Sean McDowell is an author, speaker and associate professor at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has two master's degrees and a PhD in apologetics and worldview studies. He is active on social media and has a popular YouTube channel. He has authored or edited more than eighteen books, including Chasing Love and So the Next Generation Will Know. Sean married his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. They have three children and live in California.
O - Overview
O - Overview
As a Christian parent of two teenage daughters, I confess that raising a young person into today's cultural climate is challenging, to say the least. And this challenge is compounded by the fact that there are so many issues that we must help our kids think through. That is why I am very grateful for Sean McDowell's latest book, A Rebel's Manifesto: Choosing Truth, Real Justice and Love Amid the Noise of Today's World.
McDowell's book serves as a guide for young people to help them navigate the many thorny moral issues they face on a daily basis. The author's goal in the book is not only to help students think biblically about these challenging issues, but to also offer practical steps they can take to make a positive difference for Christ. He writes:
McDowell's book serves as a guide for young people to help them navigate the many thorny moral issues they face on a daily basis. The author's goal in the book is not only to help students think biblically about these challenging issues, but to also offer practical steps they can take to make a positive difference for Christ. He writes:
"Determining that you want to honor the Lord before moral challenges come is important for standing strong today. It is often too late-although not impossible-to do the right thing without developing convictions beforehand" [p. 8].
And that is what this book is all about - coming along side students and helping them develop biblically sound moral convictions based upon Scripture, sound thinking and winsome arguments.
M- Main Arguments
McDowell begins the book by explaining what it means to follow Jesus into today's world and the importance of thinking Christianly about the vital issues of our day. This reader was delighted to see McDowell take the time to address question "What is a worldview?" and explain how to discern the worldview of others when reading a book, watching the news or just having a conversation.
The next section of the book deals with issues relating to culture such as social media, smartphones, drugs and even politics! McDowell's ability to extinguish the heat of potentially combustable topics is on full display here. He winsomely presents 4 scriptural commitments that must shape the political thinking of a Christian, thus simplifying an always complex subject. He contends:
"The primary institution Jesus came to establish is the church. But we must be prepared to make good arguments for why our views, shaped by a Christian worldview, are in the best interest of society and thus are the ones that should be legislated" [p. 72].
In the next section, the author zeros in on relationship issues including loneliness, bullying, suicide, assisted suicide and racial tension. As you can see from the topics addressed, McDowell isn't afraid to speak to controversial issues, but he successfully does so with boldness, truth and compassion. And wisely, he is quick to point to Jesus as the model Christians ought to strive to imitate. When addressing bullying he writes:
"Jesus touched the untouchable. He loved the unlovable. Even those who were excluded by society could be included in his love. If Jesus were physically present today, he would stand up to bullies, have compassion on those who are bullied and never be a bystander" [p. 97].
McDowell then moves on to issues surrounding the topic of sex; specifically, God's design for sex, homosexuality, transgender ideology, pornography and abortion. The author rightly argues that "[w]e often think of rules as restrictive, but although it may strike you as counterintuitive, following God's plan for sex will actually make you more free" [p. 133].
This reader was impressed with how McDowell handled these potentially divisive issues with love, understanding and Scripture, while not shying away from biblical teachings that challenge our current cultural norms.
He then takes aim of some of the most important ethical challenges we face today - climate change, poverty, gun rights, immigration and artificial intelligence. Throughout the book, one of the best features is McDowell's constant encouragement to consider both sides of important worldview issues. Further, he encourages his audience to listen to those that disagree with them and strive to understand their position. This attitude is modeled by the author in this section, particularly in the discussion about guns and violence. He correctly asserts that "[m]ost of the modern debate about gun ownership is not if people should be able to own them but what kinds of weapons people should be able to own and under what conditions they can carry them" [p. 192-193]. The author then walks the reader through how the Bible can inform our views on guns and he is even fair-minded enough to share a few poor arguments used by people on both sides of the aisle.
The book ends with a useful discussion on knowing God's will for your life and practical tips for navigating conversations in a manner that honors Christ, but does not lead one to sacrifice biblical truth. He writes:
"Remember, the goal of a conversation is not to sound smart. It's not to be right. The point is to love someone. Love certainly requires speaking the truth, in the right time and the right manner, but our greatest goal in engaging others must always be to love them. Period" [p. 229].
B - Bottomline
Sean McDowell's A Rebel's Manifesto is a timely and necessary book to help equip our young people to think Christianly about many of the most culturally significant issues of our day. With relatable illustrations, short (4-5 pages), easy-to-read chapters and personal stories, McDowell successfully leads his audience through how to think like Jesus, with the ultimate goal of sharing Him with a world who badly needs Him.
We highly recommend this book to young people grappling with these important issues and to parents doing the same.
You can get your copy here.
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad
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