"I want to call you to resist compromise when your friends tell you your faith is too intense, your devotion unnecessary, your life together too much. In the following pages, we will contrast things that make for brokenness and things that make for beauty."
We live in a world where people live as they please. Being held to a higher standard is a good thing. The author did a wonderful job of challenging the reader to want more from life.
Rarely do I quote from the table of contents, but I really appreciated the thematic focus points of this book.
Worship must resist idolatry.
Rest must resist exhaustion.
Hunger must resist apathy.
Hospitality must resist fear.
Honor must resist contempt.
Love must resist hate.
Sacrifice must resist privilege.
Celebration must resist cynicism.

This was not a quick read for me because there was so much to absorb. I highlighted many points, and I could easily read this book again and be equally as challenged. I highly recommend it!
I did read a copy of this book through NetGalley. I wanted to read and review it. All thoughts are my own.

Love Jon Tyson's work! Beautiful Resistance is a testament to Christians fighting for their faith! Highly recommend in Christian writing!

Beautiful Resistance by Jon Tyson is a remarkable book that calls the church to reform and truly embody the presence of God. With so much compromise even within the church, the author calls the church to be different and to be a place where others can find God, not hurt. So much to explore in this book. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Very thought provoking book. I was unsure what kind of resistance I was going to be reading about but this is one of getting back to the heart of Christianity.

Some things are easier than others, for sure, but what is nice is that there are definitely things one could do pretty quickly.

At times it seemed like there was some idealism to the book and I wish he hadn’t used some words that he did (they are just too charged). I definitely did not agree with everything but he made some amazing points.

What’s super cool to me is how he is so inspired by Bonhoeffer, who is one of my “heroes”.

There is a discussion guide at the end and I could see some VERY interesting discussions coming out of this book ;)

I have to admit that it wasn't until I reached the Epilogue of this book that I came to the realization that I needed this book. Like Jon Tyson, Bonhoeffer's life has had a significant impact on my life and ministry and, as Tyson recounts in his Epilogue to Beautiful Resistance, I've grown weary of resisting and preaching resistance in an age of contempt and cynicism. I can't deny wrestling with the questions, "What's the point? Am I even making a difference?" Even reading Tyson's Beautiful Resistance felt exhausting as I excitedly agreed with everything he wrote and could even match up various practical things occuring in my life and ministry as acts of resistance but, felt weighed down by the massive effort resistances takes and the seemingly little fruit that it bears. But, Tyson's Epilogue bought me to repentance and reminded me once again, it's worth it because He is worth it.

Tyson has effectively opened up the conversation on many important topics and now it's up to the Church to take up that conversation with practical acts of resistance. His chapters Honor Must Resist Contempt, Sacrifice Must Resist Privilege, and Celebration Must Resist Cynicism are particularly powerful and challenging pieces of writing for our generation. The study guide at the end is also an excellent addition and one that I will be looking into using as I share this resource with others.

I highly recommend Jon Tyson's Beautiful Resistance, especially if you've grown weary in ministry or weary of contemporary Christianity. Let Tyson remind you that the fight is worth fighting and that the hope of the Gospel, the hope of His better kingdom, and the hope of a better Church are real and worth clinging unto.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. Thanks go to NetGalley and Multnomah, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, for providing the ARC.

This book was very enjoyable and informative. It helped me to ask the questions about my self and my faith that are often not even thought of and how our faith and desire to follow Jesus must resist so many normals in our current society. True faith in Jesus changes us and causes us to resist the things that seem to be the standard practice in order to be more Christ-like and grow towards God. This book was a great primer to begin thinking in that way and questioning things that we are prone to do or think in order to compare them to the life of Jesus. This is the first book I have read by Jon Tyson and would definitely recommend it and other books by him. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Before Jesus left this earth, he prayed for all disciples that though they are not of the world, they are still in the world. Why? That they may be the salt and light of the earth. They are not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed through the renewing of the mind. In a compromised and worldly culture, Christians are called to stand for the truth. How do they do that in an aggressively anti-Christian culture? Learning to be firm in our convictions but gently persuasive in our interactions. Resist the world but do it in a way that honours Christ. How could we make such a resistance "beautiful?" Author Jon Tyson shows us the way. He points to how a small ragtag group of resistance led by Dietrich Bonhoeffer during WWII, and describes how their legacy inspires us today. Reflecting on the WWII martyr, Tyson offers us two key premises for a beautiful resistance:
- "Discipleship must be stronger than Cultural Formation"
- "Loyalty must be stronger than compromise"

