A Guide to the Negative World
Photo by Shaun Menary
When I read a book, I normally do so with pencil in hand. If an author makes an insightful point, I make a checkmark in the margin. Reading Aaron M. Renn’s new book, Life in the Negative World, required an abundance of check marks. This is an important text for traditional Christians—evangelical, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox. The Western world has in many ways turned against us. How should we react?
Rod Dreher offered one set of answers in The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (Sentinel, 2017). Western culture has become so anti-Christian, wrote Dreher, that the time has come to circle the wagons, batten down the hatches, and retreat into insular Christian communities. Like Benedict of Nursia and his monastic community once did, we will preserve the faith until the world is again ready to receive the truth of the Gospel.
By contrast, Renn outlines a vision of the Christian life that accounts for the dissonance traditional Christians experience but resists the urge to withdraw into sectarian enclaves. We find ourselves now in a new era in which, “for the first time in the four-hundred-year history of America, the culture as a whole and key institutions of society have turned negative toward Christianity and Christian morality” (19). There are, however, ways in which we can respond that require adjustment, but not retreat.
Part 1 of the book is called “Welcome to the Negative World.” Chapter 1, “The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism,” builds upon Renn’s February 2022 article in First Things by the same title. He describes three different eras in U.S. history since 1964 vis-a-vis popular attitudes toward Christianity:
The positive world lasted until the mid-1990s. In this context, to be known as a good, church-going Christian could enhance one’s social status. On the other hand, violating norms of Christian behavior would have negative consequences. Christianity enjoyed a privileged status.
The neutral world emerged around 1994. In this period being a Christian had no significant impact on social status. Christianity was viewed as one option among many in a pluralistic society.
The negative world began around 2014. Being a Christian is now socially detrimental. “Christian morality is expressly repudiated and now seen as a threat to the public good and new public moral order” (7). Public expressions of Christian faith and morality will have negative consequences.
The “three worlds” schema only applies to traditional forms of Christian faith. Progressive Christians are unlikely to experience any negative consequences for their beliefs.
In chapter 2, “Strategies for the Positive and Neutral Worlds,” Renn describes the ways different evangelical groups adapted to earlier cultural contexts. He first describes the “culture war” strategy, often associated with the Religious Right (think Jerry Fallwell Sr., James Dobson, and Ralph Reed). Renn next takes up the “seeker sensitive” strategy pioneered at Willow Creek and embodied in other megachurches. He then discusses the “cultural engagement” strategy, an example of which is Redeemer Presbyterian Church under Tim Keller’s leadership. The negative world is problematic for each of these three approaches.
In Chapter 3, “Strategies for the Negative World,” Renn begins to explore faithful Christian living amid a society that disfavors Christianity. Popular attitudes toward Christianity in the U.S. have undeniably shifted. He cites Charles Taylor’s work (de rigueur in a book like this) on secularization, noting that the evangelical strategies of the positive and neutral worlds were unable to reverse this trend. We are moving into unknown territory, he writes, and we must think like explorers. We must figure out how to live as a moral minority in three domains: personal, institutional, and missional.
Part 2 is called “Living Personally. It begins with chapter 4, “Become Obedient.” Renn asks, “How many of us ever considered whether our faith might cost us our job or was a barrier to advancement in our profession?” (57). Previous generations might never have considered these challenges. In our own time, it is quite possible we will face them. No, we don’t normally risk losing everything for Christ, but we may still face consequences.
In chapter 5, “Become Excellent,” Renn argues that evangelicals must develop their intellectual life in various domains. For example, we need “people who can provide truly excellent information about health and fitness while presenting it in a manner informed by a Christian view of life–as part of stewarding our bodies, of being healthy and strong enough to be a blessing to the world…” (65). Because “remaining a member in good standing in polite society [increasingly] requires affirming absurd positions” (69), we must continue to develop ethical/moral resources, particularly from the perspective of natural law. Intellectual excellence is necessary for “counter-catechesis,” the project of teaching the faithful not only what we believe, but why we are different from the unbelieving world.
In chapter 6, “Become Resilient,” Renn counsels prudent judgment and resolve in the face of the risk. In America, we do not experience the kind of risk that people do in persecuted regions, but we can still face negative consequences. Yet we believe in a sovereign God, and we have the counsel of Scripture to walk by faith. We can, moreover, become “antifragile.” In other words, we can make smart decisions that reduce our exposure to risk. For example, careful financial management can reduce the impact of the loss of a job or being passed over for a promotion. We must also develop mental and emotional resiliency. This is especially the case for pastors. Trials will come, but they need not defeat us.
Part 3 is called “Leading Institutionally.” In chapter 7, Pursue Institutional Integrity,” Renn discusses the widespread distrust of institutions that now pervades American society. This includes Christian institutions, in large part because of scandals. Our institutions, he argues, need checks and balances, honesty, and competence. Focusing on our core mission will build trust, though this happens over time. Thus we should engage in long-term planning and succession planning to assure continuity of mission.
