Review by Scott Lohman
This is your basic opinion book by a conservative Christian pastor on the state of American society and culture. These are produced by the dozens each year by various pastors and right wing pundits. The quick and easy summary is this: “America has drifted/slid/fallen from the ideals of its founding and good golly we need to get back on the true path ASAP, by following my(the author’s religion/philosophy) as only I(the writer) know the truth”. It follows a pretty standard format. First you show how bad things are all over the U.S., and possibly around the world, then you show how the author’s “truth/true religion” is the ONLY way to follow. It’s like there is an outline handed out by the publishers for these books.
Dr. Jim Denison is a former pastor at at number of churches in Texas and Georgia. He is “cultural theologian” and Theologian in Residence at the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
The full title of the book is: “The Coming Tsunami: Why Christians are Labeled Intolerant, Irrelevant, Oppressive and Dangerous and How We can Turn the Tide”. Yes, it’s a mouthful. Conservative Christians do not like being called names, especially ones that are like intolerant and oppressive, as they don’t like being called on what they are doing. They are the ones who have the “truth” and they are not being either of those things by pointing out that gay is very icky and that women, gays and people of color just need to accept white Christian men and their surrogates white Christian women as the purveyors of “God’s Truth”.
The book came out in early 2022. Denison doesn’t have much to say about how Covid effected things in the book so avoids bringing that to the discussion. Denison starts the book with what he calls “warning signs”. In this case start with sex, as that is what White Christians want under control, their control specifically. Denison says that approval of same sex relationships went from 40% approval to 66%. Sex between unmarried adults rose from 53% to 72%. And approval of divorce from 59% to 77%. He doesn’t explain where these numbers are from and how they were compiled, so don’t waste your time hunting them down. He does, however, define “evangelical”, which is a nice departure from a number of these books. He defines it as: “believe the Bible is the ultimate authority, salvation is only through faith in Christ, non-Christians need to hear and accept the gospel and the Bible forbids all sexual relationships outside of a monogamous marriage between one man and one woman.” Although it is still not one that will distinguish his version from others by much.
Denison lists what he calls 4 “earthquakes” that will trigger the tsunami’s that will over run us. First: the rise of “post truth” culture, which he says is “the truth becomes your truth”. The second: rise of sexual revolution, as the role of women, growth of pornography, counter cultural movements and of course, gay rights. The third: rise of critical theory, racism is a result of the West’s cultural system and not the corruption of an individual’s heart and “color blindness” is impossible. CRT is an ideology that locates salvation in society’s liberation from injustice. And the fourth: rise of secular religion, like stores no longer being closed and the sexual revolution.
Denison says discrimination against Christians is rampant. He gives a number of examples, again don’t expect to be able to find the specific ones. A nurse is “forced” to “participate in a late term abortion. My favorite “a crucifix in Illinois was vandalized”. He does NOT give specifics on the crucifix, whether it’s someones personal one or one in a church someplace or outside of church or church school. No note whether it is prominent one someplace. Ah the hazards of cutting and pasting data from someplace.
Denison points out why religion is considered dangerous. Religious beliefs are hazardous, religious beliefs are irrational, we have evolved beyond religion and belief in an afterlife is harmful in this life. Denison somehow misses the irony that his religion calls all other religions of being guilty of those same things.
Denison also rolls out the olde “Ideas have consequences” line. He asks: Is religious freedom in jeopardy, are evangelicals, churches and schools are risk, are evangelical leaders under attack and what is the risk to evangelicals in health care. And as he is prophesying doom, of course you can figure out the answers to the above. And there are other threats: secular ideology, the undefinable “woke”, corporate support of gays and “woke” and the mysterious “genetic medicine”. I was unable to figure out what he meant by the last.
Denison drags out the usual apologetic arguments for the existence of god and why the Christian Bible is reliable as a source of the “Truth”. And as unconvincing as apologetics always is. Skip those chapters and you won’t miss anything.
Denison wants Christians to defend Biblical truth with reason and relevance. He also says everyone is bad about sex and that the youth suicide rate is the highest since the government be collecting data in 1960. Yeah, not sure why he mentions that.
In conclusion, Denison basically wants everyone to follow his religion and his deep understanding of “truth”. There.
Books like this one are quite common and pretty much written the same. Denison doesn’t bring anything helpful and deep to the discussion, just the usual right wing tirade about American culture is in bad shape and only he knows the way. And remember “a crucifix in Illinois was vandalized”.
Notes Along The Way 