{"id":5008,"date":"2010-09-19T10:33:17","date_gmt":"2010-09-19T14:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=5008"},"modified":"2026-07-19T15:31:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T22:31:31","slug":"hipster-christianity-dont-be-fooled-just-another-emerging-deception","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/hipster-christianity-dont-be-fooled-just-another-emerging-deception\/","title":{"rendered":"“Hipster Christianity” – Don’t be Fooled – Just Another Emerging Deception"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. I Timothy 4:1<\/strong><\/p>\n

LTRP Note:<\/strong> In September, it came to our attention that both secular and Christian media, in particularly Wall Street Journal<\/em>, the New Yorker<\/em>,\u00a0and Christianity Today<\/em>, were publicizing a book written by Brett McCracken. According to McCracken,\u00a0his book, Hipster Christianity”<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0“goes deep into the questions of what it means to be cool and what it means to be Christian.” But McCracken’s “hipster Christianity” is nothing more than emerging spirituality looked at through different colored sunglasses<\/em>. Lighthouse Trails will be\u00a0posting a number of articles and reviews on this “new” kind of Christianity in time, but we wish to issue this warning today\u00a0as many may be fooled into thinking that this is a “cool” way to look at biblical Christianity. It’s not. And it has nothing to do with the way one dresses\u00a0or which “cool” sunglasses or reading glasses he or she is wearing. It’s about spiritual deception, which often looks “good,” (especially to those who don’t know what God’s Word says) but in actuality is lethal.<\/p>\n

For those wondering if McCracken, managing editor of Biola University’s magazine and regular writer for the emergent Relevant<\/em> magazine, considers himself a “hipster,” the answer he gives in the introduction of his book is “yes.” He has found resonance with a lot of emerging leaders such as Shane Claiborne<\/a>, whom McCracken says\u00a0is\u00a0\u00a0“perhaps one of the most important Christian hipsters around” (p. 99). Other contemplative\/emerging advocates whom McCracken includes in his emerging, hipster “Christianity” are Mark Driscoll<\/a>, Jay Baaker<\/a>, Donald Miller <\/a>(Blue Like Jazz<\/em>), Lauren Winner, and Rob Bell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

McCracken asks the question, where can you find “Christian hipsters” and answers it accurately by saying Christian colleges <\/a>and Christian college towns (p. 106), now hotbeds for apostasy. Of course, he includes the contemplative promoting Biola in his list of “cool” colleges. McCracken delves into the political arena and explains how “cool” young Christians helped to bring Obama into office (pp. 158-160).<\/p>\n

McCracken says this “hip”\u00a0Christianity identifies\u00a0with panentheistic New Age\u00a0mystic Pierre\u00a0 Teilhard de Chardin and says “Christian hipsters love thinking and acting Catholic…. They love the Pope, liturgy, incense, lectio divina<\/a>…” (p. 98).<\/p>\n

While popular emerging church leaders have tried to say that the emerging church is dead (see: Some Say the Emerging Church is Dead \u2013 the Truth Behind the Story<\/a>)\u00a0(and now hipster is better), nothing has changed. It’s the same ol’ panentheistic deception that Satan presented to Eve in the Garden when he asked her to question God and tempted her in desire to be God.<\/p>\n

The Bible says that in the days before Christ returns, there will be great deception. The devil is running like mad, to and fro, trying to confuse, deceive, and manipulate Christians into turning away from the one and only true Gospel message. After all, if Christians preach the true Gospel, people will get saved and spend eternity with the Lord. Hipster Christianity is just\u00a0the enemy’s\u00a0latest effort to stop the Gospel from being proclaimed.<\/p>\n

Don’t be fooled, Hipster Christianity isn’t “cool” at all – it is lukewarm spirituality, and from such we should steer clear of.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now these\u00a0comments from Roger Oakland of Understand the Times:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following Christianity Today<\/em>article presents the facts as they are and shows the absolute absurdity that is\u00a0impacting Christianity all over the world. In an effort to reach\u00a0the postmodern\u00a0generation with\u00a0a message\u00a0there\u00a0is a Christ, the church that once was\u00a0Bible-based\u00a0has become antichrist.<\/p>\n

What is even more absurd is\u00a0the fact\u00a0there are still leaders\u00a0who people look up to as great\u00a0Christian teachers, pastors, or evangelists,\u00a0who\u00a0refuse to take\u00a0a stand\u00a0and warn the\u00a0sheep that the wolves\u00a0are devouring the\u00a0flock. Rather than protect the sheep they are driving them to be slaughtered. They compromise the truth of God’s word\u00a0with the\u00a0“lie” and further confuse those who try to\u00a0remain on board with Jesus.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Emerging Church should\u00a0change their term “Christ followers” to what\u00a0is really happening. They are not following Jesus Christ.\u00a0They\u00a0have forsaken Jesus Christ and are following church growth gurus who are following Satan.<\/p>\n

Christianity Today’s<\/em> article “Hipster Christianity”:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Welcome to the world of hipster Christianity. The latest incarnation of a decades-long collision of “cool” and “Christianity,” hipster Christianity is in large part a rebellion against the very subculture that birthed it. It’s a rebellion against old-school evangelicalism and its fuddy-duddy legalism, apathy about the arts, and pitiful lack of concern for social justice.<\/p>\n

They prefer to call themselves “Christ-followers” rather than “Christians.” They cringe at the thought of an altar call, and the prospect of passing out tracts gives them nightmares.<\/p>\n

In order to remain relevant in this new landscape, many evangelical pastors and church leaders are following the lead of the hipster trendsetters, making sure their churches can check off all the important items on the hipster checklist:<\/p>\n