotage our faith
Our examples of discipleship (how we live) will speak volumes.
There is a detailed study guide that follows on to increase the impact of the contents.
With thanks to #Netgalley, WaterBrook & Multnomah for the Advanced Reader Copy. The opinions expressed are my own.
January 18, 2020
Beautiful resistance by Jon Tyson is a very solid book. Written in a way that is easy to read, yet brings the reader to deep thought and reflection.
The books description says
“In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship--one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction.
For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what's been lost--regardless of the cost.”
I think this book is needed so much in our world today. Every pastor and Christian would be if it from reading this book!
The books description says
“In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship--one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction.
For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what's been lost--regardless of the cost.”
I think this book is needed so much in our world today. Every pastor and Christian would be if it from reading this book!
November 27, 2022
Jesus was the first world leader to inaugurate a kingdom with a heroic role for losers. He spoke to an audience raised on stories of wealthy patriarchs, strong kings, and victorious heroes. Much to their surprise, he honored instead people who have little value in the visible world: the poor and meek, the persecuted and those who mourn, social rejects, the hungry and thirsty. His stories consistently featured "the wrong people" as heroes: the prodigal, not the responsible son; the good Samaritan, not the good Jew; Lazarus, not the rich man; the tax collector, not the Pharisee. As Charles Spurgeon ... expressed it, "His glory was that He laid aside His glory, and the glory of the church is when she lays aside her respectability and her dignity, and counts it to be her glory to gather together the outcasts. *Honour must resist contempt.*
The more we practice the discipline of celebration, the more it will become our instinct. Instead of passing over moments of grace and redemption, we will mark them, and hope and love will seep into our cynical world.
The more we practice the discipline of celebration, the more it will become our instinct. Instead of passing over moments of grace and redemption, we will mark them, and hope and love will seep into our cynical world.
November 30, 2025
Thank you @prhaudio for the audiobook! #PRHAudioPartner
This book is a wake-up call for anyone who feels worn down by distraction, compromise, and spiritual burnout. It invites readers into a counter-cultural way of following Jesus that’s deep, costly, and beautiful. Less about escaping culture and more about living faithfully within it, this is an encouragement to choose devotion, courage, and holiness in everyday, ordinary moments.
Did I forget to mention conviction? I really shouldn’t have—because that’s the number one thing you’ll feel while reading this. Jon encourages you to resist heart and cultural idols by showing you the beauty on the other side. In Bible college, a friend once said he was thankful for conviction. I rolled my eyes… until he explained, “It reminds me God is still at work in me.” This book brought me right back to that moment. I pray the conviction this book reveals does the same for you too.
Why I read:
I’m taking a group of the young adults I pastor to @urbana.25 in December and Jon Tyson is one of the speakers! I’m trying to read books from each of the main stage presenters.
*also fun* I went to @churchofthecity this past June and it was one of the coolest church I’ve visited! Very evident he’s a wonderful pastor.
Perfect for you if you like:
Counter-cultural faith
Practical spiritual formation
Pastoral theological reflections
Want to feel hopeful again about the Church
Similar to:
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
Live No Lies by John Mark Comer
The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller
This book is a wake-up call for anyone who feels worn down by distraction, compromise, and spiritual burnout. It invites readers into a counter-cultural way of following Jesus that’s deep, costly, and beautiful. Less about escaping culture and more about living faithfully within it, this is an encouragement to choose devotion, courage, and holiness in everyday, ordinary moments.
Did I forget to mention conviction? I really shouldn’t have—because that’s the number one thing you’ll feel while reading this. Jon encourages you to resist heart and cultural idols by showing you the beauty on the other side. In Bible college, a friend once said he was thankful for conviction. I rolled my eyes… until he explained, “It reminds me God is still at work in me.” This book brought me right back to that moment. I pray the conviction this book reveals does the same for you too.
Why I read:
I’m taking a group of the young adults I pastor to @urbana.25 in December and Jon Tyson is one of the speakers! I’m trying to read books from each of the main stage presenters.
*also fun* I went to @churchofthecity this past June and it was one of the coolest church I’ve visited! Very evident he’s a wonderful pastor.
Perfect for you if you like:
Counter-cultural faith
Practical spiritual formation
Pastoral theological reflections
Want to feel hopeful again about the Church
Similar to:
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
Live No Lies by John Mark Comer
The Cost of Control by Sharon Hodde Miller
September 7, 2022
The best Christian book I've read in years.