Almost immediately, the author goes on to apply these to basic Christian Living. In relating to Church, he is aware of the broken images that the Church has been going through. Yet, the Church is still the Bride of Christ, the Temple of God, and God's main channel of resistance. That is why it must begin there.
He deals with worship, that the Church must resist idolatry. Worship must never bow down to cultural or heart idols. It must take captive of everything and ensure they do not replace the lordship of Christ. He notes how our culture is obsessed with work and the busyness of working. Resist the temptation to allow work to dominate and control our lives. Connecting hunger with food, he warns us against the idolatry of food. True hospitality resists fear of the stranger. Honor resists the rise of contempt. Love resists hate and sacrifice resists privilege. Finally, he raises the need to celebrate instead of being cynical about life.

My Thoughts
==============
The beatitudes of Jesus have one key theme: Being Counter-cultural. We are called not to be of the world but to challenge the world against the values that are counter to Christ. This challenge does not mean warring against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities of the world. Jon Tyson is spot on when he goes back to the Church and reaffirms the place and purpose of the ecclesiastical order. We need that. In this post-Christian world, the Church has been rendered irrelevant by mainstream society. By reminding us that in spite of her flaws, God has chosen the Church to be His Temple, the People of God, and the Bride of Christ. Anyone who spits on the Church is essentially spitting at God and His choice. The Church is imperfect simply because people are imperfect. Yet God chose to love the Church. This alone should remind us not to belittle the church in any way. Yes, the Church has flaws, but who on earth does not have flaws? The most successful institutions too had to go through growing pains. That's why I think the strongest part of Tyson's book is the way he reignites the crucial position of the Church and addresses the place of worship. If there's anything we need to resist most, it is none other than idolatry. The heart of resistance is an idol-resistant heart. The best way to idol-proof our hearts is to ensure that our worship belongs to Christ alone.

The rest of the book focuses on resisting the idolatry of many faces. Tyson chooses several areas from the idolatry of work to the idolatry of modern cynicism. These cultural influences could affect believers in more ways than one. As a result, even believers are increasingly skeptical and cynical about Church and Christianity. There is a pressing need to remind believers that the Church needs to be preserved and protected, simply because God loves the Church, His Bride. This book helps us recognize the subtle cultural influences that are threatening to eat away at our resistance. Those without any shields are easy pickings. Those with shields need to be on their guard constantly.

Jon Tyson is a pastor and church planter in New York City. Originally from Adelaide, Australia, Jon moved to the United States over two decades ago with a passion to seek and cultivate renewal in the Western Church. He is the author of Sacred Roots, A Creative Minority, and The Burden Is Light. He serves as the lead pastor of Church of the City New York.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Multnomah Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I recently was given Jon Tyson’s book, Beautiful Resistance, to read and review. It is another of those books where I found myself highlighting every page. While Jon covers a myriad of other disciplines in our lives, his chapter on the Sabbath made me realize that every Sunday should be like a taste of heaven. Just a little practice for what is to come. Never a drudgery but something we always look forward to. Here’s his taste of what heaven will be and what the Sabbath should be:

