Book Review: The Thrill of Orthodoxy by Trevin Wax
DISCLOSURE: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Trevin Wax, The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2022), 240 pp., $24.00 hardcover.
Larry Norman once asked, in song, "Why should the devil have all the good music?" Although Norman was writing Christian music, he put his finger on some typical critiques of Christianity. Christianity is boring. It is too old-fashioned. It is no fun. It is stuck in its ways. Trevin Wax's new book, The Thrill of Orthodoxy, serves as a much-needed reminder that the life of the Christian is anything but boring. Orthodoxy is not just a checklist of arbitrary rules and regulations but a roadmap out of the darkness and into the light. Like any good adventure story, our lives are meant to be a journey towards a goal, the glorification of God, contrary to the aimless relativism dominating popular culture in the West today.
The title of Wax's book will cause many readers to think about G.K. Chesterton's masterpiece, Orthodoxy. Stylistically, it seems clear that Wax is trying to follow many of the paths that Chesterton has trod, and he does so in a similarly approachable and conversational way. For example, in his third chapter entitled "Rediscovering the Adventure," Wax provides an extended discussion of the relationship between boundaries and freedom. Chesterton readers will recall Chesterton's discussion of children playing on top of the hill and the benefits of walls from Orthodoxy. Wax ends his fourth chapter, entitled "Why the Details Matter, " discussing the beautiful complexity of God's truth. Chesterton aficionados might imagine the madman wrapped up in a prison of one idea, denying the world's complexity. Wax does a very good job expressing stylistically Chestertonian thought without simply rephrasing the great British journalist.
Organized in ten chapters and spanning 240 pages, this book is very approachable. Wax makes a great effort to write without jargon for an audience of lay evangelical Christians. While Catholic and Orthodox readers will certainly find a great deal of value in these pages, Wax defines orthodoxy in a way that will be most comfortable for evangelical Christians. That said, even many evangelicals will probably be convicted by what they find in these pages and end up slightly uncomfortable.
The entire purpose of this book is to wake up the church. Wax begins by defining the foundation of orthodoxy because it is critical to know where we are before we can figure out where we are going. It is impossible to chart a course for a destination if you do not know where you are starting from. Therefore, after wrestling with the definition of orthodoxy in the first chapter, the second chapter explores ways in which we drift away from orthodoxy. Drifting is not always intentionally malicious, but it has consequences that cause damage. For example, he discusses four hypothetical people who have lost something necessary to their faith. One is just going through the motions, one has abandoned defined doctrinal convictions, one tries to avoid the "tough" questions that contradict culture, and one is most concerned about social change instead of sticking to the faith. None of these people are intentionally trying to undercut Christianity, but Wax rightly points out that they are missing the fullness of what they could have and should have as followers of Jesus Christ on the adventure of a lifetime.
The third chapter, as previously mentioned, discusses the thrill of adventure and the necessity of intellectual humility. At the same time, the fourth hones on why the details matter and discusses specific doctrines like sin. The fifth chapter, also conjuring images of Chesterton's madman, explains how heresies provide a more restrictive vision of the world that does not account for the beauty and complexity of existence. In this chapter, he helpfully chronicles several heresies related to the person of Jesus Christ and explains why they provide insufficient explanations for who He actually is.
The sixth chapter is where this book starts to transition to practicality. With the foundation established and the dangers of heresy enumerated, Wax states the obvious. The Christian worldview is at odds with many cultural trends in our world today. What are we supposed to do with that? Urging readers to neither accommodate nor retreat, Wax appeals to Augustine, who suggests Christians must stand against the world for the good of the world. We should not be malicious or hateful, but orthodoxy requires us to try to help, even if our help is rejected. This is uncomfortable and certainly convicting, but it is a needed reminder for many of us who prefer to avoid conflict.
The Christian mission is so important because it has eternal consequences, as emphasized in the seventh chapter. However, as the eighth chapter notes, conflict makes for a good story. We like stories because stories feel like our lives. Therefore, how exhilarating is it to be a part of a story full of obstacles to overcome that literally, not figuratively or metaphorically, has eternal consequences? If we think our lives are boring, we fail to understand that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. Sometimes we do not like to think about eternal consequences, and our relativistic society does not like us to talk about them either, but it is central to orthodox Christianity. Our lives matter, and we will be restless until we find the satisfaction only God can provide, to channel Augustine again.
The final two chapters discuss the future of the church. Chapter nine discusses why churches seem to be in decline, whereas chapter ten suggests a brighter future for orthodoxy itself. Running away from orthodoxy seems to provide some short-term benefits, but Wax points out that alternate theologies cannot provide the broad satisfaction that Christianity can, a concept that consistently runs through this book. Tradition should not devolve into traditionalism, or churches end up full of empty rituals with no actual conviction. Nevertheless, tradition, another strongly Chestertonian theme, matters. We do not want to simply drift with the flow of society; rootlessness has never helped anyone. Instead, we want to become anchored in orthodoxy. Only then will we be able to experience all the wonder, adventure, and joy that the Christian life was intended to have.
As a lover of G.K. Chesterton, I am the target audience for this book. Wax delivered an excellent work that I highly recommend to specifically Christians who are feeling a little bit bored. If your Christianity feels like just a list of rules and regulations, this book will give you a refreshing perspective. We do not live our lives following God on the sidelines; we must join in the adventure. Sure, adventures have inherent risks, but they also come with rewards if you are willing to jump in. Reading this book might just be the encouragement you need to take that step.