A Northwestern College professor’s new book explores how Christians can connect with people who do not consider themselves religious and rethink their approach to the culture wars.
Dr. Jason Lief is the author of “Unbelievers: Secular Faith and the End of the Culture War,” published by Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf and Stock.
The book opens with conversations Lief had with a group of young people at a pub in Copenhagen, Denmark.
“I told them I was a theology professor and they replied that they aren’t religious, but then we ended up talking about religion for three hours,” Lief said in a Northwestern College news release. “Those conversations rattled around in my head for a long time, as I wrestled with who Jesus Christ is for the unbeliever, those who have abandoned the church. God loves them.”
During his fall 2024 sabbatical, Lief traveled to Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. He studied the writings of Christian thinkers Dietrich Bonhoeffer, St. Francis of Assisi, and Søren Kierkegaard for insights into engaging with an increasingly nonreligious society.
Bonhoeffer’s writings are a key influence on the book. While imprisoned during World War II, the German theologian questioned what Christianity would look like after the war and envisioned a faith that engaged fully with the world.
Building on that idea, Lief encourages Christians to view the world as God’s good creation. Drawing on the Christian belief that Jesus is fully human and fully divine, he argues that believers should follow Christ’s example by serving others and participating meaningfully in society, rather than approaching their relationship with the world primarily as a battle.
“I hope readers come away recognizing that God loves this world and calls us to care for it,” Lief said. “I’d like to see the book strike up conversations about Christians’ relationship to culture and the cultural spheres that are good, recognizing that God is at the center of these things and that in our presence there, we discover the presence of God.”
The book takes its title from a song by indie band Vampire Weekend, whose music frequently explores faith, doubt, and spirituality.
Lief has served on Northwestern’s biblical and theological studies faculty since 2016 and is co-pastor of Maria Magdalena Reformed Church in Sioux Center. A 1996 Northwestern graduate, he earned a master’s degree in theology from Wheaton College Graduate School and a doctorate in practical theology from Luther Seminary.
