A Rebel's Manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice, and Love amid the Noise of Today's World

by Sean McDowell

Following Jesus has never been harder. In a culture that glamorizes sex, chases fame, and shames those who don’t fall in line, it takes a rebel to be a Christian.

In this book, Sean McDowell aims to encourage and inspire a generation of rebels who will dare to stand up to the madness in a just and loving manner.

A Rebel’s Manifesto offers clear guidance to help people navigate the many moral issues that plague this generation. Students today are oriented toward action on ethical issues, and Sean will not only help them think biblically about various ethical issues, but he will also offer practical steps to make a positive difference in this world. In this book, Sean covers

navigating bullying and social media;
handling loneliness, pornography, and sex;
approaching various conversations around climate change, race, and other controversial issues; and
articulating and defending biblical views at school, online, and with friends.

Life doesn’t need to devolve into an online shouting match. Sean proposes a better way: to live a life calmly and confidently grounded in biblical truth.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Theology, Spirituality, Parenting, Religion

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2022

About the author

Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He connects with audiences in a tangible way through humor and stories while imparting hard evidence and logical support for viewing all areas of life through a Biblical worldview. Sean is an Assistant Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University.

Sean still teaches one high school Bible class, which helps give him exceptional insight into the prevailing culture so he can impart his observations poignantly to fellow educators, pastors, and parents alike.

Read more about Sean on his website.
Connect with Sean on Facebook.

Reviews

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for teens (and their parents). The book equips teens to face the controversial ideas prevalent in our culture. Ways to think about them with a Christian perspective is presented in a relevant and easy-to-understand way.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

rating: 4 stars!

Many issues plague our world, and our culture constantly tells us how to think about them and what to do about them. In A Rebel’s Manifesto, Sean McDowell deals with difficulties that young people encounter in this world, and how to view them through a biblical lens.

I liked that the book dealt with an assorted range of issues ranging from culture, the environment, relationships, etc. and how we can biblically think about all these topics.

So much of what's in this book was extremely helpful. It made me pause, think, and see things differently than I had before. I enjoyed reading it, even though I might politely disagree with the author on one or two topics.

I also appreciated that it was simple and easy to follow and digest.

I liked how it didn’t lean towards one bias or another but attempted to be balanced on each issue.

I wish that the topics were fleshed out a little bit more, but since the book deals with a range of topics, that might not have been the intention of the author.

Overall, I recommend this book! It would be helpful for young adults who want to see the world through a biblical worldview and act accordingly.

*I received this book from NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review*

[Addison Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book! It's not just for teens, but for any age. It's a great reference.

[Elizabeth Gaboriault · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written book that I think most teenagers would enjoy reading (and adults.). There were only a couple of exceptions I had: One, giving credibility to the BLM organization. And, two, calling out “guns don’t kill people; people do,” as a bad argument. Other than that I feel it is a very relevant book in today’s world, especially for our younger generations who will struggle to follow God’s plan.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers a wide range of important, current issues from a biblical perspective, but not very deeply, because the target audience is teens and 20s. The issues include life, death, sexuality, the environment, economics, immigration, and more. The book explains how to speak the truth in love (compassionately, with kindness), and how to be both loving and just.

McDowell says one of the book's goals is to give you confidence to have meaningful conversations with people who see world differently than you. He reminds Christians that we must be more concerned with obeying God than seeking human praise (Acts 4:18-20; 5:29).

Several chapters end with, "If you've committed this sin, God loves you and forgives you." What's lacking is the imperative to repent to God to receive His forgiveness (Luke 13:3, 5; Mark 1:15; 1 John 1:9; Acts 3:19; 2 Chr 7:14).

Notes
Politics
Every law legislates some morality. Question isn't if government will legislate morality, but which morality. Our goal isn't to create Christian society, but laws based on Christian worldview are in best interest of society and should be legislated.

Assisted Suicide
Killing involves actively taking someone's life. Letting someone die is passively letting person die from other causes, without interference. Letting someone die can be right when there's on reasonable hope of recovery and person has expressed wish to not receive life-prolonging treatment.

Homosexuality
Many Christians continue to struggle with same-sex attraction. It doesn't magically disappear when someone becomes Christian. Christians can experience all kinds of attractions that aren't aligned with how He wants us to live.

Abortion
In Ex 21:22-23, woman has premature birth, not miscarriage. This passage can't be used to devalue life of unborn child, or support abortion.

Environment
God made humans stewards of creation (Gen 1:26-30), involving protecting, preserving, and ruling over creation.

