Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide is a journalistic, in-depth exploration of the phenomenon of “cool Christianity” in the 21st century. More than just a surface description of an interesting new trend in Christianity, the book goes deep into the questions of what it means to be cool and what it means to be Christian. Are these competing aims? Why is the church today so preoccupied with being cool, fashionable, trendy, and relevant? Where does this phenomenon fit in to the larger narrative of “hip” and “Christian cool”?
By exploring these questions through the lenses of their various contexts (politics, fashion, art, technology, etc) and theological/philosophical associations (postmodernism, emerging church, missional, etc), this book attempts to provide a thorough examination and nuanced critique of an increasingly prevalent but under-studied incarnation of contemporary Christianity: the Christian hipster.
Praise for Hipster Christianity
"Offers a much needed perspective that will make Christian leaders question the direction of their postmodern undertakings. McCracken successfully sets the stage for an important debate." -Publisher's Weekly
"An urgent but loving call to chase far more than the fashionable, to pursue enduring virtues rather than mere relevance." -Craig Detweiler
"McCracken courageously and accurately sketches the perennial temptation to sacrifice faithfulness on the altar of 'cool.' Every pastor, youth pastor, college chaplain, and Christian college professor needs to read this carefully." -Scot McKnight
"Brett's book is a like a PhD course in Christian hipness. . . . He has accomplished something long needed in Christianity." -Jonathan Acuff, author of Stuff Christians Like
"Brett is able to put his finger on the pulse of hipster Christianity and yet point all of us back to the gloriously eternal and unchanging truth of the gospel. The result is an outstanding example of truth-in-love theological journalism." -Justin Taylor
"Hipster Christianity is cultural anthropology at its best! This is the best book for understanding trends in today's missional Christianity." -Anthony Bradley
"McCracken's provocative book puts the idea of hip or cool Christianity under the magnifying glass and finds it wanting... Well worth reading by hipsters and the rest of us." -World Magazine
"We've needed McCracken's book for a while now, not just as window into this trend but as a challenge to Christian hipsters who might need to be reminded that, although rejection of the old model of church might be justified, they shouldn't make the same mistakes by not looking at themselves critically." -Austin Statesman