To Change the World (James Davison Hunter)

In this book, consisting of three interconnected essays, the author looks at world-changing, power, and what it means to be faithfully present as Christians. A summary follows.

Essay I: Christianity and World-Changing

Creation was created with potential. “God’s intention [is] that human beings both develop and cherish the world in ways that meet human needs and bring glory and honor to him. In this creative labor, we mirror God’s own generative act and thus reflect our very nature as ones made in his likeness.” This is the ‘creation mandate’ in Genesis 1:28, and it implicitly requires the creation of culture.

The fall of man didn’t change the creation mandate but certainly affects our ability to create and change culture. “Culture is a system of truth claims and moral obligations.” Each culture reflects good or bad values. How do we as Christians change the world (and culture) for the better?

“Politics is the tactic of choice for many Christians as they think about changing the world.” And this is a problem. We “have a healthy desire to change the world, but have done so with mixed effect.” Why? “The underpinning theory that [unconsciously] guides our efforts is deeply flawed; we pursue change through evangelism, social movements, and voting. These things matter but do not change culture.” What is the problem?

“The real problem of this working theory of culture and cultural change” is idealism. “In fact idealism misconstrues agency, implying the capacity to bring about influence where that capacity may not exist or where it may be only weak.” We must discard our prevailing view of culture if we are serious about changing the world, knowing that “Contemporary Christian understandings of power and politics are a very large part of what has made contemporary Christianity in America appalling, irrelevant, and ineffective—part and parcel of the worst elements of our lade-modern culture today, rather than a healthy alternative to it.”

He argues that real culture change “occurs through dense networks of elites operating in common purpose within institutions at the high-prestige centers of cultural production.” Which leads him to power (see next essay).

Essay II: Rethinking Power

World-changing needs power, “and the implicit theories of power” that guide its exercise “are deeply problematic.” It tends towards “conquest and domination.” It politicizes everything and makes people seethe “with resentment, anger, and bitterness.” Regrettably, Christians often operate with this same understanding of power and (on Right and Left) “aspire to a righteous empire.” On both sides, we are committed to “social change through politics and politically oriented social movements.” We conflate public with political. We selectively use “scripture to justify political interests.” We confuse “theology with national interests and identity.”

What is the result? We must remember is that “influence is never unidirectional in any relationship.” The church has been influenced by the culture and the tactics it adopts. “The tragedy is that in the name of resisting the internal deterioration of faith and the corruption of the world around them, many Christians . . . unwittingly embrace some of the most corrosive aspects of the cultural disintegration they decry. By nurturing its resentments, sustaining them through a discourse of negation toward outsiders, and in cases, pursuing their will to power, they become functional Nietzscheans, participating in the very cultural breakdown they so ardently strive to resist.”

What’s the way forward? “The first task is to disentangle the life and identity of the church from the life and identity of American society.” “The second task is for the church and for Christian believers to decouple the “public” form the “political.” Politics is always a crude simplification of public life and the common good is always more than its political expression.” There is power in everyday life outside of politics.

Ultimately, we can learn a lot about power by looking at Jesus. Four things to note:

• “His power was derived from his complete intimacy with and submission to his Father.” (John 12:49-50, 5:19, 30, 8:28, 38, 14:10, Hebrews 5:7-8, Matthew 4:1-10)
• He rejected “status and reputation and the privilege that accompanies them.” (Phillippians 2:6)
• “Compassion defines the power of his kingdom more than anything else.” “those degradations he endured willingly because of his love for fallen humanity and for his creation more broadly.” (Mark 10:45)
• “The noncoercive way in which he dealt with those outside of the community of faith.” (Luke 17:12-19, John 4:7-26, Luke 9:51-56, Matthew 5:39, 44)

Instead of embracing strategies that are “incapable of bringing about the ends to which they aspire” and “are deeply problematic, shortsighted, and at times, profoundly corrupted,” what “if the flourishing of Christian faith and its cultures depends on a model of power that derives from Christ’s life and teaching?” And “what does this look like in practice?”

