Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church

Finally... 2010-01-26

Reviewer: DH

Finally...a book has entered the dialogue that holds together the difficult tension of pragmatic and local ecclesiology with profound theological depth. Metzger is refreshing in his critique by not suggesting some sort of new and better moralism, but rather, offering reflections on the most ancient of christian practices (eucharist) as the antidote to our unfettered consumerism, and the inevitable divide our consumerism causes. As one who longs to see diversity in ethnicity and economic status live in the church, this book serves as a mandatory primer.

Metzger suggests that the practice of consuming Jesus as our daily bread requires that we hold together both the church's unique identity and its call to serve the world. He states: the church must "hold firmly to the politics of Jesus," to serve "without abandoning their distinctive qualities and traits, all of which can bring richness to church and civil unity." For those who yearn for the church's transformation of culture, this book is a necessary check for the temptations which will accompany that journey.

I was recently asked to recommend a book that describes the church as it is meant to be. Though they are being written every day in the evangelical spheres, I could think of none more worthy of a hearty endorsement than Consuming Jesus. Buy it. Read it. Consume it.

Upside-down Consumption 2009-08-03

Reviewer: Mr. Matthew S. Farlow

The reorienting of the Church's vision is the path towards moving beyond `race and class divisions in a consumer church.' Now more than ever it is essential for academics, pastors, laypersons, seekers, philosophers and the like to have a book that illumines the profundity of God's actions for the world in and through His Church-- 'Consuming Jesus' is just this book. One does not need to look hard to read about racial and class tensions today in society. From the `Beer Summit' to the commodification of one's virginity upon eBay, society is saturated with the overarching effects of consumerism. The Church has lost its first love and is in need of a `great awakening.' 'Consuming Jesus' is the trumpet's call for the Church today as there is no greater need for the follower's of Christ than to be consumed by Jesus.

Dr. Metzger is the voice crying out in the wilderness leading the Church towards the holistic vision encompassed in the incarnational life of its Saviour. In order for the Church to be the `bride of Christ,' it must `move beyond the debased visions of moralism and escapism' (93) towards the living God so to participate in His `captivating love' and `downward mobility that overturns structures and frees captives' (97). Dr. Metzger's words are a call for `true discipleship' that seeks the `upside-down living' that flows from an `inside-out heart in which heaven dwells' (98). The absoluteness of divine love is rooted in the overflowing love of Father, Son, and Spirit--this love has been poured out into the hearts of the body of Christ. The consumption of this love--the consumption of Jesus--is that which propels the Church towards the pouring out of itself into the lives of the other.

In his final dialogue with the Church, Dr. Metzger illumines how the Church of Christ, with a heart focused upon the wedding feast, is able to engage in self-examination as self-examination is essential if we in the evangelical church truly desire to fully engage culture. Self-examination is a boycotting of the market forces that seek to commodify as opposed to building communion. Spirit led self-examination is not an examination done through the power of self, but selflessness as it is in the truest sense a look at self through a Spirit driven heart that is in union with Jesus Christ. The type of self-examination being discussed is one that should embody the Church as it is bound up in the mutual union with Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Metzger's discussion involves reconciliation and redistribution which entails: (1) the redistribution of responsibility and blame, which is based in corporate solidarity in Adam's sin; (2) the redistribution of need through the `humble sprit of giving and receiving replacing the haughty spirit of charity and snobbery toward the poor'; (3) redistribution of resources, talents, and goods whereby affluent churches work together with churches in downtrodden communities `to foster and maintain an "incarnate" presence of healing and hope'; (4) redistribution of ownership, allowing for the poor to take ownership of their own communities through the intentional actions of churches who can provide the means for this to be done; (5) redistribution of Glory, in this case as with all cases, `giving it all to the Lord' (143-63). Only through the action of God can the Church examine herself from the inside out, to take responsibility for the sins of the Church so to be able to purify herself through the Blood of the Lamb as she eagerly awaits her wedding feast. Metzger's assessment of the Church today is spot-on as society is need of the Church to 'be' the Church, and this is exactly what 'Consuming Jesus' illumines. It is not an exaggerated statement to say that this book is a timeless must read.

