5 Books to Equip You to Respond to the Cultural Crisis

In the face of an aggressive secularist vision gaining continuous momentum throughout the Western world, without a clear biblical vision of God’s sovereign purpose in history it is easy to become disillusioned and discouraged, inclining Christians to either a capitulation to the culture or a pietistic retreat from it.

Combating both these tendencies, these 5 books will equip you to understand the biblical vision of culture and history and expose the false visions proposed by contemporary society. They will help you to respond to the cultural crisis without compromise; advancing the truth and hope of the gospel of the kingdom of God restoring and redeeming every area of life and thought.

Gospel Witness: Defending & Extending the Kingdom of God, Joseph Boot

How should we think about Christian apologetics in a society where people are encouraged to discover, determine and live their own truth?

This short book explains how Christ-centred gospel witness is about getting to the heart of a person, for the root of unbelief is a heart condition, not a lack of evidence or convincing arguments. Dr. Boot considers some of the prevailing worldviews in the West today, demonstrating that their foundational problem is a refusal to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and King. As we engage in witnessing to the gospel of the Kingdom, the heart and its attachment to cherished lies must be taken into account. See also ‘Gospel Culture: Living in God’s Kingdom’

Libertarian Marxism, Andrew Sandlin

This short book (only 19 pages), exposes the the roots of the prevailing Western vision of our time. Libertarian Marxism, also known as Cultural marxism, is classic (economic) Marxism reformulated for the West, taking into account western ways of thinking by re-interpreting the meaning of liberty, freedom, and equality.

If you can’t get this book, see this brief summary by Sandlin: Cultural Marxism Simply Explained Additionally see his development of the biblical alternative to cultural retreat: The Cultural Mandate not the Benedict Option.

Finding Truth: 5 Principles for Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes, Nancy Pearcey

Pearcey offers fresh tools to break free from presumed certainties and test them against reality, explaining five principles that penetrate to the core of any worldview to uncover its deepest motivations and weigh its claims.

A former agnostic, Pearcey demonstrates that a robust Christian worldview matches reality—that it is not only true but attractive, granting higher dignity to the human person than any alternative. She brings themes to life with personal stories and real-world examples. The book includes a study guide shaped by questions from readers, from teens to college professors. It is ideal for individual or group study.

The Coming Pagan Utopia: Christian Witness in Tough Times, Peter Jones (General Editor)

This volume is a compendium of lectures given at the 2013 truthXchange Think Tank. The authors analyze a variety of current utopian visions, such as the Green Movement, radical sexual agendas, Darwinian Evolution, and Eastern mystical movements, that inspire false hopes in today’s culture, as well as presenting the true hopes God offers humanity.

By showing the emptiness of human utopias and the glorious truth that only God’s gospel offers, these articles will equip Christians to understand false hopes and to live out the truth of the sure hope Christ offers.

The Calvinistic Concept of Culture, Henry R. Van Til

How should a Christian live in a secular world? This classic work looks at the issue of the relationship between religion and culture from a Reformed perspective.

Van Til uses the term culture to designate “that activity of man, the image-bearer of God, by which he fulfills the creation mandate to cultivate the earth, to have dominion over it, and to subdue it.” Culture, therefore, is removed from a totally secular context, is placed in the arena of Christian activity and influence, and is constructively viewed from a biblical perspective. The text explores both the historic development and the contemporary implications of the Calvinistic framework of culture and theology.