Caring for creation is one way of showing love for God and neighbor.

Even if God destroys or remakes Earth at end of time (2 Pet 3:10), that doesn't mean we shouldn't care for it. Our bodies will die one day, but that doesn't mean we don't need to care for them.

Poverty
When someone asks for money, stop and talk to them to show you see them and care. Offer to buy meal, and join them for it if you have time.

Guns and Violence
Christians may defend themselves (Ex 22:2; Neh 4:1-23; Lk 22:36).

Immigration
Immigration policy goals
• Control borders and set limits on immigration.
• Meet immediate needs of desperate refugees.
• Ensure immigrants aren't dangerous to community.
• Ensure public services don't limit resources for citizens.
• Offer fair process of citizenship for all who desire to enter country.
• Keep immediate families together whenever possible.

Knowing God's Will
God's moral will is already revealed in Scripture, telling us how He wants us to live. God's sovereign will is generally unknown to us, except where revealed in Scripture.

God's moral will
• Be saved (1 Tim 2:4).
• Be filled with Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19), exhibit fruit of Spirit (Gal 5:16-24).
• Be sanctified (grow in being like Christ), be sexually pure (1 Thess 4:3).
• Submit to proper authorities (1 Pet 2:18).
• Trust God when you suffer (1 Pet 3:17).

Bible doesn't teach that God has a hidden will for your life that you need to uncover before making decisions. To make decisions, seek wisdom (Pro 16:16); humble yourself before God (Pro 9:10), obey God's moral will, ask God for wisdom (Jas 1:5), seek counsel from others (Pro 15:22).

A Guide for Conversations
4 questions to ask in conversations
1. What do you believe?
2. Why do you believe that?
3. Where do we agree?
4. Where do we disagree? Why?

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speak Your The Real Truth

I really, really enjoyed this book.

An excellent resource for debating God to the secular world.

Very well written. Strong will.

Impressive Christian read.

4.8/5

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for Christian teens!
It's one thing to know the truth, it's another to speak the truth to others in love. I would definitely recommend this to all teens looking to deepen and defend their faith.

[Brittany]

Apologist written defense of the faith interviewed on the world and everything in it

[Douglas Howington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for a teenager who wants to know more or listen to someone with knowledge.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebelution by the Harris twins was the big recommended book to challenge teens for awhile. But this is much better to break out of complacency and status quo living.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid, 100-level approach to encouraging teens and adults alike to think critically and, frankly, civilly engage with each other, heh. (It's sad we adults even need that, but um...if anyone wonders, have they been on social media lately?)

At times more black-and-white than I expected (which, in retrospect, I appreciate), the read challenged me to think critically about my own views and how they may have changed over the years. I was a child of the 80s/90s, grew up in the purity culture, and am fairly familiar with McDowell's dad Josh's works (which I think I'd like to re-read now, ha!); this was a great challenge in asking "why do I believe this, why did it change from XYZ time, and is the change warranted?" Truth will stand up to investigation, and I'm learning to not be afraid of that process. :) This book will help with that.

A solid pairing with this read would be Jonathan Morrow's _Welcome to College_, a perhaps 102-level book on similar topics. I'd also recommend Bobby Conway (The One-Minute Apologist)'s books _The Fi5th Gospel_ and _Doubting Toward Faith_, solid and approachable reads on apologetics regardless of age.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Stuart Fear · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am torn with this book, on the one hand I enjoyed reading it and on the other I feel overwhelmingly unfulfilled.
First off, as a 35 year old it seems I am already too old to be a reader of this book. As you read through it is obvious this book was written for teenagers and college students, and you are just a little bit too late to be impacted by what the author refers to as, "your generation".
The content is very relevant for the time with what seems like all the controversial issues being touched on in this book. A whopping 26 chapters crammed into only 235 pages, and not exactly small font.
McDowell gives a great brief introduction to all topics, a very brief intro before jumping on to the next chapter in the book.
Just as he gets you niddbling at a particular topic he cuts it short. In several instances in the book he makes what feels like a good point but jumps onto another topic before really providing any substance to said claim.
To sum it up its all sizzle without the steak.

Maybe I am just too old and this is not my generation. Perhaps in the current climate of tiktok and 5sec Instagram stories maybe all content needs to be trimmed down to be appealing.
Despite my negative comments, I still must commend Sean McDowell for bring able to write in such a smooth and readable manor, i steam rolled through this book with ease and at no point did I feel bored or frustrated.
Even though I am frustrated he didn't go into more depth, he stilled provided me with some food for thought and helped me see some texts from the bible in another light.