What are some aspects of American culture that you find yourself attempting to actively resist?
If you are an evangelical Christian, your mind might have drifted immediately to political issues such as abortion, Marxism, or some aspect of the sexual revolution. When I hear about resisting the culture, these are usually the issues that are discussed, and for good reason. But there is an issue with defining cultural resistance in this narrow way: it describes this resistance, intentionally or not, in political terms. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t talk about resistance in relation to these issues, because people who believe in historical Christianity absolutely should be resisting the culture in these ways. However, we need a more robust theology of Christian resistance. If we leave it in the political square and don’t let it transform our social and moral lives, we are not living like Jesus.
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Jon Tyson’s new book, Beautiful Resistance, is here to provide such a robust theology of Christian resistance. He opens with a short exploration of the witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, leader of the Christian resistance against Hitler’s Third Reich in Germany. Tyson writes: “I believe that what was true in the 1930s is true now. We live in a time when the church is compromising with the culture left, right, and center, and we’re losing our influence.” This requires both recognizing where our culture is causing us to drift away from God’s word and taking action to combat it. If you realize the lazy river is taking you the wrong direction, you can’t just sit there and expect it to change course by telling it to do so. You must swim in the other direction. Yes, God is responsible for making big changes, but as Tyson, quoting C.S. Lewis, writes early on:
God ‘seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to His creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye.’
So how is the church compromising, and how do we regain our Christian influence? Here is just a taste of what Tyson has to say to us.
Worship must resist idolatry. “Worship is about the priorities of our hearts. Idols, then, are the wicked fruit of disordered loves.” What loves have you disordered in your life?
Hunger must resist apathy. “The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world.” Are your loves of worldly things creating apathy for the things of God? When is the last time you fasted, giving up earthly food to be completely satisfied by God’s presence?
Hospitality must resist fear. Tyson tells the story of a pastor who took a special offering to support the poor in their community:
In general, people gave money and a round of applause, but he was shaken by something else. Fear. One comment dealt a blow to his heart. “Those illegals are taking American jobs.” Seek first the kingdom of America, said Jesus never. Eliminate, assimilate, dominate, and demonize.
What in this world do you fear, and does it hurt your Christian witness?
4. Honor must resist contempt. “Believers get drawn into contempt in the realm of politics but find they cannot isolate the attitude from other areas of their hearts. It soon bleeds into the way we see our brothers and sisters inside the Christian community.” Do you hold contempt for someone, or maybe a whole group of people, because of the opinions they hold?
Each of these is an example of something which Christians must resist in our culture. Tyson has many more examples as well which both convicted me and caused me to reflect on how I can change my own life in response.
Beautiful Resistance is also providentially-timed for today’s Christian. I received the text of this book before the murder of George Floyd and the deep conversations about race (at least in my household) that have flowed out of that tragedy. But these issues are present throughout Tyson’s book, not only in the chapter named “Sacrifice Must Resist Privilege” (a wonderful Christian view on some of the terms you’ve heard tossed around the last few months) but also a section in his chapter on fasting. He writes:
I recently encountered the power of fasting and sacred assemblies while visiting a friend who was a part of a 24–7 prayer room in Atlanta. “What do you see God doing right now?” I asked her during my visit. “You’ve actually come at a really good time,” she explained. “We are in the middle of a forty-day fast because we have a sense that God wants to break the spirit of racism in Atlanta.” I was amazed — and a little taken aback. What an approach! I’m sure there were people petitioning the government and working on court cases and trying to create laws that addressed this problem — necessary and important work — but here was a group of people who had decided that the way to bring about change was to fast, to contend alongside God for tangible change in their city. “For a couple of years,” she continued, “a group of African American pastors has come together with white pastors in Atlanta, working through reconciliation. A well-known prophetic leader in the city gave a word that God wanted to break the spirit of racism in Atlanta, and this group of pastors took this word seriously.” This movement, OneRace, has brought together 560 pastors. They hosted a summit on top of Stone Mountain, Georgia, one of the central, historical locations of the KKK. It also happens to have the largest Confederate monument in the country, etched into the side of a cliff. The meeting at Stone Mountain was the climax of their prayer and fasting.
This movement was happening in January of 2020, and Christianity Today wrote about it then. Do you think it is a coincidence that such a powerful race race-relations movement enveloped the entire nation four months later? Or that after Minneapolis, where George Floyd was murdered, the next city to take up the cause was Atlanta? I don’t believe that it was a coincidence for a second. I believe that prayer and fasting are powerful, and the heart change we are seeing across the country is a direct effect of the beautiful resistance of Christians in Atlanta and across the nation.
Jon Tyson’s treatise is engaging and convicting from beginning to end. I hope that Christians, no matter the denomination or political tribe, will read it and take to heart what he has to say. Scripture is present throughout the entire book. It is the heart of the message and everything flows from it. That means the word of God is speaking, and I hope we will listen.
I received a review copy of Beautiful Resistance courtesy of Multnomah Books and NetGalley, but my opinions are my own.

