Serious Times: Making Your Life Matter in an Urgent Day

by James Emery White

A 2005 Evangelical Christian Publishing Association Gold Medallion finalist. How can we make our lives matter? John Adams and Thomas Jefferson lived in serious times. And, because they chose to live serious times, they turned the course of history. Finding inspiration in their example, James Emery White looks not at them but at our society. He shows how understanding our history and our postmodern biases can better prepare Christians for the important work of advancing the Kingdom of God on Earth. Brief biographical sketches of seven admirable people noted for having lived seriously impactful lives are interleaved between chapters that alternate between penetrating cultural analysis and practical advice on how to live with purpose.

Genres: Christian Living, Christianity, Christian, Nonfiction, Cultural, American History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina; president of Serious Times, a ministry that explores the intersection of faith and culture. Dr. White is an adjunctive professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president; and author of more than twenty books.

Reviews

[Charlie Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very good as it showed the deplorable state of our "Christianity" within the individual. The book can be summed up in 2 quotes from the book:
The purpose of understanding the serious nature of our time is to undertake a serious life, a life that not only understands the times but is then moved to act within those times for Christ. This will demand a heart that is open to this world, but also one breaking over it."
When we live like salt and light, with lives infused by Christ, it affects the world around us in disproportionate measure... This is precisely what a deepened soul with a developed mind, following God's call and rooted in a church, accomplishes. Small, individual acts of living like and for Christ.

[Chuck Engelhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book free as an unsolicited thank you from Gordon Cromwell Seminary for supporting a student there and quite frankly, I didn't have any intention of reading it when it first arrived. Now, I am glad I did. There is a history section at the beginning of the book that places our current concerns in context and a call to growing an active faith toward the end. I found this book refreshingly non-partisan and recommend this book to those who believe that Jesus left us here to make a difference in His name.

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read a book that punched as far above its weight as this one does. Serious Times can stand worthily next to E.F. Schumacher's A Guide for the Perplexed and Thomas Howard's Chance or the Dance? Highly recommended to and for any thoughtful Christian.

[Jeremy Manuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

At one point I think I would have really enjoyed this book. I would have nodded along to the critiques of the world that are put forward. I would and still am firmly agreeing with the ideas that we need Christian intellectuals who are evaluating the culture around us. Now though, books like this feel a bit like a farce.

I went to a Christian college and even to seminary. In all my years in these institutions I heard about how secularism and postmodernism was the enemy. That culture was saying that there wasn't any truth and Christianity needed to step up and be able to provide those answers with academic rigor. The problem wound up being that nobody was really looking too close at the church and how we've really gone off the path over the years.

White gives a rather short and far too over-simplified overview of history and philosophy and makes a number of conclusions I'm not sure I really agree with. I also think that he fails to really pick up any meaningful critique of the church other than its propensity in America to be anti-intellectual. Even then he places the blame on secularization, but depending on how you're using that word, I'm not sure that's entirely accurate.

Having seen the church double down on hypocrisy and trade any semblance of morality for power and control in America, it's hard to point to the world around as the problem. It is those who follow God who often don't know or care about the truth in matters. They don't want facts or scientific study, they just follow what they believe. Christians have created a world where belief is almost completely detached from any sort of verifiable fact and I think that's a danger that books like this don't really touch and it was a grave misdiagnosis.

[Phil Kelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an awful book. I could not bring myself to gag through to the end. The author does hardly any of his own writing. He is simply quoting from various other authors. I was actually ashamed for the person who recommended this, who told me it was a serious and helpful insight into today's problems. You would be much better off reading Taleb's books (start with Antifragile), Mortimer Adler's books (start with the two autobiographies or Six Great Ideas), and Jacques Barzun's Dawn to Decadence for good critiques of modern society.

For purely Christian insights, go back to Francis Schaeffer, C. S. Lewis, Chuck Colson, and Thomas Fleming's The Morality of Everyday Life, in addition to the classic spiritual books, like The Imitation of Christ, City of God, Confessions of St. Augustine, Calvin's Institutes, etc.

