The Culturally Savvy Christian: A Manifesto for Deepening Faith and Enriching Popular Culture in an Age of Christianity–Lite

Praise for The Culturally Savory Christian "A provocative indictment of and suggestions for revitalizing both popular culture and the fallow state of Christianity in this country . . . " — Kirkus Reviews "Some Christians bemoan culture′s vulgarities and believe that deepening ?faith requires us to withdraw into cocoons of Christian isolation and churn out happy–feely Christian art, but Staub warns us that this is not the way of Christ. Instead, he explains that like C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Dostoevsky, ′Christian artists are not bound to create religious art, but they understand that their exploration of everyday human occurrences is guided by their walk in faith.′ The Culturally Savvy Christian encourages us to peer through the pop culture fog, dismiss the fluff, and reach for the life–changing, the thoughtful, and the meaningful." — Image, A Journal of the Arts and Religion "Dick Staub has watched from a unique vantage point as our culture—not least our Christian culture—has been sliding into more and more of a muddle and a mess. Now he offers a sharp, many–sided analysis of where we′ve allowed ourselves to get to—and a bracing, fresh prescription for how Christians can and should be leading the way through and out into a wiser, richer mode of being human. This is an urgent book for our times—and for our health." — N. T. Wright , Bishop of Durham, author of Surprised by Hope

Acknowledgments. Introduction. Savvy. 1 The Popular Culture We Are In. 2 The Christianity We Are In. 3 The Story We Are In. Serious. 4 God′s Deep Presence. 5 God′s Transforming Presence. 6 God′s Loving Presence. Skilled. 7 Countering Culture like Aliens. 8 Communicating in Culture like Ambassadors. 9 Creating Culture like Artists. Epilogue. Notes. The Author. Index.

Dick Staub is an award–winning broadcaster, writer, and speaker, whose work focuses on understanding faith and culture and interpreting each to the other. He is the radio personality behind The Dick Staub Show , a nationally syndicated daily broadcast he hosted for fifteen years, and The Kindlings Muse podcast at www.thekindlings.com. His commentaries can be read regularly at www.dickstaub.com.

"Dick Staub has written an engaging and provocative book needed in our times…His insightful critique of popular Christianity and his numerous quotes make it a good source for sermon material or a book discussion group. He provides us with ‘slow food’ for thought." – The Rev. Canon Jonathon Jensen, The Living Church magazine (May 2009)