false 2975083 0830745637 9780830745630 11 3 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2975083.Branding_Faith_Why_Some_Churches_and_Nonprofits_Impact_Culture_and_Others_Don_t 1282554 Phil Cooke 13 4 0 2009-03-25T20:17:53-07:00 550792 224 2009-03-25T20:17:53-07:00 0 2009-03-21T22:22:10-07:00 533647 160 2009-03-21T22:22:10-07:00 0 2009-03-21T19:07:30-07:00 533054 126 2009-03-21T19:07:30-07:00 0 2009-03-10T22:11:20-07:00 488426 88 2009-03-10T22:11:20-07:00 0 2009-03-06T13:56:35-08:00 471001 51 2009-03-06T13:56:35-08:00 4 0 false Wed Mar 25 20:18:03 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 06 08:10:06 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 25 20:18:03 -0700 2009
That being said, early on, I started to go frustrated with the book because of his incessant need to try and justify the use of branding techniques to help shape a church or ministry leader's public perception. Rather than trying to baptize his thoughts, it seems he'd be much wiser to just pay attention to Luther's use of reason in his explanation of the Apostles' Creed. That is, he could talk about our reason being a blessing from God to help us get around the world and make the most of everyday life, while realizing that, when it comes to knowing God, our reason is an enemy.

One of the highlights of the book for me was his honesty about the way that media shapes the message. For example, in the Lutheran tradition, we hold that God is found in the brokenness and dirty of our everyday experience. However, when songs have the feel of a praise anthem, it's a bit hard to feel broken and dirty. Rather, the form itself tends to promote a theology where it's all about the great, the grand, and the glorious.

On the whole, I think the book is worth the read, if nothing else, to encourage ministry leaders to think about the message they are trying to communicate, and how their current approach is aiding or hindering that larger goal.]]>