Making Faith Magnetic (Book Review)
Dan Strange’s excellent book encourages us to engage with the questions people are asking in order to point them to Jesus.
Our culture and its view of faith seems to have changed so much over the past 40 years.
When I was a school, going to church was definitely on the decline, but people seemed at least to have some grasp on the Bible and its message. Fast forward to 2022 and most people I talk to seem a million miles away from the gospel. It seems harder to talk about Jesus and share the gospel with neighbours or colleagues.
This is made all the more difficult when you know that some biblical standpoints would be viewed as terribly out of date, or worse intolerant.
Magnetic faith
Making Faith Magnetic is an excellent new book from Dan Strange which helps us see how we can engage with our culture and ultimately point people to Jesus.
The book builds on his previous book, Plugged In, which encourages Christians to engage with culture in a positive and discerning way. In it, he shows how we can think and speak about culture in a way that plugs into a bigger and better reality.
It is the latter aspect which is developed in Making Faith Magnetic. Dan Strange uncovers five fundamental truths which are interwoven throughout our culture, attempting to answer questions about what it means to be human; how we live and make sense of life.
He shows that, in the absence of a relationship with God, humanity looks for answers - consciously or subconsciously - to these questions in idols and created things.
Magnetic points
In the first half of the book, Dan helps us to understand these five truths and helps us to see how they are expressed in our secular western culture.
In the second half of the book, he helps us see how these magnetic points find their fulfilment in Jesus. He aims to show “how the gospel of Jesus both connects with and wonderfully answers these magnetic points.”
In each chapter, Dan shows how Jesus is infinitely better than any of the answers the world might give, and how we can start to talk to others about him.
As we take up the task of engaging those around us with the gospel, Making Faith Magnetic is a great book to get us to listen better to the world and to see how they are seeking answers to these questions that we all have.
Dan excites us again to see how Jesus is so much better and practically encourages us that we can speak of him to our friends and neighbours when we learn how to make these connections.
Interview with Dan
At the 2021 FIEC Leaders' Conference in Edinburgh, Adrian Reynolds (FIEC Head of National Ministries) caught up with the book's author, Dan Strange, to chat about his new role at Crosslands, as well as the book itself.
You can watch this interview below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on other podcast platforms.