Paradigm-Shifting Book 2008-12-09

Reviewer: Daniel R. Franklin

I loved this book for several reasons.
1. I love this book because it is a critique of evangelicalism by a man who is a committed evangelical. I love the humility of the book as Dr. Metzger admits to being a part of the problem, but boldly calls us to move and take action. I think this brokenness and humility is very Christlike. It is definitely something that I want to follow him in.
2. I love this book because it deals with a major blindspot of evangelicals: race and class divisions in the church. I was talking to a Hispanic pastor (Jessie) who I met in Nashville. Jessie is pastoring in Texas, and Rich Stafford and I were asking him about his ministry. He commented that Texas is completely integrated. Mexicans and Caucasians do everything together. The only place that is not integrated, he said, is the church. This is tragic. And this is not just a Texas problem.
3. I love this book because it helps to identify subtle ways that we contribute to race and class divisions in the church. We often run our ministries and programs in such a way that they feed our comfort levels. We willingly divide by taste. We have a homogeneous model, which basically drives us to appeal to a certain kind of person and then surround them with people who are like them. We do this all kinds of ways, whether it is by small groups that are affinity groups, whether it is by having a contemporary service and a traditional service, or whether it is by highlighting and emphasizing ministries that are more about appealing to tastes than about following Christ (not wasting our lives).
4. I love this book because it rediscovers the biblical emphasis of walls being broken down by the gospel. Ephesians 2 talks about Jews and Gentiles becoming one in Christ. 1 Corinthians 11 (the communion passage) rebukes the Corinthians because the rich are disregarding the poor. Jesus said that outsiders will know that we are his disciples by our love for one another. The gospel is reflected beautifully when we experience unity between young and old, rich and poor, black, white, hispanic, asian, native american, and any other group that we often segregate. That's what I want! How awesome would it be to have our churches reflect the unity that Christ brings, instead of unintentionally communicating that you need to be like us to go to our church. Otherwise, go find one that meets your tastes.
5. I love this book because it challenges me on who my heroes are. Are my heroes those who have glowing success stories? Or are my heroes those who have been poured out for the work of the gospel? At the end of his life, Paul said that he had no regrets. He said that he had fought the good fight, run the race, kept the faith. Then he talked about being poured out as a drink offering. Paul's version of success was to be poured out for Christ. Jesus himself, in John 12, said that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground, it cannot bear any fruit. I want to follow Christ (and Paul, and Wilberforce, and MLK, and others) by losing my life for him.
Anyway, I obviously recommend this book. It is convicting and challenging, but it is hitting on a blind spot that many of us have (I know it is a blind spot of mine). It is well worth the time that it will take to read.

Why the Kingdom Should Be Reflected in our Local Congregations 2008-10-19

Reviewer: Trevin Wax

Does the consumerist mindset of contemporary evangelicalism harm our witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ? In Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church, Paul Louis Metzger answers "yes." And Metzger goes even further: consumerism affects the church by reinforcing the race and class divisions of society.

Consuming Jesus is one of the most engaging books I've read in recent days. Metzger exposes evangelicalism's consumerism for what it is: a capitulation to the market forces of capitalist culture that is detrimental to the unity of the gospel across races and classes.

Meztger begins by showing how evangelicals first retreated from culture and politics, which prepared the way for a disordered consumerist vision that blinds us to racialization, the market mindset, success, and social structures. He critiques the political aspirations of both the Religious Right and Left. He takes on the church growth strategists' emphasis on homogeneity. He challenges churches to no longer prop up the materialistic lifestyles of congregations that keep rich and poor, black and white apart.

What I Liked

1. Metzger is prophetic in his call for evangelicals to open their eyes to the race and class divisions in our churches. I like how he pulls from all corners of the church for his critique: from Jonathan Edwards to Martin Luther King, Jr., from John Wesley to John Perkins. Metzger is not interested in promoting another already-in-practice agenda. He looks at the faithful witness of Christians throughout history to challenge the church to move back to its mission.

2. Metzger challenges us to avoid the moralistic trap. No one can accuse Metzger of advocating a social gospel that challenges societal structures while leaving individual human hearts unchanged. Throughout the book, Metzger praises the evangelical emphasis on personal regeneration, even as he chides us for being too self-focused sometimes to see even our own glaring weaknesses.

3. The first half of Consuming Jesus is heavy on critique, but the second half is heavy on practical application. Metzger does not merely complain about the current state of evangelicalism; he offers clear suggestions for changing things. Especially helpful is Metzger's call for us to minister with the poor, not just to the poor as a way of bridging the divide.

What Needs Work

1. Metzger's suggestions for changing things are sometimes superficial. He spends way too much effort on critiquing our current church architecture. While I'll be the first to say I love a magnificent cathedral, I do not believe that aesthetic changes (like moving the communion table to the front of the church) will produce the type of transformation Metzger would like to see. The New Testament has little to say about what church architecture should look like. History shows that churches that look like Metzger's proposal have had racial and class distinctions of their own.

2. Metzger is right to insist that we need to take responsibility for humanity's total act of sin, not merely our individual sinfulness. That is why it is valuable for Christians to apologize for the actions of previous generations, for example. But Metzger does not take this as far as he should. If whites should apologize to blacks for previous injustice, so too should blacks apologize for injustice towards whites. The doctrine of original sin means we are all victimizers even as we are victims (a point that Metzger affirms, only he tends to emphasize the white's reponsibility more than the black's). What we need is an atmosphere of mutual grief and repentance toward one another.

Overall, Consuming Jesus is a book I highly recommend. Metzger's book calls us to rethink the current structures of the church and he offers an "all-consuming" vision of the Kingdom which should work its way out into our local congregations and communities.

Drum majors for love, truth, and justice 2008-03-21

Reviewer: David Sanford

If someone is known by the company he keeps, Dr. Paul Louis Metzger is an important prophetic voice for and to 21st century Christianity.

Metzger's book sports a foreword by platinum best-selling author Donald Miller (of Blue Like Jazz fame) and an afterword by famed civil rights leader and community developer Dr. John M. Perkins (whose vision inspired this book).

Writing from Portland, Oregon, Miller rightly points out that Metzger's book isn't simply a critique of race and class divisions in today's consumer church; it also offers solutions based on the groundbreaking work of Perkins (and others).

Writing from Jackson, Mississippi, Perkins writes a profound essay inviting readers to join Metzger as drum majors for love, truth, and justice. It's an inspiring call, to be sure.

In the end, Metzger's book not only critiques the roots and present troubling realities of the American church, but also shows how that church (especially the evangelical branch) can do better. Highly recommended.