Hipster Christianity

2010 August 18

by Tyler

Last week The Wall Street Journal ran a story that was an excerpt from Brett McCracken’s book Hipster Christianity that just came out. Brett has an awesome blog, and I think a great perspective on what hipster Christianity is and looks like. As someone from Portland surrounded by hipsters my age, I think he’s nailed it.

We’re suckers for the silver bullet of how to reach young people in church. The popularity of this story in the WSJ is an example of that.

We’re also suckers for a critique of Christianity. The popularity of this story in the WSJ is partly because it critiques “the emerging church.”

The problem with all this is that Brett makes an overarching point that gets overlooked because we read into the excerpt from his book looking for the silver bullet and loving the critique.

What is this overarching theme that is overlooked?

We should be teaching what people need to hear not what they want to hear.

We attend conferences, read books and blogs, often looking for the silver bullet of what connects with people, especially young people. I’m as guilty as you. Brett said:

If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it’s easy or trendy or popular. It’s because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true. It’s because the world we inhabit is utterly phony, ephemeral, narcissistic, image-obsessed and sex-drenched—and we want an alternative. It’s not because we want more of the same.

Part of the mega-church, seeker service movement became about giving people what they wanted, at the expense of what they needed. The result is a Biblically illiterate church that believes that the church exists to meet their needs. As someone in church ministry, that last sentence is beyond scary to me.

Brett’s point was easily overlooked but it is spot on.

Reaching hipsters, or really anyone for that matter, should never become all about what they want but about what they need.

Filed under: the rest...

kirk

Bravo!!

“Part of the mega-church, seeker service movement became about giving people what they wanted, at the expense of what they needed. The result is a Biblically illiterate church that believes that the church exists to meet their needs….”

This is the same point I’ve been making for a long time regarding “cool” Christianity, and the false hipsters who have done some good to attract young people to Jesus, but have done so at the expense of much… Brett’s words in your excerpt are exactly right, and I think what people truly want, when they scrape away the layers of hipster, cool, trendy, and “culture relevance”, is something real, even if that authenticity isn’t so cool on the outside.

The irony is that this movement towards hipster Christianity comes to the table with authenticity as its motivation, but what I see.. and I think many others too.. is exactly the opposite of authentic.

Just my 2 cents Tyler. Thanks for posting.
http://www.pberryweb.com Paul Berry

Brett seems like a nice guy and all, but the article struck me as long on diagnosis and short on cure. Literally, he gives 13 paragraphs of critique and 2 with questions that might eventually lead to some sort of action somewhere down the road. The church is not short on critics. We are in desperate need of people doing something about it.
http://topsy.com/manofdepravity.com/2010/08/18/hipster-christianity/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Man of Depravity: Hipster Christianity — Topsy.com

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Tyler Braun, Ben Lemery. Ben Lemery said: Just read a new blog post from @tylerbraun: Hipster Christianity http://bit.ly/cuwfmf // I think @brettMcCracken is my new favorite blog [...]
http://www.kevindeshazo.me kevin

well done, sir
http://www.carusophotography.com Jay

The result is a Biblically illiterate church that believes that the church exists to meet their needs.

Bingo. You absolutely nailed it.
http://raqueltwg.co.cc RaquelTWG

I read that article/excerpt earlier this week and loved it. Even as a teenager, I’ve never liked the idea of trying to conform the church to what’s “cool” or popular today and justifying it as being relevant or relatable.

Today I saw a video on Time’s website about Creation Festival. They were talking about how a lot of secular concert tours have been cancelled this year, but that Christian music festival attendance has increased. Of course, they made people who go to Creation sound like some weird secret cult, but the worst part was when they said something like, “These festivals let kids feel cool while still evangelical Christians.” That’s the sad part. A lot of the people hipster Christianity is trying to attract see right through it. I think it’s a lot more impacting [and glorifying to God] when we stop trying to be trendy and start being more straight forward about who Jesus is and what He’s about.
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

I find it interesting that it is a young guy being critical of the cool emerging church. I like that, it is rare. I don’t get the sense that he is trying to only critique, maybe you’ll have to read the book
http://manofdepravity.com Tyler

The danger in taking the “cool music” thing too far, is we end up with organs in church again. I tend to be a fan of church music sounding like the music of our culture. Now we just need more worship bands that sound like Kanye or Sigur Ros.
http://raqueltwg.co.cc RaquelTWG

I definitely don’t want organs to come back to church -.- Especially since I’m part of my church’s worship team. Haha.

