The modern church is beset by a consumer mentality and filled to the brim with consumer Christians. That is the premise of Skye Jethani's book, "The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity."
Using a mix of examples from modern church leaders, Bible stories and interestingly, stories about Vincent Van Gogh, Jethani attempts to deconstruct different ways that the Church has adopted consumerism and restore Christians to use their imaginations. In the book, he deconstructs: our commodified view of God, our branded identities, our attempts at transformation through external events, our devotion to institutions as God's vessels, our unceasing pursuit of pleasure, our contentment with segregation and the individualism pushed by consumerism.
The book had a tendency to hit pretty close to home. I would imagine anyone involved in a church in America would see examples in their own experiences. I should make it clear that Jethani's purpose is not to tear down the Church, but rather to illuminate the power of the Gospel.
The chapters that spoke to me particularly were the chapters on attempting to transform people through external events and the chapter on our contentment with segregation. I am as guilty as the next person of using programs and ministries to affect change in peoples' lives, but we too often forget that it is the Holy Spirit that affects change. That, and it is through relationships with Christians living the Gospel that unbelievers see Christ. Also, the chapter on segregating ourselves according to our own tastes speaks so strongly to the situation we have now in the church. Like hymns? Go to the traditional service. Want to have fun in church, go to youth group, etc. The Church is a diverse Body, not a loose corporation of separate groups.
Overall, Jethani is a decent writer. I found myself getting bogged down several times, not following his connections from one thought to the next. I wonder if part of this was my reading of this book on Kindle. Perhaps in the print version, things are laid out such that there are distinct separations between subjects. That being said, there were many parts that I took notes and several times that I thought of people that would benefit from reading this book.
So, I would recommend this book to anyone who is a part of the American church, especially to those who find themselves disillusioned by the church. This book is eye opening and refreshing.
