WILL GOD OR THE WORLD DEFINE YOU?

Blanchard explores the value of religious identity in this nonfiction debut.

The author observes in the book’s preface that, “while identifying as a Christian,” he had a daily routine that “lacked much impact from Godly influences which was leading me to live an inauthentic, uneasy, and exhaustive life.” After he’d realized a core tenet of the Christian faith—that we are not the center of the world but were made to serve something higher—his identity completely changed. Having filled his free time with Bible studies, church groups, and reading Christian commentary and theological works, Blanchard now seeks to “shine some light on the importance of seeing ourselves, who we are, as God intends us to be.” The book is divided into two sections: Part I (“Understanding Christian Identity”) focuses on the shared identity of Christians throughout time, from their inherently sinful natures at birth through their post-conversion identities as worshipers, disciples, and messengers. Part II (“Is the Stage Being Set?”) provides a practical approach to applying Christian faith in the contemporary era of “transhumanism” and artificial intelligence, which, per the author, “feels different, uncomfortable, and somewhat uncontrollable” compared to previous time periods. While echoing conservative fears of a “one-world government,” which the text compares to the Bible’s Tower of Babel, the book generally avoids hot-button cultural issues surrounding reproductive rights, sexuality, and racism. To some readers, this approach may be an inexcusable omission for a book centered on real-life applications of faith; to others, it may be a refreshing take coming from a work whose positions otherwise reflect a standard white, evangelical, Protestant perspective (the book’s theology is reflected in its ample footnotes, which reference distinctly evangelical sources). Written from the perspective of “a common man,” the book eschews theological complexities for an accessible introduction to the fundamentals of the faith. The work may not appeal to readers who don’t share the author’s specific interpretation of Christianity, but it offers a clear-cut, easy-to-read narrative.

An engaging, if not always convincing, introduction to Christian identity.