Essay III: Toward a New City Commons: Reflections on a Theology of Faithful Presence

Faithfulness is not “a state of abstract piety floating above the multifaceted and compromising realities of daily life in actual situations.” Instead, “faithfulness works itself out in the context of complex social, political, economic, and cultural forces that prevail at a particular time and place.” “To face up to the challenge of integrity and faithfulness in our generation, then, requires that Christians understand the unique and evolving character of our times.”

In our times, there are two challenges for religious faith: difference and dissolution.

• Difference: Pluralism today . . . “exists without a dominant culture, at least not one of overwhelming credibility or one that is beyond challenge.” Social conditions should reinforce core beliefs. That core has shifted. “Pluralism creates social conditions in which God is no longer an inevitability . . . the most important symbols of social, economic, political, and aesthetic life no longer point to him.”

• Dissolution: “the deconstruction of the most basic assumptions about reality.” Civilization is based on confidence that there is a correspondence between words and realities; “that the world and our being in it are articulable.” Everything today is subjective. “in the contemporary world we have the capacity to question everything but little ability to affirm anything beyond our own personal whims and possessive interests.”

He suggests there are three paradigms of engagement with the culture:

1. Defensive against (Conservative): “create a defensive enclave that is set against the world.” “Retain the distinctiveness of Christian orthodoxy and orthopraxy within the larger world.”
2. Relevance to (Liberal): makes “a priority of being connected to the pressing issues of the day.”
3. Purity from (neo-Anabaptist): “there is very little that can be done for the world because, in its fallen state, the world is irredeemable this side of Christ’s return.”

Problem with each? “The desire to be “relevant to” the world has come at the cost of abandoning distinctiveness. The desire to be “Defensive against” the world is rooted in a desire to retain distinctiveness, but this has been manifested in ways that are, on the one hand, aggressive and confrontational and, on the other, culturally trivial and inconsequential. Finally, the desire to be “pure from” the world has entailed a disengagement and withdrawal from active presence in huge areas of social life.”

He proposes “that Christians are called to relate to the world within a dialectic of affirmation and antithesis.”

• Affirmation: “based on the recognition that culture and culture-making have their own validity before God that is not nullified [bad word?] by the fall.” “Goodness, beauty, and truth remain in this fallen creation.” “People of every creed and no creed have talents and abilities, possess knowledge, wisdom, and inventiveness, and hold standards of goodness, truth, justice, morality, and beauty that are, in relative degree, in harmony with God’s will and purposes. These are all gifts of grace that are lavished on people whether Christian or not."
• Antithesis: “rooted in a recognition of the totality of the fall.” “All social organizations exist as parodies of eschatological hope. And so it is that the city is a poor imitation of heavenly community”, etc. Within this context, “the church is always a ‘community of resistance.’” But the resistance is “not simply negational” but “creative and constructive.” The “objective is to retrieve the good to which modern institutions and ideas implicitly or explicitly aspire.” “To offer constructive alternatives.”

His central argument is for “a theology of faithful presence.” “It can be summarized in two essential lessons.”

• "Incarnation is the only adequate reply to the challenges of dissolution; the erosion of trust between word and world and the problems that attend it.”
• "The way the Word became incarnate in Jesus Christ and the purposes to which the incarnation was directed . . . are the only adequate reply to challenge of difference.”

“In all, presence and place matter decisively.” “The very character of God and the heart of his Word is that God is fully and faithfully present to us.” “His faithful presence is an expression of commitment marked by at least four attributes:”

• He pursues us. (Deuteronomy 7:6, Isaiah 43:1, Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16)
• His identification with us (Psalms 103:14, Phil. 2:7, Matthew 20:29-34)
• Found in the life he offers (Genesis 17:3, Jeremiah 29:11, John 1:3, 10:10)
• It is only made possible by his sacrificial love. (Zephaniah 1:7, Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:1, Hebrews 10:10)

“Pursuit, identification, the offer of life through sacrificial love—this is what God’s faithful presence means.” And “at root, a theology of faithful presence begins with an acknowledgement of God’s faithful presence to us and that his call upon us is that we be faithfully present to him in return.”