I am also a fan of church songs that sound like ‘secular music’ (well, good secular music). It just comes down to the intention behind playing that kind of music…Churches shouldn’t be trying to copy mainstream music JUST for the sake of pleasing secular music listeners. For example, I don’t go to Christian rock concerts to prove to people that I can be cool too, or as a way to make myself feel cool [like Time magazine seems to think]. I go because I think it’s great music; and it doesn’t have to sound exactly like what plays on secular radio to be good.

Honestly, I think most churches do have the right intentions. I’ve just had a few experiences, even in my own church, when it seemed like we were trying too hard to sound “relevant” and I felt ridiculous. As in, we actually sang mainstream songs and changed the lyrics. I’ll never be a fan of that. Christians can write their own original, great-sounding, non-organ songs. If it happens to sound like Kanye or Sigur Ros, awesome. But that shouldn’t be the main point.

I simply mentioned that Time article mostly to show how “outsiders” [for lack of a better term] sometimes view Christian events or whatever. I am in NO way saying that the people at Creation are trying to be trendy. Actually, I’d love to go to that festival. Great, great lineup.
http://godsidekurt.com Kurt

“We should be teaching what people need to hear not what they want to hear.”

You really believe this? How would you connect this statement with your previously stated opinions on the church talking about homosexuality being sinful from the pulpit? Seems to me that would be one of those things that people don’t typically like to hear but definitely need to hear.. if that is we intend them to live fulfilling and God centered lives.
http://www.manofdepravity.com Tyler

No Kurt, I said a statement I absolutely don’t believe. I like to blog that way.

Talking about sexual sin from the pulpit comes across as judgmental. This isn’t to say we shouldn’t have opinions but life change happens through relationship, not strong opinions given in a sermon.
http://www.manofdepravity.com Tyler

All that makes sense. Great comment!
Leslie Villarreal

That is a confusing message. Your statement on your FB page says:
“We should be teaching what people need to hear not what they want to hear.”
Then you say ” I said a statement I absolutely don’t believe. I like to blog that way”

Well, Which is it? Do you believe that we should teach/preach what people need to hear, or not?

I agree that change happens through relationships, I believe the success in this area is being sensitive and letting the Holy Spirit guide your conversations, then you will have no doubt that you are telling seekers what they “need” to hear which must be based on biblical truth and not our own truth. We must hear things we often do not want to hear.

God bless you. I pray God will anoint your ministry with guidance by his Holy Spirit.
http://www.manofdepravity.com Tyler

Sorry for the confusion. It was a sarcastic response to Kurt asking if I meant what I said. I believe everything I wrote in the post.
http://www.valenciafamily.org/blog/2010/08/weekly-hit-list-28/ Weekly Hit List #28 « :: VFAM.ORG ::

[...] – "Detours to the destination" - loved this from Steven Furtick. – Craig Groeschel on planning – wow, never thought to re-shift thinking this way. – Challenging post from Tim Stevens on 'failing is so sexy'. Another good post on reshifting the way we look at things. – Anne Rice did a Q&A with Christianity Today. Here Facebook statement was a while ago, but I found this interesting. – Sarah Cunningham writes for the Q Blog on a Christian response to the issue surrounding the "Ground Zero Mosque". – As a father to two girls (albeit young girls), this was an interesting post for me – Pete Wilson on "Monitoring Modesty". – Waiting on the Lord – some thoughts from the Relevant Blog. Thoughts? – Solid insights on Luke 15 / the Prodigal Son from Kevin DeShazo. Dig in! – Interesting article from WSJ, "The Perils of Hipster Christianity and Why Young Evangelicals Reject Churches That Try To Be Cool." Long title, but thought-provoking read. – The WSJ was a well-read article this week, here are some responses from Maurilio Amorim and Tyler Braun. [...]
http://www.mothlightcreative.com Daniel W

Interesting article… I am interested to read the book in its entirety.
These interviews and the first free chapter online are at the very least intriguing.

shameless plug. check out our “hipster Christianity” view of the establishment.
http://vimeo.com/8537137