[Non · Rating 3 out of 5]

SCORE
3 Star = I feel neutral about this book. It wasn’t bad but also wasn’t great.

Do note that this book is written to young (Gen Z) Christians, so maybe not a good gift for a non-believer.

SUMMARY

*= means the verse referenced isn’t in that section of the book, it’s from my annotations or I just happen to know the verse he was referencing (possibly).

Part 1: The Challenge.
We should continue to follow Jesus despite the cost (1 Peter 3:17). No one is inherently good/sinless, except Christ (Romans 3:10, Mark 7:20-23) and our sin separates us from God (Romans 6:23). Despite there is hope and there are four essential steps to being the person God wants us to be: repent of your sin and trust Jesus to transform your heart (Ephesians 2:8-9*), saturate yourself in God’s word (Romans 12:2), pray for the will of God (Matthew 26:39) and for the good of your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48*), and live life with other believers where there is friendship and accountability (Proverbs 27:12). Biblical love is committing to the objective good of another regardless of if it feels good to them (or yourself) in the moment nor is it always easy (1 John 3:18*, John 3:16). Having a biblical worldview is essential since a worldview is what answers the big questions of life; where your foundation for the life choices you make and believe are. We ought to not judge hypocritically, though judging itself isn’t wrong and everyone does it anyways (John 7:24*, Matthew 7:1-5).

This first part is important to remember for the rest of the book, because without it just sounds like he’s insinuating people can sin and it’s ok cause God loves you and he forgives you. To reiterate, in the first part you’ll notice that this book is written to young (Gen Z) Christians.

Imma zoom past these next parts on whether these things are good (they honor God), depends (can be used for good or evil), or oof ([1] Christians should help/love these people and/or [2] not affirm).

Part 2: Culture
- Smartphones and Social Media: depends
- Entertainment: depends
- Politics: depends
- Drugs and Addictions: oof ... alcohol should be taken in moderation

Part 3: Relationships
- Loneliness: oof
- Bullying: oof
- Suicide: oof
- Assisted Suicide: oof
- Racial Tension: oof … so assuming racism either doesn’t exist or is everywhere, and ofc being racist

*For further reference obviously being prejudiced and degrading others is a big oof.

Part 4: Sexuality
- Sex: depends … good in marriage
- Homosexuality: oof
- Transgender Ideology: oof
- Pornography: oof

Part 5: Ethics
- The Environment: good … climate change denial, alarmism, deism, pantheism is oof
- Poverty: oof … only [1], not [2]
- Guns and Violence: guns, depends … violence, oof
- Immigration: depends … obviously illegally or plans to do illegal stuff is oof
- Artificial Intelligence: depends

Part 6: Cultural Engagement
- Knowing God’s Will: kind of similar to part 1. As he stated, “much of God’s will has been revealed in Scripture” (pg 220).
- A Guide for Conversations: also kind of similar to part 1. As he stated, “most people are willing to have civil conversations with others if we ask good questions and treat them respectfully” (pg 229). The questions are “what do you believe,” “why do you believe,” “where do we agree,” “where do we disagree and why?”


PROS & CONS
Some pros are that this book is a great conversation starter and you can jump around from chapter to chapter without needing to read everything as a whole (I highly recommend you read part 1 & 6). Also, he mentions things most Christians brush off like climate change, artificial intelligence, and cyber-bullying.

One big cons was that there’s no in-depth mention of repentance nor how it actually works. He’ll say if you have committed this sin then God will forgive you and will still love you. He does go over repentance briefly in chapter 2 (pgs 12-14), but it’s not restated throughout the book as much as God loving you and forgiving you is. It probably would have made a great chapter in part 1. Also, like I said prior this is a great conversation starter, but if you're looking for something more in-depth you may have to look somewhere else. Lastly, I didn't care for much of the pop-culture movie references since some of them I didn't really get the correlation (I don't get most metaphors so it's ok), I don't watch any of stuff he mentioned, one of them I've never heard of before, and quite a bit of them I would not be recommending to anyone (a few mentioned glorify occult/demonic stuff or like the movie I never heard of that is mostly just porn according to descriptions and reviews of the movie).