1. “Faithful presence means that we are to be fully present to each other within the community of faith and fully present to those who are not.” Regardless of in or out of our faith community, “we are to pursue others, identify with others, and labor towards the fullness of others through sacrificial love.”
2. “Faithful presence requires that Christians be fully present and committed to their tasks.”
3. “Faithful presence in the world means that Christians are fully present and committed in their spheres of social influence, whatever they may be: their families, neighborhoods, voluntary activities, and places of work.” There is power in social life . . . “Christians will wield it in relationships and in the institutions and organizations of which they are a part. The question we face is how will we use whatever power we have.”

“Faithful presence calls believers to yield their will to God and to nurture and cultivate the world where God has placed them.”

This theology “obligates us to do what we are able, under the sovereignty of God, to shape the patterns of life and work and relationship—that is, the institutions of which our lives are constituted—toward a shalom that seeks the welfare not only of those of the household of God but of all. That power will be wielded is inevitable. But the means of influence and the ends of influence must conform to the exercise of power modeled by Christ.”

“Certainly Christians, at their best, will neither create a perfect world nor one that is altogether new; but by enacting shalom and seeking it on behalf of all others through the practice of faithful presence, it is possible, just possible, that they will help to make the world a little bit better.”

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Great book! I only skimmed it but still managed 8+ pages of notes, which I further condensed in the above. A lot of interesting points and food for thought. It is a mix between academic and accessible.

Rating: A

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014 film)

The Foot Clan terrorizes New York City, but help can be found below. Four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their father/sensei Splinter are determined to stop the Clan and their leader, Shredder. But the Turtles may not be ready . . . and Shredder is out for blood. Their blood. If he gets it, he can create unimaginable devastation . . . 

This 2014 film is an dizzying action-packed spectacle. It blows away the 1990 TMNT film on that front, and the humor is decent, but it falls short in almost every other area. The plot and character development is extremely rushed. The message is 'believe in each other.' The acting isn't great. I didn't expect much depth from a Michael Bay production (who acknowledged that he makes movies for teenage boys), and I didn't get it. My son liked it though.

Rating: C

Hidden Switzerland (Jost Auf der Maur)

Switzerland is always building. Often, it is down, into the Earth; its tunnels total 4000 kilometers. These subterranean structures are used for obvious purposes (mining, transportation, military bunkers, flood protection, shelters, and hydropower) and non-intuitive ones (museums, opera houses, clubs, classes, archives, museum storage, growing mushrooms). Hidden Switzerland is a photojournalist look at these awe-inspiring achievements, taking two photographers eleven years to compile. Each location is showcased by one or several pictures (all full-color and high quality) and followed by a paragraph explaining its usage or history (in German and English).

When we lived in Europe, I loved the Alps and the associated "tiefbau" (difficult construction): the engineering that goes into the tunnels and other impressive structures in the area. This book is a wonderful look at the shocking variety of Swiss underground works and their uses. My only wish is that there would be more text explaining how things were built. But overall, this is enjoyable and recommended.

Rating: B+

Beyond Culture Wars (Michael S. Horton)

In 1994's Beyond Culture Wars, Michael Horton argues that most Christians are getting their approach to cultural engagement wrong. His main thesis: "Theology, not morality, is the first business on the church's agenda of reform, and the church, not society, is the first target of divine criticism."

A summary follows.

