1David M.

Battle
Orangeburg SC
October 2010
A Book Review
Nudge: Awakening Each Other to the God Who’s Already There
by Leonard Sweet
Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2010
ISBN 978-1-4347-6474-4

Leonard Sweet’s book, Nudge, seems to revolve around several inter-related themes. First,
evangelism is discipleship (28). Second, Sweet’s three notions which are as follows:
"Jesus is alive and active in our world"
"Followers of Jesus ‘know’ Jesus well enough to recognize where he is alive and active in our
day."
"Evangelists nudge the world to wake up to the alive and acting Jesus and nudge others in the
ways of God is alive and moving" (34)
Third, if Christians knew how to sense God that is to see, to hear, to smell, to taste and to touch
the divine; they could consciously nudge the world (130). Included with the two above themes is
the skill of semiotic or the reading of signs (41-44). Finally, Sweet recasts the concept of
holiness by asserting "that everything that lives is holy is some way" (34) and by describing
holiness as "touching the unclean and unholy" (245).
Sweet’s appeal is for Christians to become sensitive the works of God going on around them in
this world: Not only in their own lives but especially in the lives of others. A basic premise of the
work is that God is already present. We do not introduce people to God. We nudge them into
recognizing the divine work in their lives. This cannot be done unless one is attuned to God’s
presence in one’s own life.
The final chapters of the book present how one can be more attentive to life and the work of
God. Sweet nudges the reader to listen to God with their ears, to see God with their eyes, to taste
that God is good, to touch God in the world around us, and to sniff out God’s real work in the
world. By learning to listen to God, one is enabled to distinguish truth from falsehood. People
need to feed or meditate upon God and not just the Bible. Christians should allow themselves to
receive a vision from God and stop generating agendas. God calls us to reach out and touch the
world with our own hands. In so doing, we will bring redemption to the most vile of people.
Finally, we have lost our sense of smell which we need to perceive what is real around us.
I found much of Sweet’s work insightful. He illustrates his points well. The book is a good book
on living life in general, especially within this post-modern era.
My main point of contention is his theological methodology and embrace of post-modern
epistemology. He intentionally expresses theology in a "purposefully vague" manner so that
people can import their own meaning (207). His over all approach to theology is to seek the
lowest-common-denominator among all Christian traditions and to avoid precise definitions. For
example, he does not identify the difference between the Abraham Kuyper’s concept of Common
Grace and the Wesleyan-Arminian concept of Prevenient Grace (93). Common Grace is not
compatible with the cluster of themes in this work because it is not salvific in nature. Prevenient
Grace does seek to bring men to salvation so it is compatible with Nudge.
The gist of the book would be better served with a clearer theological framework which
emphasized Prevenient Grace. A stronger Christian tack could have elaborated upon the work of
the Holy Spirit on the lives of unbelievers and in the word. For example, a common metaphor for
the Spirit is wind. An individual may see and feel the affects of wind, but will have difficulty
identifying the source or destination of the wind (cf. John 3). The wind goes where it pleases and
no human can control it. Yet, sailors are able to harness the force of the wind to move large
ships. Christians need to learn how to harness the movements of the Spirit in all areas of life. By
being sensitive to the works of the Holy Spirit and leaning to navigate using the His power,
Christians will be able to nudge and guide all those with whom they come in contact toward the
divine harbor. My point is that though an individual may never be fully cognizant of the all that
the Spirit is doing, Christians should be like skilled sailors who can get ships to predetermined
destinations.
The ultimate goal of evangelism is not getting to know people or even helping them to
experience fuller lives. These things are good, and Christians should be doing all the good they
can in this fallen world. The ultimate goal of evangelism is nudging, is encouraging and is even
compelling people to attend the heavenly banquet. Our own cloths are not good enough for us to
be seated at the table. We have to come to the place where we are willing to give up our
corrupted, filthy rags and put on the garments provided by the Host of the banquet. Unless we
put aside our rags and put on the formal ware, we will not enjoy fellowship with the gracious and
loving King. Our own rages will get us thrown into the castle’s dungeon. This latter danger is
forgotten, and the ultimate goal of evangelism is not clear in the book.
I would recommend this book only to people who are well anchored in sound theology because it
does give many good insights to living within a post-modern culture. Those well grounded in
sound theology will naturally correct the theological vagueness of the book and still profit from
the themes. Those who are not well grounded in theology may be nudged by one of the many
varieties of philosophies which tickle our fancies. In short, if you know the Truth this book is
insightful, but this book will not help you find the Truth.
While the book is written within the frame work of a Christian community, the vague theological
framework opens the concept of nudging to almost any religion. A Hindu or a Buddhist reading
this book can apply it without much modification. They do believe in a "Christ." I get the sense;
one does not even need to believe in a supreme being to apply the teaching of the book. The
irony is that a book designed to encourage the discovery to the Good News of salvation in Christ
loses the distinct Christian focus on the message of the Kingdom of God.