Culture. As Christians we're encouraged to engage it, create it, redeem it. And today many of us are actively cultivating an appreciation for aspects of culture previously stigmatized within the church. Things like alcohol, R-rated movies, and secular music have moved from being forbidden to being celebrated. But are we opening our arms too wide in uncritical embrace of culture? Can there be a healthy, balanced approach--or is that simply wishful thinking?
Gray Matters examines some of the hot-button gray areas of Christian cultural consumption, helping to lead us to adopt a more thoughtful approach to consuming culture in the complicated middle ground between legalism and liberty.
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You can follow Gray Matters on Facebook. Additionally, you can download a free sample from the first few chapters of the book here.
Praise for Gray Matters
“[McCracken] has a strong, C.S. Lewis-like approach to navigating the space between excessive consumption and legalistic abstention.” –Christ and Pop Culture
“A balanced and versatile book.” –The Gospel Coalition
“If I were still involved in youth or college ministry, I would be leaving copies of this book laying around on every horizontal surface in my office, to be perused by students, parents, pastors, and ordinary church members.” – Fred Sanders, The Scriptorium
“McCracken charges headfirst into controversial questions and leaves no stone unturned. The result is a truly spectacular book that carves a path between an oppressive, rules-based religion and a powerless, free-for-all ‘faith.'” – Jonathan Merritt
“An accessible, readable approach to the issue of ‘culture’ … a helpful introduction to thoughtful and spiritually-aware engagement of the created order.” – Christianity Today
“A valuable guide for any Christian who seeks to live out an incarnational faith… packs a lot of wisdom for anyone who just wants to be a better–more thoughtful, informed, discerning–consumer of culture.” – IMAGE Journal
“Idealism is all the rage among bright young evangelicals today, but Brett McCracken brings something all too rare to the table: he holds his earnest idealism in tension with lucid good sense and winsome moderation. May his tribe increase!” – John Wilson, Books & Culture
“Martin Luther said the world was like a drunken man, first falling off one side of the horse and then the other. With a fresh and thoughtful look at challenges such as food, music, film, and alcohol, Brett McCracken has offered a new generation a way to stay on the horse.” – Roberta Green Ahmanson