The Trouble With Paris: Following Jesus in a World of Plastic Promises
Sayers, an emerging church pastor in Australia and director of the young adult discipleship ministry Über, focuses on what sociologists have termed hyperreality—the happy, carefree, better-than-real life that advertising promises us. Sayers believes that this vision of life, in which acquiring more is a central motivation and personal fulfillment is paramount, has become a folk religion of sorts in the Western world and is the single biggest threat to Christian faith. In his experience, when young adults buy into this vision of life, satisfaction and happiness elude them. They begin to question God, although faith is the only path to true happiness. The book is broken into three sections examining the hyperreal world, the reality we live in and God's reality. It grew out of an address of the same name; Thomas Nelson released a related DVD curriculum and study guide in February. The title is obscure, and Sayers's negativity about the culture is almost endless, but the book's comprehensive examination of the challenges consumerism presents to faith is unique and should spark meaningful discussion.(June 3)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.