Hope of Nations by John S Dickerson

Our American life is changing, Dickerson writes. The peace, tranquility, and culture our parents knew is crumbling. His goal in this book is to explain what is happening in the world and why, and help Christians understand how to live now. He believes Christians are the greatest hope for the nations.

We might think that the greatest threat to our nation is from the outside. “In fact,” Dickerson says, “the most dangerous threat to the West is its own self-induced unraveling as it embraces the Post-Truth ideology and completes the final turn away from Christian influence.” (125) He explains the changes in ideologies, such as toward socialism and to post-truth thinking. He includes and explains five forces he feels are the major transformation factors. He looks at current trends and suggests what the future will probably be like.

The situation for Western civilization today is serious, a victim of its own self-destruction. I like how Dickerson reminds readers of the historical advances Christian faith has brought to nations. People today forget all that and criticize Christian faith instead. He calls this “enjoying the fruits while neglecting the roots.” (161)

But Dickerson does not leave us hopeless. He suggests nine manifestos in response to the trends he identified. They are actions Christians can do today to prepare themselves and their families for the future. The suggestions are powerful and reflect living scriptural principles and trusting in Christ as ultimate victor. Dickerson provides video resources on each of these at https://hopeofthenations.net/.

Dickerson is a bit verbose and repetitive. I felt I had to wade through his telling me what he was going to say, saying it, then reminding me what he said. The book could have been more concise and much shorter.

I recommend this book. It is a good exploration of the current state of western civilization with great suggestions for Christians in living out their faith for today and the future.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

John S Dickerson is a prize-winning research journalist, a seminary-trained pastor, and a frequent commentator on national news outlets. He serves as the lead pastor of Connection Pointe Christian Church in the Indianapolis metro area. You can find out more at http://www.johnsdickerson.com/

Zondervan, 320 pages. This book releases June 5.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Handlebar. My comments are an independent and honest review.