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Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community
Christianity Today 2023 Award of Merit (Politics & Public Life)
Logos 2022 Book of the Year Award (Christianity in Culture)
Which media outlets will help me be a responsible news consumer? How do I know what is true and whom I can trust? What can I do to combat all the misinformation and how it's impacting people I love?
Many Americans are agonizing over questions such as these, feeling unsure and overwhelmed in today's chaotic information environment.
American life and politics are suffering from a raging knowledge crisis, and the church is no exception. In Untrustworthy , Bonnie Kristian unpacks this crisis and explores ways to combat it in our own lives, families, and church communities.
Drawing from her extensive experience in journalism and her training as a theologian, Kristian explores social media, political and digital culture, online paranoia, and the press itself. She explains factors that contribute to our confusion and helps Christians pay attention to how we consume content and think about truth. Finally, she provides specific ways to take action, empowering readers to avoid succumbing to or fueling the knowledge crisis.
Logos 2022 Book of the Year Award (Christianity in Culture)
Which media outlets will help me be a responsible news consumer? How do I know what is true and whom I can trust? What can I do to combat all the misinformation and how it's impacting people I love?
Many Americans are agonizing over questions such as these, feeling unsure and overwhelmed in today's chaotic information environment.
American life and politics are suffering from a raging knowledge crisis, and the church is no exception. In Untrustworthy , Bonnie Kristian unpacks this crisis and explores ways to combat it in our own lives, families, and church communities.
Drawing from her extensive experience in journalism and her training as a theologian, Kristian explores social media, political and digital culture, online paranoia, and the press itself. She explains factors that contribute to our confusion and helps Christians pay attention to how we consume content and think about truth. Finally, she provides specific ways to take action, empowering readers to avoid succumbing to or fueling the knowledge crisis.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2022
About the author
Bonnie Kristian
2 books37 followersBonnie Kristian (MA, Bethel Seminary) is a seasoned journalist who writes on religion, foreign policy, technology, criminal justice, civil liberties, electoral politics, and more.
She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community( Oct. 11, 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018).
Bonnie's column, "The Lesser Kingdom," appears in print and online at Christianity Today, and she is a fellow at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank. Her work has also been featured in other outlets, including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and Reason.
Bonnie lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and twin sons.
She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community( Oct. 11, 2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018).
Bonnie's column, "The Lesser Kingdom," appears in print and online at Christianity Today, and she is a fellow at Defense Priorities, a foreign policy think tank. Her work has also been featured in other outlets, including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and Reason.
Bonnie lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband and twin sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 11, 2022
Kristian's excellent book engages the present epistemic crisis we face in Western culture due to the overabundance of accessible media, giving a description of how we got into crisis, what the crisis looks like, and prescriptively offering some ideas of how we might be able to push back against the crisis.
The descriptive chapters are insightful, and while she might be accused of some "both-sidesism", the examples given point to the fact that this epistemic crisis is not only found on one side of the political divide. Rather, we have a human tendency to listen more carefully to those who already agree with us, which our modern media environment (television, social media, etc) makes it far too easy to indulge without having to actually thoughtfully engage with those who disagree.
The payoff in the prescriptive chapters is realistic, not pretending to offer a silver bullet that will solve all these problems. If anything, it might feel more like a long defeat than a solution. Much of the solutions are inwardly focused, trying to help one's own pursuit of truth and preservation of relationships. While these are both incredibly necessary (as well as the also discussed overlooked-by-philosophers need for a practical epistemology), chances are that the people picking up this book are already more willing to be critical of their own ideas. However, the reminder to preserve our relationships and look to others to help us rather than focusing on all that they get wrong are things that I cannot be reminded of often enough. It reminds me of Dallas Willard who once talked about the practice of not having to have the last word. It isn't clear that this will actually make a difference in the larger culture, but it might make a change in me, which can influence those that I actually have meaningful relationships with.
This book is well worth picking up if you are tired of the disinformation that is perpetuated, and want to understand more clearly how we got to this place and contribute to making things better, at least in your corner of the world.