I've followed Jon for a few years now. Yes, he's an Aussie, like myself, but I've been convicted by the tremendous example he has set, not just for his own church, but for all those who follow him. Beautiful Resistance, in some ways, is a wonderful snapshot of Jon's theology, passion and heart for Jesus and the local church.

One aspect of Jon's practices I so appreciate is commitment to studying the history of the church and the great thinkers, theologians and believers of yesteryear and the present. One of his heroes, like many of us, is Bonhoeffer, whose own resistance to the German Third Reich is legendary and is what has served as the inspiration for Jon's book. Like Bonhoeffer, Jon is calling the modern church to its own form of resistance, a beautiful one at that.

Such a resistance in his opinion is established through attitudinal changes that we the church can adopt as a result of being serious about Jesus' mandate to love. As you'll see by the list below, Jon has identified areas where the church has become lax and proposes an alternative action that will help 'resist' it:

Worship must Resist Idolatry
Rest must Resist Exhaustion
Hunger must Resist Apathy
Hospitality must Resist Contempt
Honor must Resist Contempt
Love must Resist Hate
Sacrifice must Resist Privilege
Celebration must Resist Cynicism

Each chapter is well researched and referenced as challenges the reader to reflect on their own attitudes. A comprehensive study guide follows which can be used individually and/or in a group to further explore and challenge.

This reads well and every chapter both challenged and convicted me. I'd suggest I'll be continually referring back to it in weeks, months and years to come.

What an inspiring and encouraging book!

In our current struggles in the world with COVID and with racial and political ideologies at war, Jon Tyson's book redirects us to look back at God instead of our culture.

Throughout each of the chapters we are given Scripture directly dealing with the evils of the world that we must resist. Examples are "Rest must resist exhaustion", "Honor must resist contempt", and "Love must resist hate".

If you want to be educated and engaged in discussions about what is wrong with our world today, this book offers fresh insight into what we are truly battling against.

After reading I was left both encouraged and motivated to do the tough things that God requires of us as believers to do, in order to help others in this world.

Beautiful Resistance
The Joy of Conviction in a Culture of Compromise
by Jon Tyson
Back of the Book: “In a time of compromise and disillusionment, God is calling his people to a movement of beautiful resistance.
We live in a time when our culture is becoming increasingly shallow, coarse, and empty. Radical shifts in the areas of sexuality, ethics, technology, secular ideologies, and religion have caused the once-familiar landscape of a generation ago to be virtually unrecognizable.
Yet rather than shine as a beacon of light, the church often is silent or accommodating. This isn’t a new phenomenon. During World War II, pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was deeply troubled by the compromise in the German church. Their capitulation to the Nazi party brought shame and dishonor to the gospel. In response, he helped create an underground movement of churches that trained disciples and ultimately sought to renew the church and culture of the day.
In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship—one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction.
For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what’s been lost—regardless of the cost.”
Impressions: Wow! This was a lot of information to think on. It was slow to get into but once I did, I was left with compelling thoughts about the church and my part in it.
Liked: I like to dig deep and self-reflect. I was happy to be able to do this while reading this book. I think the messages shared were all pertinent to the climate of the church and Christians today.
Disliked: There wasn’t anything that stood out to me as something distasteful.
Learned: Too much to share in a snit bit. I will let the quotes speak for themselves.
Quotes: First off I can’t list all the quotes I noted from this book because there would be pages. The quotes themselves are too long. I will share some one-liners or shorter quotes that made me think.
“Discipleship must be stronger than cultural formation.”
“Each generation of believers is given an opportunity to tell the story of Jesus through the local church.”
“Lord bring your body to life. May it express your heart and passion in a way that reveals the splendor of your salvation to the World.”
“We resemble what we revere, either for ruin or restoration.” – G.K. Beale
“Are you using sin to medicate the absence of something you truly want?”
“Disordered loves lead to disordered lives.”
“The problem with deception is that you don’t know you are being deceived.”
“It’s important for all God’s people to know who God is so we can spot counterfeit gods when they approach our lives.”
“The antidote for idolatry is rightly ordering our loves. It’s getting our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our strength-oriented toward the things that can truly satisfy.”
“Until we see idolatry as spiritual adultery, we will be prone to dismiss it.”
“When we move through life at a sacred pace, creating time to pause and ponder and making space for God, it provokes questions about who and what is the functional lord of our lives.”
“Sabbath is given to us by God as a form of His grace and blessing…”
“The movement from exhaustion to rest is a movement from fear to trust. A movement from anxiety to peace, a movement from control to surrender.”
“Fasting is designed to shift our focus from our bodies to our spirits and from our flesh to our Father.”
“Comfort can blind us to the powerlessness we have compared with the purposes and promises of God.”
“The one who loves his enemies can no longer have enemies. He is left with only neighbors.”
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion shared here.

