By Suzanne S Choo
Series Editor: Leow Wen Pin
Published by Graceworks Publishing
Do you know the new, internet meaning of a ‘sock puppet’? (No, not a woolly toy.)
Have you been confused to see an email from a person who signed off with “they/them/theirs” after their name?
Do terms like “wokeism”, “social justice”, “gender identity”, “postmodernism” and “cancel culture” bewilder you? Maybe you can understand these trending concepts and expressions, but are unable—or never had the time or didn’t know where to start—to make sense of how our Christian faith fits in with these worldly perplexities?
When Woke Goes Broke is the first in a series of books titled The Gospel Way, intended to help Christians cut through the confusion of contemporary culture. In the words of its editor, this book seeks to present “a balanced and biblical view of social justice”, ultimately to lead to the conclusion that “wokeism can be redeemed when transformed in the light of the gospel of Jesus”.
Now, we may expect a book like this that takes on weighty themes and is meant for study, to have the dry tone of a scholarly research paper. On the contrary, the author does her best to avoid as much jargon as possible. The book is rich, content-wise, but it is not too difficult to understand. The author has done well to introduce, define and clarify the trending concepts and ideas, to explain their origins and contexts, and to guide Christians to recognise their secularist dangers, with the backing of Scripture throughout. In Chapter 3 we are given a refreshing interpretation of social justice in the book of Jonah.
There is a lot of enlightenment packed into these 92 pages which include an appendix of resources for further learning at the end of the book.
At the end of each of the four chapters in this book is a set of reflection questions to nudge the reader to ponder more deeply. While this format is good for self-study, it also makes the book an excellent choice for a cell group looking for a study guide on contemporary issues.
One example of the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter asks the reader to, “Pick a television series, movie, computer game or song that has been influential or popular in your community or country in the last five years. What underlying message and values are being proposed?”
Another one is: “Reflect on some of the comments and reactions you have given through chat tools or social media. What motivates your posts or reactions? How would you describe your online or virtual behaviour and how does this align with your own values?”
This book never strays from its objective of emphasising the importance and relevance of God’s Word for Christians amid the seductive calls of the secular world. In helping us to analyse contemporary culture through a biblical lens, it deserves to be read.
When Woke Goes Broke: Redeeming Social Justice for the Church is available from Graceworks Publishing. For the month of September, Graceworks will be offering a 10% discount on its online store.
Visit www.graceworks.com.sg or scan the QR code.
