In a rapidly evolving pop culture, Bethke has been burdened that people are starting to lose sight of the true Jesus. Christians in particular have started to shy away from the biblical Jesus, and they have started molding Jesus into their own personal ideas of Him. This is the influence of the progressive culture, which has deemed Christianity outdated. Therefore, young progressives are trying to adapt Christianity to fit today’s culture. Bethke’s hope for writing It’s Not What You Think is that people will begin to see Jesus more vibrantly and realize the relevance of the gospel.
Each chapter takes a popular cultural presupposition and redefines it biblically. Bethke includes chapters on love, your body as a temple, neighbors, your identity, the Sabbath, worship, the kingdom, and brokenness. Throughout the chapters, he uses personal testimony to share about the forgiveness and freedom he personally has found in Christ. He also writes about current events from a biblical worldview, which will help the reader think biblically about the world. Bethke has a robust theology, but he communicates it simply. He interweaves the Old and New Testament to make Christ most beautiful.
This is a great book that will help young adults and students gain a better biblical worldview in the midst of a progressive culture. Because Bethke is a young Millennial, he is relevant to his generation and the next. Bethke has a knack for addressing culture with biblical truths and received his renown when he became famous via YouTube after posting a spoken-word video titled “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus.”
