Brief book reviews

I've just finished Flickering Pixels by Shane Hipps which (amazingly, given the subject matter) is a very readable application of 'medium as message' insights from Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman to Christian faith. The book is a call for the Church to lose the naivity of its relationship with media by developing awareness of the varying ways in which the mediums we use to express our messages affect the way in which those messages are received and understood.

Hipps argues the "gospel message is not a single abstract concept" instead it is "a story that changes and expands with each new set of characters and settings." We must remember, he suggests, that "the Bible is not merely - or even primarily - a collection of objective propositions" instead it is "a grand story told through hundreds of different perspectives and diverse social settings." As a result, its message is "multilayered, textured, expansive, and complex."

The "print age led to an efficient gospel" where salvation "became as easy as 1-2-3: (1) believe in Jesus; (2) apologize for your sins; (3) go to heaven." In this way, "we were shown the power of personal relationship with Jesus" and "the heavily intellectual emphasis of the print age helped unlock the treasure chest of Paul's rich, rational, and nuanced theology."

Now, "the image gospel is ... moving beyond cognitive propositions and linear formulas to embrace the power of story and intuition" ... We move from understanding salvation as a light switch to seeing it as a gradual illumination ... The gospel is seen as a way of life that transforms the world here and now, not just in the next life."

Robert Gelinas argues that jazz "is a unique medium by which to translate the gospel" so his excellent Finding the Groove, through which I also made great headway, is an example of Hipps' overall thesis. Jazz, Gelinas argues, "is the willingness to live beyond freedom and unfreedom and see where it leads":

"Jazz is the inclination to seek the interplay between life and death, right and left, up and down. When we embrace tension, we see multiple realities that are simultaneously true and lead us to the tertium quid thinking of Jesus ... Jazz thrives on tension, and a jazz-shaped faith will discover the wonder of improvisation if we are willing to embrace opposing views at the same time. This leads to a new way of Christian thinking - a way where we are not arguing and debating all the time but pursuing and discovering the creative way, which will hopefully, be the kingdom way."

Gelinas concludes:

"Seek syncopation. Hear that which is so often missed, and accent the offbeat until IT begins to swing. Find the groove, and set the Spirit of God free to improvise in you and through you. Hone your skills, and begin to call and see if there are others who will answer in response ...

Have time to develop your ear so that you can hear those around you and live in concert with them. Get to the woodshed and practice! Practice the ways of Jesus so that others can confidently count on you when you take the stage. Dig deep into God's word, not for the purpose of regurgitation, but so you can join in with melody of the Spirit's eternal song and add your own voice to that of the ancients. And when pain visits, don't forget to finger its jagged edges - sing the blues - until those around you have o choice but to smile in recognition of the living crucified Christ in your life!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Miles Davis - So What.