[Jody Sloan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had much higher hopes for this book from the title. There is really nothing here that the great church leaders have been preaching since the beginning of the church. If you are new reading Christian writing this may rate higher for you, but there really isn’t anything here I haven’t read before.

[L C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction for a way to look at the world realistically as a Christ follower. White's book will make you think.

[Jordan Reich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reminder to dig in and engage in culture with both mind and heart, belief and behavior.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written!
“Whatever culture we have we deserve.” (P. 159) Ouch!

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok, it needs an update (the serious times.com website mentioned at the end is no longer).

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

White's Serious Times was a brief read. I appreciated the first part, the historical review, though it was too typically evangelical in its historical villains. It also felt a little rehashed and overquoted (X said this, "long quote"), but it provided a quick overview of our modern condition (including consumerism). I liked the second half, on actually living the Christian life in these days, much better. Its focus on deepening the soul, developing the mind, answering the call, and aligning with the church (all the chapter titles) were thoughtful and challenging and the incessant quoting was more profound and helpful. I especially liked his idea of establishing a rule for daily life and his insistence on the necessity of spiritual retreats. The interludes with biographical details provoked thought, but might have been more carefully integrated into the text. Overall, it is a manageable Sunday afternoon read, well researched and written, and in the end really challenging in its goal to have Christians live lives that matter today.

"The impact of most Christ followers on this world is minimal because the degree to which we seek intimacy with Christ is minimal."

"There are many protests to the demands of living under a rule, but in the end practices themselves are not the issue. The goal is to so seek the face of God in such a way that Christ is formed in us."

He quotes Thomas Kelly, "The times are too tragic, God's sorrow is too great, man's night is too dark, the Cross too glorious for us to live as we have lived, in anything short of holy obedience."

"We don't have a 'spiritual life'; we have life that is meant to be lived spiritually."

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a compact, easy read with great motivating ideas. White emphasizes four areas in our lives that need tending - the soul, the mind, vocation and the church (community). If we can choose to discipline ourselves and combat the comfort of apathy in these areas we will make a real difference in the world around us.

What makes his writing especially enjoyable and convicting is that he is so well read and uses examples from other writings throughout to illustrate his points. I leave this book extremely inspired ... and you will probably see a lot more "to reads" added to my Goodreads account soon.

[J.D. Camorlinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author James Emery White exhorts readers in his book, Serious Times: Making Your Life Matter in an Urgent Day to understand and act within the times in a way that honors God and cares for the lost. He underlines the urgency of the Christian message in the context of our time and encourages Christians to be the salt and light of the world while deepening the soul, developing the mind, responding to God’s call and investing in a church body. It is within this context that a Christian can truly impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.

[Dustin Tramel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great concise history of culture and thought and how it has affected our lives. An easy to read journey from ancient philosophy to postmodernism. The section called "interlude" was the most inspiring part of the book. I appreciate that J.E. White loves the church but is honest about its many problems. I have read this book twice just to be reminded of the history behind our current thinking and philosophy.

[Shep · Rating 2 out of 5]

A worthwhile book for readers who wish to see the ways in which their culture influences them and challenge those influences with a Christian worldview. A great prelude / starting point for someone who wants to start reading apologetics. The presentation of various philosophical movements is oversimplistic in places, however, and in some cases I think the influence of these movements seems overstated.

[Sean Higgins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended (and given) to me by a friend. It was okay. I appreciate the title and subtitle and, working with students week in and week out, I think it's an important topic. I'd probably recommend other books before this one.

[Bruce Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a challenge. This is an excellent book about being who Christ has created us to be. It is too easy to think that my little life won't make a difference. God forbid! Thanks for waking me up! I recommend reading this one.

[Shu · Rating 3 out of 5]

"...every believer be seen as a priest, and thus be able to powerfully 'espouse the cause of the faith" to a lost and dying world."

[Darin Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book at Grace Community Church in Brentwood, TN while on assignment at a client in Nashville.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting weaving of biographies and the urgency of cultural engagement. Good read.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read dealing with both the Christian mind, walk and spiritual formation. The kind of book to be circulated in a book and reading club.

[Jt]

a great read

[Mike Nencetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

We do live in serious times.