In Nation of Rebels, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter portray their rendition of how counterculture movements become consumer culture and hence become normalized.  They provide a number of ways to view the one who is going after societal change and argue that the one pursuing change is actually being changed by the very society they are rebelling against.  They plead throughout the book that the culture is more repressive than we could ever imagine and that anything less than total radical action is only “co-opted” by the system and assimilates meager counter culture attempts at change.  Like Pacino the detective, the counter culture agent finds more happiness in the pursuit than in the change itself and in the end, achieves a lifestyle no better than before.

While reading the book, I looked for ways in which counter culture agents in the church rebel against the organized and programmed approach to discipleship but end up implementing another discipleship program!  If the essence of discipleship is the unselfish sacrificial investment of one’s personal life for the Kingdom benefit of another, then attempts to make micro adjustments are destined to fail.  The authors, in regards to countercultural politics, write, “By rejecting any proposal that stops short of a total transformation of human consciousness and culture, countercultural activists too often wind up exacerbating precisely the problems they are hoping to solve.”  This is precisely what pragmatic driven ecclesiologists do by introducing “improved” programmed approaches to discipleship!

Jesus’ approach to discipleship was not a radical nor countercultural style of teaching.  Though there were some differences, it was a typical rabbi student relationship.  However, as the church became more complex more compromises were made and discipleship suffered as a result.  In order to maintain orderliness of church life the spontaneity and fluidity of lifestyle discipleship was compromised.  Even though the outward appearance of the programmatic approach looked good, there is activity and resources are consumed, the reality is that disciples are not being made and the quality of spiritual walk is not improved; they are not experiencing outward spiritual growth nor inward joy.  To counter this development, change agents have attempted to make changes to discipleship programs and most often they attempt to make them appear to be more relational.  They seem to make a slight difference for a time, but soon the novelty wears off and they become another inactive program.

The authors refer to exoticism and I think that may well describe the church’s quest concerning discipleship.  They are in constant search of the silver bullet that will truly “work” in their church culture.  They are willing to do anything except to make the radical shift to a Jesus’ lifestyle approach which looses the program and engages lifestyle for discipleship.  I absolutely disagree with the authors that what is needed is more rules to promote more compromise to defer to the ‘rights’ of others.  Who determines where one’s rights end and another’s begin?  Relational equity will do more to keep harmony and peace than rules.  I think this is the answer even outside the community of faith.  The author contends that Nazi Germany did much to press forward the idea that counter culture activity is needed (pg. 319).  Maybe so.  I contend that Jesus was the ultimate counter culture warrior and when His lifestyle is adopted it will redefine oneself and others who join.  

Like the detective, a true follower who is ‘following hard’ after Jesus will become like Jesus.