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"Do we see the world out there as a mission field, or as a battlefield? The answer makes all the difference in the way we approach the world around us." Too often, the church can look at it as the latter. In our day (like in 1994, when this book was published), the church tends to engage in culture wars, viewing politics as the main battlefield. We focus on policy. We fight or withdraw. We don't create our own culture, just censor or criticize the mainstream. This approach is flawed, as how can we demand societal change from unconvinced people "who are not persuaded that Christianity carries a binding authority to command their lifestyles"? So what can we do "instead of trying to get secularists to embrace the values which run counter to their creed"? First, we need to look at how we got here.

At the time of the Reformation, there were three approaches on how the church related to society: the Roman church confused the kingdom of God and the world (viewing the Pope as head of both). The Anabaptists separated from the world entirely. The Reformers argued that Christians should be involved in the world. "They should neither seek to escape it . . . nor seek to rule it." "Redemption does not change our participation in the culture; rather, it changes us and, therefore, the character of that involvement." And a lot of good things came out of that last approach (including "the flowering of science, democracy, public education, economic progress, and civil liberties wherever it was planted.") But then things changed.

Our current American secular (and all too often, church) culture comes from the Enlightenment. The secular culture believes in the centrality, power, and goodness of humanity. It focuses on feelings, experience, and self-fulfillment. And the church often follows suit, showing how we have been shaped by secularism and adopted patterns of thinking we claim to stand against. We fight in the political sphere, but "the church cannot "save America" from its moral confusion while it is itself operating, at its very core, with secular presuppositions." We need to go back to basics, rejecting secular notions of human nature and the meaning of life. We need to remember that neither Marxism nor Capitalism seeks the spiritual good of society, and "politics is the place where the ideas that have already shaped society find their legislative applications." We need to get to the root. We need to remember who God is and who we are.

After looking at the problem, Horton offers a solution. "The remedy . . . to our crisis of secularism is not a renewal of earth-bound movements (even Christian ones), but a recovery of the vision of God." He offers "a positive strategy for reformation and revival, based on the Lord's Prayer." [Matthew 6:9-13] The second half of the book looks at "each of the petitions, recovering a sense of biblical transcendence, reverence, the kingdom and will of God, daily concerns in this world, redemption; reseulting the lure of secularism; and recovering God's glory, kingdom, and power as the axis upon which our entire thought and life turns." I won't go through all of that here, but a few highlights:

- We need to put first things first. "Renewal does not begin with society, but with me; and not with my actions, but with my mind." We must know and proclaim God's character, Christ's person and work, our fallen nature and need for Him. We must know the Bible and what it says. "Any true reformation or revival in the church or in society today must begin not with a campaign for traditional values, but with a campaign for the knowledge, worship, praise, fear, and service of God." And that campaign is for me (because I need daily reminders, exhortations, and encouragement) as much as for others.

- Remember that "the state exists to restrain evil and defend justice, not to make people less evil or more just." And "even though the City of Rome may have been kind for a while to the City of God, the two were never allies; they could never be allies, for they represent two different sources, goals, allegiances, and kings." So in cultural engagement, we must "recover the distinction between the two kingdoms themselves: their distinct nature, goals, objectives, and mandate."

- How do we live in society? Remember that "it is not separation from the world for which Jesus prays, but separation in the world." (see John 17)

- We must "exercise our cultural mandate as redeemed stewards." Our agenda is "not of dominion (taking over power bases), nor of withdrawal into the new monastery of the evangelical subculture, but of diligence in our calling, care for our families, and concern for our neighbors." "Each one of us, whether a factory worker or an Ivy League professor, is responsible to contribute positively to his or her own sphere of influence which includes one's calling, family, relationships, neighborhood, and nation."

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This is an excellent read. Society feels much different today than 1994, and yet, many challenges (and approaches to cultural engagement) are the same. This book is humbling and convicting, yet ultimately full of hope, not based in who we are (and what we can do through policy/etc.), but who God is and what he has done (and is doing). 

Ultimately, the Christian's goal is not to 'win' through policy/etc., but live out the greatest commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

Rating: A 

Dungeons & Dragons: Edge of the Realms

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Dungeons & Dragons: Edge of the Realms. For 2-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

You are exploring the Forgotten Realms, building a 4x4 map and satisfying various objectives along the way. 