The descriptive chapters are insightful, and while she might be accused of some "both-sidesism", the examples given point to the fact that this epistemic crisis is not only found on one side of the political divide. Rather, we have a human tendency to listen more carefully to those who already agree with us, which our modern media environment (television, social media, etc) makes it far too easy to indulge without having to actually thoughtfully engage with those who disagree.
The payoff in the prescriptive chapters is realistic, not pretending to offer a silver bullet that will solve all these problems. If anything, it might feel more like a long defeat than a solution. Much of the solutions are inwardly focused, trying to help one's own pursuit of truth and preservation of relationships. While these are both incredibly necessary (as well as the also discussed overlooked-by-philosophers need for a practical epistemology), chances are that the people picking up this book are already more willing to be critical of their own ideas. However, the reminder to preserve our relationships and look to others to help us rather than focusing on all that they get wrong are things that I cannot be reminded of often enough. It reminds me of Dallas Willard who once talked about the practice of not having to have the last word. It isn't clear that this will actually make a difference in the larger culture, but it might make a change in me, which can influence those that I actually have meaningful relationships with.
This book is well worth picking up if you are tired of the disinformation that is perpetuated, and want to understand more clearly how we got to this place and contribute to making things better, at least in your corner of the world.
January 27, 2023
“Our epistemology is a mess—and we don’t even know we have an epistemology.” (p. 13)
The first seven chapters assess the “epistemic” or knowledge crisis in our society as it appears in traditional & social media, in a mob mentality (cancel culture), in conspiracist thinking, in skepticism of expertise, in our imbalanced use of emotion or reason, in the use of identity as a conversation stopper. But if “epistemic” or “epistemology” sounds too philosophical or jargony for you, don’t write this book off. This is one of very few philosophical jargon words in the book. Kristian offers easy-to-understand definitions and practical assessments that will resonate with most people.
The last three chapters offer a guidebook for cultivating virtuous ways of knowing, building up habits to do that well and consistently, and approaching our friends and neighbors with love, offering a breath of fresh air rather than our next best argument. There’s no quick fix to our public knowledge crisis, but if enough people took to heart practical steps like these, the needle could move.
This book is so well done. Insightful, accurate, readable, and practical, everyone with an ounce of an open mind toward how they know what they know should read this book. And if you don’t have any openness to thinking about how you know what you know, then maybe give this book a chance anyway because it might just widen your perspective and make your life better, along with the lives of those around you.
The first seven chapters assess the “epistemic” or knowledge crisis in our society as it appears in traditional & social media, in a mob mentality (cancel culture), in conspiracist thinking, in skepticism of expertise, in our imbalanced use of emotion or reason, in the use of identity as a conversation stopper. But if “epistemic” or “epistemology” sounds too philosophical or jargony for you, don’t write this book off. This is one of very few philosophical jargon words in the book. Kristian offers easy-to-understand definitions and practical assessments that will resonate with most people.
The last three chapters offer a guidebook for cultivating virtuous ways of knowing, building up habits to do that well and consistently, and approaching our friends and neighbors with love, offering a breath of fresh air rather than our next best argument. There’s no quick fix to our public knowledge crisis, but if enough people took to heart practical steps like these, the needle could move.
This book is so well done. Insightful, accurate, readable, and practical, everyone with an ounce of an open mind toward how they know what they know should read this book. And if you don’t have any openness to thinking about how you know what you know, then maybe give this book a chance anyway because it might just widen your perspective and make your life better, along with the lives of those around you.
May 28, 2023
Kristian is knowledgeable in this, and many topics. It would make a great book club selection, as it explores the why behind where we are politically, and largely overall as a society.
October 25, 2022
In Untrustworthy, journalist Bonnie Kristian attempts to answer one of the most pressing questions of modern evangelicalism: Why are Evangelical Christians so easily manipulated by politicians and news outlets peddling fear, misinformation, and conspiracies?
According to Kristian, America is in the midst of an "epistemological (or knowledge) crisis," and the church is no exception. If you've been paying attention, you know what she's talking about: Once trusted Christian mentors and confidants sharing the most outlandish (and obviously fake) content on social media, obsessions with the "End Times" and "decoding the books of Daniel and Revelation," and blind devotion to unscrupulous politicians like Donald Trump.