Interesting But Not Revolutionary. This is a fairly standard "Christian Living" book written by a pastor, this time an Australian living in NYC - which at least makes it a bit atypical in that regard. Those outside of Christendom probably will have little interest here, and honestly there is little value for that crowd. For those inside the Church who are looking for a new book to read, eh, there are much worse options. One note here is that, as with far too many books of its type, prooftexting - citing random Bible verses out of context - is rampant in this text as well, and is an automatic star deduction in any review I do for a book that contains it. The 4* total here are because even with the prooftexting, the other sporadic issues with the book don't amount to much either by themselves or in combination. To borrow Tyson's own construction, this book could best be summed up as (Mostly) Solid But Not Remarkable. Recommended.

This was an excellent read that encourages each of us to resist.
To resist what's popular.
To resist putting the accumulation of material goods ahead of people and love.

The author encourages us to value key Christian principles, eg: practising Agape love, to value rest (rather than feeling the need to work until we're exhausted), to value out relationship with God over giving in to the many pressures created though our peers and cultural environment.

We need to strengthen our convictions in order that we don't compromise.
We can't let others sabotage our faith
Our examples of discipleship (how we live) will speak volumes.

There is a detailed study guide that follows on to increase the impact of the contents.

With thanks to #Netgalley, WaterBrook & Multnomah for the Advanced Reader Copy. The opinions expressed are my own.

Free ARC form Net Galley

I did enjoy the book, numerous illustrations that many will find helpful as you try to find your way between FAITH and FICTION.

This line almost stopped me, In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. The whole premise of the book is there is already too much UNDER ground and we need to be not only above board but ABOVE ground and visible. I think you will like.

I really enjoyed reading an ARC of this book. Jon writes in a way that is both convicting and reassuring, basing his content in the truth of scripture. The style of writing reminded me of Tim Keller, which I really liked! This is a great resource for those who are looking to know Christ better and to diligently pursue Him without being distracted by the physical church and unhelpful heart desires that get in the way.

I loved this beautiful book. It seeks to be a counter-Christian-cultural call to faithful discipleship, raising the right questions and leading believers to live out the correct answers to those questions. The highest praise I can give a book is that it leads me to love my Savior more and this one definitely succeeds.

Beautiful resistance by Jon Tyson is a very solid book. Written in a way that is easy to read, yet brings the reader to deep thought and reflection.
The books description says
“In our compromised church, we need new underground movements of discipleship and resistance. Widely respected New York pastor Jon Tyson unveils a revived vision for faithful discipleship--one that dares to renew culture, restore credibility, and replace compromise with conviction.

For all who have felt this conflict in the soul between who we are and who God calls us to be, Beautiful Resistance is a bold invitation to reclaim what's been lost--regardless of the cost.”
I think this book is needed so much in our world today. Every pastor and Christian would be if it from reading this book!

I didn't know what to expect when I started this one, but I really enjoyed it, though, and am glad I got the chance to read it! There's some interesting points mentioned, and a lot of quotes I really liked.