In Apatheism, Kyle Beshears describes how modern culture has become increasingly indifferent to God (both intellectually and emotionally) due to secularism, physical comfort, and technological distractions. We normally think of belief in God ranging from atheism to agnostic to theism. But these categories ignore how much someone cares about the “God questions,” ranging from apathy to spiritual fervor (positive or negative). Traditional apologetics does not normally interest someone whose heart is indifferent to God. They find spiritual matters dull, boring, and irrelevant. Beshears urges us to recapture the joy of our salvation and then be a witness of genuine delight in God in our lives to our apathetic family, friends, and neighbors.
Why has apathy toward God increased so much in our culture? First, belief in God now is openly contested and debated. In the past, the existence of God was automatically assumed. Today, monotheism is challenged by science and other alternative claims to authority. Second, much religious and spiritual diversity exists in our society with little harassment and no persecution if a person chooses an uncommon or non-traditional faith. Third, most people are comfortable and secure in these times of extraordinary peace and prosperity. The world’s major superpowers have avoided all-out war with one another for the longest stretch of time since the Pax Romana. And most people in the U.S. spend little time worrying about food, clothing, or shelter. Across much of the world, obesity is a more significant health problem than starvation. We no longer turn to our God for safety and security with the desperation of many other people throughout history. Fourth, people are busy and distracted from considering “God questions.” Technology has allowed us to become addicted to various amusements and entertainment with no time nor patience for contemplating the significant questions of life.
Before we can effectively reach an apathetic world, we Christians need to recapture a joy-filled witness for Jesus that also embraces the peace, hope, and security that only God can provide. We cannot bear an authentic witness to what we have not experienced ourselves. Without the gift of eternal joy from God filling our lives, we can sound like travel agents describing somewhere we have never been. Or like a CPA reciting the tax code; giving facts without any passion. Recapturing our Gospel joy begins with personal confession and repentance.
Beshears describes a three-step outline for a conversation with someone who is indifferent or uninterested in the Christian faith. First, have them describe what brings them their greatest joy. Their source of happiness will likely be some combination of themselves, relationships, possessions, or experiences. Sadly, many Christians provide the same answers to this question as unbelievers. Without spiritual fervor, Christians can slide toward spiritual apathy and become practical atheists; living as if God doesn’t matter. Second, ask the person to consider how fragile and temporary their sources of joy are. How would they react to the loss of a relationship? A financial setback? A health crisis? Being the victim of violence? Where would they find joy in these difficult circumstances? These questions are “Gospel pebbles,” small annoyances that grow over time and to the point where they cannot be ignored. These questions get someone to think beyond their current circumstances and they create an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to nudge them toward God. Doubts and uncertainty about one’s future happiness can cause thinking past one’s immediate situation in a way that facts alone cannot.
Third, describe how God is a powerful and permanent source of joy, peace, hope and security in your life. Describe how the Gospel provides lasting joy despite sufferings and difficulties. Christians can (and should) increasingly find their ultimate joy in God Himself. His eternal joy transcends circumstances. This godly joy is sustained by God’s grace. Once someone becomes more interested in finding God’s joy, then the time is right for a more traditional Gospel presentation such as (i) how our sin separates us from God and how Jesus sacrificed to reconcile us to God, (ii) how the Kingdom of God is battling the forces of racism, poverty, and injustice, and now God’s people can experience a foretaste of the ultimate victory in Christ, (iii) how idolatry leads us to exchange the worship of God for worshipping things that will ultimately disappoint us, but Jesus offers divine joy, rest, and peace, or (iv) presenting the traditional arguments for the existence of God, including God as the first cause of everything (cosmological), God as the standard of what is good, true, and beautiful (moral), and God as the great designer/creator (teleological).
For most of us, time is precious these days. If you cannot afford the time to read 142 pages or listen to a three-and-one-half hour audio book, Kyle Beshears gave several long-format interviews about “Apatheism” including for the Hank Unplugged podcast and the Gospelbound podcast. These interviews captured most of the critical points in “Apatheism” in about an hour.