However, Kristian isn't just interested in lambasting conservative Christians. She also shows how left-leaning media bias and hypocritical public "shaming" tactics help fuel the cycle and peddle the misconception of persecution and cultural animosity.
The book is perhaps strongest at the end, where Kristian attempts to "solve" our epistemological crisis through advice on how to engage with social media and the news, but she admits her recommendations will probably be too little too late for those too far down the rabbit hole.
Though I agree with about 95% of Kristian's points, my main critique of Untrustworthy is that I've encountered most of this content before. I'm thankful for Kristian's robust research and scholarship, but I've also read most of the books and sources she quotes extensively from. If you're new to this issue (i.e. you're starting to wonder why your evangelical parents and grandparents ONLY talk about politics and conspiracies nowadays), then this would probably be a good place to start.
According to Kristian, America is in the midst of an "epistemological (or knowledge) crisis," and the church is no exception. If you've been paying attention, you know what she's talking about: Once trusted Christian mentors and confidants sharing the most outlandish (and obviously fake) content on social media, obsessions with the "End Times" and "decoding the books of Daniel and Revelation," and blind devotion to unscrupulous politicians like Donald Trump.
However, Kristian isn't just interested in lambasting conservative Christians. She also shows how left-leaning media bias and hypocritical public "shaming" tactics help fuel the cycle and peddle the misconception of persecution and cultural animosity.
The book is perhaps strongest at the end, where Kristian attempts to "solve" our epistemological crisis through advice on how to engage with social media and the news, but she admits her recommendations will probably be too little too late for those too far down the rabbit hole.
Though I agree with about 95% of Kristian's points, my main critique of Untrustworthy is that I've encountered most of this content before. I'm thankful for Kristian's robust research and scholarship, but I've also read most of the books and sources she quotes extensively from. If you're new to this issue (i.e. you're starting to wonder why your evangelical parents and grandparents ONLY talk about politics and conspiracies nowadays), then this would probably be a good place to start.
November 23, 2022
Bonnie Kristian wrote the book I've been wanting to read for 4 years. She sets out to write about a project that she is uniquely qualified to write about by virtue of her training, expertise, and Christian faith and practice. She not only accurately describes the epistemic crisis we have lived through for the past five years, but she offers helpful categories and practices for the reader to implement. Some of these are personal (take the plank out of your own eye) and others concern how we relate to others, especially those who are prone to accepting, sharing, and even promoting conspiracy theories.
Also refreshing is her very excellent use of Scripture, especially the New Testament to inform her criticisms and advice. She also weaves in poetry into each chapter.
The chapters in this book work like discreet, interlinking units very well. It is cohesive, but also each chapter could be read or shared on a standalone basis.
Particularly strong were her chapters on diagnosis our current crisis as an epistemic one (ch. 1, "Naming the Crisis") and ch. 8 ("A Practical Epistemology") where she navigates the interrelationship between reason, wisdom, and emotions in our appeals, and also ch. 9 ("A Building Plan") where she digests the best advice from people writing in the field of media ecology and personal/family tech and news habits.
At the beginning of this year, FareForward published a piece I wrote very much in line with this work, but in 3,000 words instead: https://farefwd.com/index.php/2022/01...
Also refreshing is her very excellent use of Scripture, especially the New Testament to inform her criticisms and advice. She also weaves in poetry into each chapter.
The chapters in this book work like discreet, interlinking units very well. It is cohesive, but also each chapter could be read or shared on a standalone basis.
Particularly strong were her chapters on diagnosis our current crisis as an epistemic one (ch. 1, "Naming the Crisis") and ch. 8 ("A Practical Epistemology") where she navigates the interrelationship between reason, wisdom, and emotions in our appeals, and also ch. 9 ("A Building Plan") where she digests the best advice from people writing in the field of media ecology and personal/family tech and news habits.
At the beginning of this year, FareForward published a piece I wrote very much in line with this work, but in 3,000 words instead: https://farefwd.com/index.php/2022/01...
Read
August 1, 2023I enjoyed this -- a fast, breezy look at some serious topics. I found myself wanting to dig more into the philosophical and theological sources she quotes.