Here, everyone starts with a starter map tile and their adventurer in the middle of it. After setup (in which you choose a quest card and area card to give objectives for the game), all players draw three map cards and the turns are played simultaneously. On each turn:

- draw until you have 4 map cards in hand

- choose a map card and place it facedown in front of you

- all players reveal their chosen map card simultaneously and add them to your map (in a prescribed order, snaking from the starter map tile in the top left), then perform the action based on the landmark shown on the tile you placed (actions let you place cities, terrain tiles, move your explorer, or save a map card to place later)

- check if you have completed the stated quest, scoring points for any who have

- pass your hand clockwise

Game components; image from here

The game ends after 15 turns (resulting in the aforementioned 4x4 map). Final points are scored and the highest total wins!

Review

This is a light, fast-playing, and enjoyable game. The D&D theme is pasted on; this is ultimately about making a map and balancing the way to score points (moving your figure, contiguous terrain, and actions) based on the game's objectives. It is highly replayable. It has echoes of Kingdom Builder but I enjoyed this one more.

Rating: A-

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

Today's review is of the 2025 release, The Hobbit: There and Back Again. For 1-4 players, it takes 30 minutes (per chapter).

Overview

Relive The Hobbit in this dice-drafting/roll & write game! The story is broken into eight chapters (or adventures). In each, you will compete to collect resources, create paths (with a dry erase marker), and perform actions to ultimately complete the chapter goal. Do so with the most points and you win!

On a turn, the first player rolls the five dice, choosing one and executing its action (creating a pathway of certain geometry, collecting resources, or performing an action). The next player clockwise chooses one of the four remaining dice and does the same. Play continues clockwise until the dice are all claimed. Then the next player in clockwise order rolls the five dice again and the cycle repeats.

Chapter One in progress; image from here

Each chapter has a stated objective (condition which ends the game) and rules on how points are earned. For example, the first chapter's objective is to connect 12 dwarves to Bag End (when the first player does so, the game immediately ends). You get points for each dwarf you connect, but you get more points if you have bread on-hand when a given dwarf arrives. And you get more points still if you collect swords (to arm them) or can get Gandalf and Thorin to visit, too. 

Review

My boys and I played only the first chapter so far, but this is fun! It is easy to learn with lots of meaningful choices (both in the dice you choose and the paths you draw). They do a good job of giving multiple options for the dice, so if your preferred option is unavailable, you may be able to get something else through crafty choices stated on the board for a given chapter. The chapter approach is appropriate for The Lord of the Rings tales (another publisher took the same approach to The Lord of the Rings Adventure Book Game to good effect). I look forward to the other chapters.

Rating: A-

C.S. Lewis's Oxford (Simon Horobin)

C.S. Lewis, famed author of the Chronicles of Narnia and Christian apologist, spent most of his adult life at Oxford. C.S. Lewis's Oxford "examines the role Oxford—its colleges, libraries, chapels, clubs, common room and pubs—played in fostering the work of one of the twentieth century's most influential writers and thinkers." 

This book is a curiosity. It started slowly but got more interesting. It is kind of a biography, but not in any traditional sense. Focusing on Oxford, it is a bit like a tourist guide, moving back and forth chronologically at different locations in the town important to Lewis. Along the way, it shares insights into Lewis's daily life (mostly his duties as a tutor/lecturer, his involvement in clubs/societies, and his friendships).

In dividing the focus between Lewis and Oxford, you get a full picture of neither. This book was a meandering (if enjoyable) hodge-podge of anecdotes and does not achieve its stated purpose. Instead, it is more about sharing stories (likely previously unpublished) about Lewis's life. It is best enjoyed by a fan of Lewis on holiday in Oxford who can wander the streets and soak in the locations mentioned.

Rating: B-