“There is no question that Christianity as a religion has been in need of a refining fire for some time, and it’s not surprising that the idea is met with some fear and self-preserving instinct. But if we truly trust that it is a fire of perfection and not consumption, what do we have to fear? ” — Christian Piatt, author, PostChristian: What’s Left, Can We Fix It, Do We Care?
One of the many things I love about Christian Piatt’s new book, PostChristian, is that is has heart. This isn’t a philosophical book on the death of the Church and the rise of a new post-Christian era; it’s a long, loving look at where Christians find themselves today and what’s worth salvaging. In a most accessible way, Piatt de-constructs and re-constructs traditionally-held Christian values such as love, charity and mercy with a looking glass of love, leaving you saying, “but of course that’s what charity should look like…” (And God knows we could use some heartfelt conversations about love, charity and mercy this week.) Piatt writes about the current crisis of Christianity with compassion and offers a hopeful roadmap for the future from a place of genuine care for this faith so many of us still claim, for better or for worse.
Toward the end of our video chat below, Piatt admits why he still calls himself a Christian (a question he gets asks frequently). He explains how he experienced God’s in-breaking during a particularly dark time in his life, changing him completely. So while many an author bemoans the demise of the Church and Christianity today, Piatt points us forward, and reminds us that there is still great beauty and hope and truth hidden in the rubble.
Piatt is an inspiring and articulate voice for this generation of believers, seekers and non-believers alike. I hope you’ll take a few minutes and listen in to our conversation about this postChristian age and how we might journey forward together with humility and hope. (And if you like what you hear, consider inviting Piatt to your church to speak this fall! You can reach him at www.christianpiatt.com or Facebook.)
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