Book Review: Holy Subversion

Around the first century BC, the Romans declared their emperors (Caesar's) as gods. The people gave them a status that is due to God alone. You either pledged allegiance to Caesar, or you faced punishment from him. Now, if you were a Christian living during the reign of one these Caesars, you had a decision to make. Pledge allegiance to Caesar, or pledge allegiance to Christ. According to Trevin Wax, this is what we must do today as Christians. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Caesars in this world, masquerading around as gods, demanding our allegiance. We, as Christians, must subvert them.

Trevin Wax, associate pastor of First Baptist Church in Shelbyville, TN and blogger extraordinaire (TrevinWax.com), has partnered with Crossway and written his first book entitled, Holy Subversion. At it's core, this is a book on idolatry, and an excellent one at that. Trevin aptly unmasks six of America's most elusive idols (or Caesars), revealing the lie each would have you believe. Once the lie has been revealed, Trevin then demonstrates how to subvert (overthrow; cause to downfall) each Caesar so that we may continue in our quest of Christian discipleship. These six Caesars include:

1. The Caesar of Self
2. The Caesar of Success
3. The Caesar of Money
   
4. The Caesar of Leisure
   
5. The Caesar of Sex
   
6. The Caesar of Power
   

Holy Subversion is a quick and accessible read. However, don't let it's length or accessibility fool you. Trevin's message is powerful and a must-hear for this American generation. This is a generation of narcissistic, successful, wealthy, entertained, & sexual men and women. In one way or another, we are bowing down to one of these Caesars instead of our Creator. For me, the two most powerful chapters were Subverting Money and Subverting Leisure. They caused me to sit down and reflect on my allegiances in these areas of my life with a pen and a pad of paper.

Through Holy Subversion, Trevin is calling us to "reclaim the subversive nature of Christian discipleship." Reading this book will help you do that for the glory of Christ.

Buy it here.