Maybe a pro or con, but some of the questions he suggested at the end to having good conversations (part 6, chapter 26, pgs 230-231) can be pretty loaded and a lot of people haven't really thought about those questions so your conversation may just go in circles (not necessarily a bad thing especially if their willing to understand, be persuaded, and their main goal is to seek truth) or the person could get annoyed eventually. Lastly, there were a few parts were I was kinda was left like confused. For example in the assisted suicide part he says, "I would not want huge amounts of expense and effort paid to prolong my impending death. I would rather be allowed [naturally I assume based off what was said earlier] to die and go to heaven" (pg 112). This is hard for most people to say confidently who are young, healthy, and/or haven't really thought about the possibility of them dying soon.

CONCLUSION
Overall, I felt neutral about this book. It spoke a lot of truth with some minor issues. The lessons for each are quite similar, use similar verses, and have very practical life application. I would recommend this book if you're a Christian and looking for a conversation starter. I would definitely read and do more research elsewhere if you want more in-depth insight to a specific topic mentioned, especially from different worldviews than just a Biblical worldview to get a better understand of how others think through similar issues.

[Patrick Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library because I'm working on bettering my discipleship with my kids. I had read some of Sean's stuff when I was a youth and felt like his easy to read style would be good to look through to perhaps have my oldest read here in the next few years.

If you don't know much about Sean, he would line up with more conservative (think theology not politics) beliefs. I typically resonate with that side, though I'm not always on board with some of the practical application I see some live. Sean has a very honest, gentle, and fair approach to each topic he covers. He even pushes against the traditional conservative approach at times to ask good questions and highlight that what some people try to make black and white are actually none nuanced than that and require more critical, prayerful thinking.

[Jillian Sevilla-Sales · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book review! And it's a nonfic one. 😃
This is a fast read for me because the author covered not just interesting topics but issues that are dear to my heart. I love how God used this book to reassess my heart on how I treat others. Am I treating and loving them just like Jesus? Am I sharing the truth with them?

I could go on and on with reviewing this, there is so much to talk about!
I'm thankful that I got this book and hopefully share it with other Christ followers as well.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DErntx...

[Esmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you struggle to think about the main topics that our culture talks about, that being the topic of Relationships, Sexuality, Ethics, etc. Then this book is for you! It's an easy read, yet it is so informative! And after going over the main topics, Sean McDowell gives you advice on how to talk to others about these difficult issues. This book stays true to the biblical call to love God and to love others!

[Brenten Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING 4.28 STARS

There are a lot of questions in the world today and there is a great need for answers. McDowell attempts to address the issues that teens may be wrestling with by presenting a Biblical response. I can't say I agree 100% with everything in this book, but there's no doubt that these conversations need to happen before we send our next generation to have these conversations with their peers.

[Nick Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written for young adults so I’m not the target audience but reading it from the perspective of a parent on the verge of having many of these conversations I got some use out of it.

For the most part it is too wide in scope, not going very deep on any single issue, and the views presented are mostly common sense Christianity. Works well for the younger audience but as someone older most of it is just… yeah duh.

[Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book!! Especially for the youth and you get generation of today. This book is a great tool and guide on how to think biblically and navigate certain topics in today’s society without compromising your worldview. Thank you for your contribution to a biblical worldview Sean.

I recommend this book to everyone, especially young teens and anyone else under 30yrs old.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some helpful things in this student/next gen resource, but I'm not in love with the apologetic posture of the writer. Yes, I know Sean is an apologist so I get the reason for why and how he wrote it. It ok/good if you are looking for a topical read on some issues of the day.

Best used as a read, discuss, and what do you agree/disagree with.

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must Read!

This book was written in a relatable manner that makes it easy to follow. McDowell tackles many of the current problems in today’s society. His approach is relatable yet not preachy.

[Andrew Elstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

so thoughtful and reasoned that I’d say adults should read also

Sean covers the individual hot topics very well, but his initial unpacking of worldviews, friendships and morality is how this book ensures it’s credibility

[Kaylee Detweiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved listening to this book and all the great things he teaches! To have good discernment and being able to defend our faith with knowledge from the Bible, being able to equip ourselves with Gods word is crucial!

[Eliza Budiarto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

Great book, learning how to answer commons questions young people have. Answers biblically, and explain christian worldview instead of the worldview which seems more popular now with your generation.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is geared towards youth and makes me think it would be perfect in a Christian high school literature class or church youth group.

[David King · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good conversation starter

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent......a Christian's perspective on hot topic cultural issues

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, covering all of the topics and more that our teens need to know as they grow up in today's world.

[Brit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book covers today’s questions in life very well. But keep in mind that it is written for teenagers, not mature adults.

[Greg Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very balanced and good work on the Christian worldview. I would highly recommend the book to everyone who wants to know about why Christians believe certain things.