A powerfully written call to counter cultural living, containing a number of powerful anecdotes from Tyson's ministry in New York City.
Would strongly recommend to anyone looking to consider how the church responds to an increasingly challenging cultural climate. Also, a great encouragement for anyone who longs to bring the kingdom of God into the lives of those around them, and to live with integrity.
A powerfully written call to counter cultural living, containing a number of powerful anecdotes from Tyson's ministry in New York City.
Would strongly recommend to anyone looking to consider how the church responds to an increasingly challenging cultural climate. Also, a great encouragement for anyone who longs to bring the kingdom of God into the lives of those around them, and to live with integrity.
December 18, 2025
wow wow wow. every believer and especially church leaders should read this book. i love when i am able to read a book and connect scripture to what i have seen my church doing through my whole life, and in reading the scripture that backs up what we do, i am convicted to mirror this in my own life. we are called to live differently, but what does that actually mean? how can we know we aren’t just living against culture, but truly battling culture in the way Jesus did.
October 5, 2025
Tyson has some really good theology, I'm rating this lower in part because it's all relatively foundational. Be giving, not greedy. Be loving not hateful. Be serving, not arrogant. Be rested, not exhausted. It's all accurate! Just somewhat "basic" Christianity. However, if you want a high optimistic portrayal of what the church could be, this is a great starting point.
February 13, 2021
I read this book with my bookclub. I love Paster Tyson’s way of writing so eloquently but also making it so ‘with the times’. I feel that he covered a lot of great topics and how we, as Christians, can be the beautiful resistance in our world and in the church. The philosophies in the book were convicting and it was very easy to find things that I wanted to work on that Pastor Tyson helped me realize. The guiding questions at the end were great to use during our bookclub discussions. If you want to be convicted, have great discussions, and learn more about being a beautiful resistance, I encourage you to find a friend to read this book with.
April 15, 2021
Jon Tyson does a wonderful job of speaking to the heart issues. This would be a great small group discussion book to enhance the conversation and spur on one another to greater works. Looking forward to reading more from Jon in the future!
January 5, 2022
I loved this book. It’s about the power of spiritual formation to resist the power of cultural formation. @jontyson talks about hunger for God resisting apathy, honor resisting contempt, celebration resisting cynicism. It was powerful and timely and encouraging. I realized about 2/3 of the way through that there’s a pretty in depth study guide in the back 🤦🏻♀️, and I wish I had realized it sooner because it looks really good. I may go through this one again sometime and do the study guide. Definitely recommend!
November 23, 2022
I liked the premise of the book more than the specific ways he unpacked it. I like Tyson a lot, but I guess I wasn't gripped by this as much as I expected to be. Might be more about my opinions and receptivity than the book, tbh.
May 25, 2023
A great presentation of how to live as a Christian in resistance to the surrounding culture.
As an Australian pastor in New York, Tyson has followed God's calling to enter a difficult place and do a difficult thing - to lead a church that is surrounded by cultural pressures like idolatry, exhaustion, apathy, fear, contempt, hate, and privilege.
In response, with stories to illustrate, he calls the church to resist these forces with proper worship, rest, a healthy hunger, hospitality, honor, love, and sacrifice.
I'd love to re-read this one in a group!
As an Australian pastor in New York, Tyson has followed God's calling to enter a difficult place and do a difficult thing - to lead a church that is surrounded by cultural pressures like idolatry, exhaustion, apathy, fear, contempt, hate, and privilege.
In response, with stories to illustrate, he calls the church to resist these forces with proper worship, rest, a healthy hunger, hospitality, honor, love, and sacrifice.
I'd love to re-read this one in a group!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2024
every christian i know should read this book!
my youth group built a series off of “Beautiful Resistance” and reading it after finishing the series was a great reminder of what my youth pastors had preached.
keep resisting!
my youth group built a series off of “Beautiful Resistance” and reading it after finishing the series was a great reminder of what my youth pastors had preached.
keep resisting!
April 23, 2024
4.5 stars. Strong candidate for best book that no one is talking about. Accessible yet powerful. Will recommend this book to others. Has group questions in the back for each chapter so could easily be done for in a group setting.
May 30, 2024
Convicted and challenged to live outside myself. I am so selfish! This book is to the point and is full of grace and truth. Thankful for someone like Jon Tyson who speaks God’s truth boldly and lives for Gods kingdom to come and His will be done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews