Brian M Dewey

Americanity Brian M Dewey

Publisher Marketing: Americanity: How the American Church Tamed Christianity. What is the Gospel? The Gospel is the power of hope, redemption, freedom, joy and LIFE that is found in, and given to us by, Christ. It brings light where there is darkness, healing where there is brokeness and life where there is death. When we are united with him, he changes us. He enables our lives to be transformed. Made new. Lives that are redemptively different. Biblical Christianity, the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed, is what offers us such a living and vibrant faith. However, it seems that the American church has dulled down the power of the Gospel and tamed its followers. It has taught a similar gospel, and sometimes the two are the same, but sometimes they are drastically different. For those of us who have grown up in the church, the American gospel is so closely tied to the Gospel of Christ that it can be painfully difficult to separate the two. It is almost impossible to discern between God's will and the American dream; between following the good Master and following good morals; between affectionately loving Christ and passionately knowing Biblical facts. And, when faced with the two, the American gospel is much easier and even more appealing than the one Jesus proclaimed. When you blend the dreams, traditions and values of America with the message, values and life of the Gospel, you get something that only vaguely resembles the kingdom of God: a kingdom devoid of the heart of its King. What you get is not Christianity, but rather Americanity. Americanity takes a look at the heart of the gospel and compares it with the beliefs and practices of what the average American Christian is taught. The goal is to reveal the gap between the gospel of Christ and the American church; challenge the ways in which we believe and practice our faith; and to encourage followers of Christ that there is more to life and faith than what we have experienced. The true gospel brings abundant LIFE!