Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide
Brett McCracken
Baker Books, 2010, 246 pp., $15.00, BakerBooks.com
Brett McCracken’s Hipster Chistianity is a colorful recounting of the relationship between the church and being cool. What sparked the relationship between the two? What are Christian Hipster’s, and how are they wired? Is it beneficial for the Church to be considered cool?
Hipster Christianity covers all of this and more in a somewhat nerdy and analytical, yet winsome style. The author tackles the topic with authenticity and an organic appreciation for all things cultural from film to art to indie rock. Armed with a love for the church and a knowledge of Christian writers old and new, McCracken’s holistic and objective approach wins big points with his readers: The title’s greatest contribution lies in the examples of churches and leaders who attract hipsters and ooze coolness through different styles of music, architecture, preaching and innovative uses of technology.
The only downside of Hipster is that it starts incredibly slow and follows an overall confusing path that forces readers to ask, “Where is this going?” However, with every page the book gains momentum and the direction becomes clearer. Hipster Christianity makes a great gift to those seking to reach 20-somethings, creative church planters in urban settings or youth pastors who are tired of the same old thing.