Chapter 8 is titled “Pursue Community Strength.” The mainstream institutions of society, from public schools to the Boy Scouts to many universities, have adopted values in conflict with Christianity. “A professional-managerial class that is not ethnic or religious but ideological and economic in character dominates elite society today” (116). We must rethink our relationship with mainstream institutions and focus on sustaining our countercultural communities and beliefs. We can learn much from minority groups that have gone before us, such as Mormons and early- to mid-twentieth-century Catholics. Renn highlights four focus areas of community strength: education; equipping, not insulating; embracing counter-catechesis; and repairing our own sexual economy.
In chapter 9, “Pursue Ownership,” Renn argues that evangelicals should focus on economic, social and cultural, and physical ownership. By economic ownership, he means evangelicals should “cultivate entrepreneurship, especially acquiring and maintaining ownership of privately held, medium-sized businesses not built with capital from traditional venture capital or private equity firms” (134-5). These can generate enough wealth to employ other Christians and create financial resources to strengthen churches and fund missions. By social and cultural ownership, Renn means primarily small businesses, such as coffee shops and bookstores. They may not be explicitly Christian, but they can be Christian-friendly and serve as resources for the community. Physical ownership involves investment in real estate to provide long-term financial stability.
Part Four is called “Engaging Missionally.” In chapter 10, “Be a Light,” Renn argues that the deep dysfunction of our culture provides opportunities for evangelism and outreach. Such ministries are “more akin to the work of a cross-cultural missionary introducing the gospel for the first time to a foreign culture” (148). This work requires “pre-evangelism” to prepare the way for the Gospel, such as the “He Gets Us” advertising campaign. He offers three strategies to be a light in the negative world. First, in an age of deep moral and spiritual confusion, we can provide clarity on truth. Second, we can build healthy communities. Our marriages, families, and churches can show people a different way of living. Third, we can engage in trustworthy enterprises. In other words, in a time of one corporate scandal after another, we can be known for integrity.
Chapter 11 is called “Be a Source of Truth.” We live in a low-trust society. People are skeptical of authorities and institutions. We shouldn’t just complain about untruths, however, but develop the intellectual resources to teach truth. Both men and women are turning to secular influencers because these people position themselves as “truth-tellers.” As Christians, though, we believe our faith provides a crucial set of resources for understanding life’s challenges. We can speak to matters of sex, dating, marriage, gender, and other real-world issues from the perspective of our faith—if we cultivate the knowledge and willingness to do so. Laypeople play an important role here. Pastors are not experts on every subject. From marriage to management to finance, laypeople have knowledge from which other Christians can benefit. Renn then touches briefly on the egalitarian vs. complementarian debate among evangelicals, but does not offer a clear resolution.
Chapter 12, “Be Prudently Engaged,” addresses how Christians should relate to the world around them. How should we advocate for important moral issues? How can we be appropriately involved in politics? One strategy is to withdraw. Another is to take up the culture war. In Renn’s judgment, withdrawal is irresponsible and too passive for our current context. “Evangelicals might decide they aren't interested in politics, but politics will remain interested in them” (195). The culture warriors, however, have not succeeded in preventing the emergence of the negative world. We must modify our means of engagement. We will have to be more strategic about which battles we fight. We will also have to face the fact that in many elections none of the candidates will represent our perspectives very well.
There is much to commend in Renn’s analysis, not least his desire to balance realism and optimism about the future of evangelicalism in America. He offers a sober analysis of the challenges evangelical Christians face today, but he is never fatalistic. Yes, the world around us has changed, but all is not lost. “Evangelicals can survive and even thrive–even in the negative world of today’s America. Christianity can have a bright future in this country” (202). That’s not something one hears everyday, particularly among the gloom and doom of social media. He’s right, though. After all, we serve the living God through whom all things are possible. Why should we be pessimistic?
Christians at times have a tendency to fight yesterday’s battles. It’s easy for us to get stuck in the routine of what “worked” in a particular context but won’t meet the challenges that lie ahead. Renn encourages Christians to develop new strategies and offers practical suggestions about what those should entail. If you take away nothing else from this book, take away this: the times have changed. The Western world is not what it was even twenty years ago. Church-growth strategies that worked in the positive and neutral worlds will not work today. If we cannot realistically confront the challenges we face, we will not develop effective strategies for evangelism and outreach.
This book is a broad, programmatic call for American Christians to adjust their thinking about their relationship to the ambient culture. It doesn’t answer every question it raises. For example, when we face an election in which neither candidate represents our values, what should we do? Vote for neither? Vote for the one with which we have the most affinity? Write in a different candidate? Another set of questions has to do with the concept of truth. Yes, Christians believe in truth, and we believe we have access to truth. But what are the best ways to get this across to unbelievers? What is the role of apologetics in this? I also had multiple questions about institutions as I read. What posture should Christians take toward institutions that don’t share their values? Should we try to find a place for our voice in them? Should we try to reform them? Should we abandon them altogether and form alternative institutions? This book doesn’t answer questions like these, but it does invite further discussion of them, and many others. I commend it to your reading, not least as a springboard for ongoing exploration of the faithful Christian life.
David F. Watson is Lead Editor of Firebrand. He serves as Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary.