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The Naked ChristianFrom an outsider coming inTHE NAKED CHRISTIAN I found this an unusual and fascinating book. Craig Borlase has attempted (successfully, in my view) to take a step back from his Christian subculture and give an honest critique of it, which he does largely through personal testimony. Borlase grew up in what might be described as 'fast-track' charismatic circles. In his late teens, he grew disillusioned with his experience of church and left for three years. He returned because he found that 'life without Jesus wasn't as good as life with him' (p.46) - and, in the process, he learnt some important lessons. Those lessons form the guts of the book - for example, that 'success' in God's terms is not about influence, fame and recognition but about obedience, sacrifice and relationship; that Christianity is not about filling life with cosy church meetings, etc. The title, 'The Naked Christian', comes from his theory that we need to strip off the trappings of church life and take an honest look at ourselves and our Christian lives. As well as the main lessons, he makes interesting comments on a wide range of issues - the alternative worship scene, the dangers of experience fatigue for second generation charismatics, some of the problems with Toronto, the dangers of overemphasising feelings and experiences, etc. It is a brave book. Borlase has written an honest critique of his own subculture. It is constructive and passionate - and not remotely cynical. The author is relatively young (in his late 20s) - but his observations are mature and thoughtful. His modern style makes it easy to read and, although the logic of his argument is not always rigorous, the general gist is clear. The book raises some interesting issues. I was struck by the dangers of learning the Christian life from the subculture rather than from Christ himself. It is not something Borlase particularly articulates, but it is clear that part of 'getting naked' for him was to stop looking at the Christian culture and to start looking at the God of the Bible. Borlase has a talent for taking a chunk of the Bible and explaining its message freshly and relevantly. These parts were a real highlight for me. The book also made me ask what the blind spots of our own branch of the church are. I'm still thinking about it... Mary Davis, Wimbledon© Evangelicals Now - October 2001 |