Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Do you agree with Platt’s Critique of the American Dream, or do you see more positives in that cultural ideal than Platt does? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

Consider the way that Platt builds his argument throughout the book. In what ways do you see Platt’s background as an evangelical preacher in the construction and delivery of his argument?

Platt highlights several areas of concern where American cultural practices don’t quite fit with the contours of the Bible’s value system, including The Global and Missional Context of Faith and service to the poor. Are there other areas of concern that you think Platt should have addressed? If you could add another chapter to Radical, focusing on another disjunction between cultural and biblical value systems, what would you write about?

Platt focuses his critique on his personal context of American cultural values, but Americans are not the only people prone to substituting cultural ideals for biblical ones. Research the practice of Christianity in another culture, and write about some of the unique cultural challenges they face in conforming their values to biblical patterns within the context of their culture.

Are there any ways in which certain American cultural values might act as an advantage rather than a disadvantage in interpreting and applying Scripture to one’s life? Consider whether there might be positives within the American value system that encourage and assist the acquisition of biblical virtue, and describe how that interplay of value systems would work.

When it comes to personal finance, Platt advises readers to follow a “radical” practice of setting an income limit which reflects one’s financial needs, and then giving any surplus away. In modern American society, however, there are often complex plans and expectations attached to personal finances—not only considering present needs, but planning for unknown future contingencies like health care crises or college payments. Should those possible future contingencies weigh into how one applies Platt’s recommendation, and if so, how much? Would it be a better reflection of biblical values to give radically and trust God for future provision, or to plan diligently for future costs to be a blessing to those who directly depend on you? Explain and defend your answer.

Reflect on Platt’s role as the pastor of a megachurch in an affluent area, and research the practices by which his churches have sought to implement the call of Radical in their congregational lives. What sorts of things have they done? In your view, are those practices sufficiently “radical,” or could more have been done?

Choose one of the historical examples of notable Christians that Platt mentions in his book. Research that person’s life and write a biographical essay about their ministry and their contributions to the legacy of global Christianity, centering on the idea of Discipleship as Costly Obedience.