By Cari Phillips
Arriving on shelves and online markets April 19, Dr. David Platt’s new book, “Radical Together,” adds to the mission set forth in his first book, “Radical,” and takes a new aim at how Christians should thrive in a community and fellowship with one another.
“Radical” took a deep look at how Christians and the church are supposed to live and act according to what Jesus commanded. He digs into the teachings of Christ and challenges Christians to look more closely and follow what the Bible says. This challenge shook churches around the country and the world, as people realized the flippant ways money is often used in the church and home and how the church has neglected to love and serve the poor in the ways the Bible commands.
“I thought (“Radical”) was good because Platt noted the biblical imperatives for us to care about the impoverished and how we can do that today, in our specific cultural setting,” said Ryan Linkous, sophomore biblical languages major. “He is faithful to realize in the book that the glory of the name of Jesus Christ is at stake, which is the ultimate matter that he builds his case for why we care for the world’s hurting and underprivileged now.”
With the message of the Gospel driving everything behind his argument to live simply yet radically, his book challenged churches all over the nation and earned a place on the New York Times Bestseller’s list.
His second book, “Radical Together” follows along the same lines he established in “Radical,” but with a different spin.
“Radical Together” takes the “Radical challenge” and aims it specifically toward Christian community and fellowship. In the book he lists six foundational ideas that should encourage the church and spur believers to make the commands of Christ a reality in their lives. Calling Christians to unite around a similar vision, his book will benefit pastors, students, parents and anyone interested in taking the commands of Christ seriously.
“I am excited about Platt’s new book because of how clearly he shows the need for American believers to better understand how to love their neighbor,” said J.D. Cressman, senior philosophy major. “Which means being a good steward with the money God has distributed and also fulfilling the Great Commission.”
Based on the groundwork set forth in Platt’s first book and his vision for the church and the world, “Radical Together” should lay the foundation for a real and tangible Christian fellowship and lead to a lifestyle of radical abandonment to the Gospel.
“I’m interested in reading “Radical Together” because I want to see how he compares the church as seen in Acts to today’s church,” said Spencer Connatser, junior French and Christian studies double major. “(I want to see) if he has an ideal model of what community in the church should look like.”
“Radical Together” will be available for purchase from Amazon, Lifeway Christian Bookstores, Family Christian Stores and Christianbook.com.
