When Jesus Met Hippies

Many books have been written on the Jesus People movement in the US, but what about its impact in the UK? 'When Jesus Met Hippies' by Andrew Whitman explores how this counter-cultural movement of Christians found its own expression in the UK, reshaping the lives of individuals along with the life and mission of the new and existing churches across the nation.

By discovering the interaction between different characters and groups from across the Atlantic, experience an immersive retelling of the successes and failures that led to an enduring legacy. How did this new breed of Christians radically live out their faith and evangelise the youth of the UK in the 1960s and '70s? And how might it inspire fresh revival in the different yet equally chaotic era we live in today?

The book explores:

• the context of revival in the USA from the 1967 “Summer of Love” onwards
• the back-drop culture of the UK in the so-called “swinging sixties”/“permissive society”
• my own story and how Jesus broke into my life in his grace and truth
• prominent groups like the Jesus Family (“Lonesome Stone”), Jesus Army and Jesus Liberation Front
• emergent Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and its impact on us in the UK, especially early worship-leaders
• the link between the Jesus People and the burgeoning charismatic movement
• events across the UK like the Nationwide Festival Of Light, Spree ’73, Come Together.
• whether there was actually a full-blown revival here in the UK or not
• musicians like troubadour Larry Norman and the long-lasting Greenbelt Festival
• new churches like Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel and John Wimber’s Vineyard Fellowship (including Lonnie Frisbee and Alpha), and Bill Johnson’s Bethel
• cult groups that surfaced, like the flirty-fishing Children Of God with their ‘Mo Letters’
• ministries that reached out to druggies, bikers, hippies, that came out of, or were parallel to, the Jesus People
• the cross-carrying Baptist preacher Arthur Blessitt preaching the length and breadth of the UK
• whether there is evidence of another Jesus People Movement in the USA today or not

Whitman was born in 1953. University introduced him to a hippy lifestyle, but in 1971, his siblings embraced Christianity. Drawn to a Christian rock musical in 1973, he found faith for himself. After a transformative encounter with Jesus, he immersed himself in the Bible and fellowship. His journey led to involvement in Campus Crusade for Christ, forming a Christian rock band, and ultimately, lifelong ministry.

See also my posts on The Jesus Rock Revolution and the Jesus Movement, Gospel music: influence and imitation, Looking down the wrong end of a telescope, Rock gets Religion and Larry Norman.

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Out Of Darkness - On Solid Rock.