What I would like to review here, which I realize is weird, are the marginal notes taken in pencil by the previous patron who checked this book out of the Vancouver Public Library before I did. I was increasingly distracted by this person's notes to the point that, by the end of the book, I was really more interested in trying to figure out who this guy was and what his deal was than the conclusions of the author. Here are some facts I know about the person who took these notes:
- 99.9% sure it was a dude
- Kind of person who thinks it's OK to take copious notes in pencil on a library book and even compile his own alternative index at the end (?)
- Possibly a native speaker of Russian, with several notes in Cyrillic
- Felt it necessary to note any biblical reference (already cited in house style in the book) by writing an abbreviated name of the book plus a roman numeral for the chapter (e.g. "Gen xiii)
- Apparently very "anti-woke" with multiple dismissive references to what he called "Floydism" and "Kendi-ism" when issues of race came up; also took special note of whether Black/black was capitalized in the text and various quotes
- Doesn't like feminism; made several dismissive and frankly crude comments about the MeToo movement
- Generally uncool with any notions of epistemology being legitimately influenced by social or 'identity' factors
- Felt qualified to make copyediting notes, some of which were accurate (indeed there were a few typos -- most books have 'em!), others of which were idiosyncratic stylistic preferences
- probably a Christian of some stripe, but one extremely concerned with popularizers of anti-racist discourse to the point that he responds that the atoning work of Jesus "is undone" by these thinkers and writers. This claim is so bizarre that I don't even know how to respond to it.
Again, I want to reiterate, this is not a review of Kristian's book, but a review of the slightly unhinged person who took lots of notes in the copy I read. Would read another book by Kristian; would not really want to read another set of notes by this guy.
What I would like to review here, which I realize is weird, are the marginal notes taken in pencil by the previous patron who checked this book out of the Vancouver Public Library before I did. I was increasingly distracted by this person's notes to the point that, by the end of the book, I was really more interested in trying to figure out who this guy was and what his deal was than the conclusions of the author. Here are some facts I know about the person who took these notes:
- 99.9% sure it was a dude
- Kind of person who thinks it's OK to take copious notes in pencil on a library book and even compile his own alternative index at the end (?)
- Possibly a native speaker of Russian, with several notes in Cyrillic
- Felt it necessary to note any biblical reference (already cited in house style in the book) by writing an abbreviated name of the book plus a roman numeral for the chapter (e.g. "Gen xiii)
- Apparently very "anti-woke" with multiple dismissive references to what he called "Floydism" and "Kendi-ism" when issues of race came up; also took special note of whether Black/black was capitalized in the text and various quotes
- Doesn't like feminism; made several dismissive and frankly crude comments about the MeToo movement
- Generally uncool with any notions of epistemology being legitimately influenced by social or 'identity' factors
- Felt qualified to make copyediting notes, some of which were accurate (indeed there were a few typos -- most books have 'em!), others of which were idiosyncratic stylistic preferences
- probably a Christian of some stripe, but one extremely concerned with popularizers of anti-racist discourse to the point that he responds that the atoning work of Jesus "is undone" by these thinkers and writers. This claim is so bizarre that I don't even know how to respond to it.
Again, I want to reiterate, this is not a review of Kristian's book, but a review of the slightly unhinged person who took lots of notes in the copy I read. Would read another book by Kristian; would not really want to read another set of notes by this guy.
October 11, 2022
“American society has a knowledge crisis, and the American church is no exception,” writes Bonnie Kristian in Untrustworthy. Her book details the origin, consequences, and resolution of the crisis. Its message is timely.
What is the crisis? “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble,” an adage misattributed to Mark Twain states. “It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Our knowledge crisis is strong belief in evident falsehoods.
Proof of it is as close as your social media feeds. If yours are like mine, they are filled with bad information. People like, comment on, and share that information anyway.
Media isn’t the only problem, however. The knowledge crisis interacts with social phenomena such as cancel culture, conspiracism, and distrust of experts (which Kristian concedes is sometimes earned).
The crisis also crops up in statements like, “In my heart, I know what’s right,” though the facts point contrariwise. And it is apparent in identity politics. Kristian explains that “if you don’t have a given identity or experience … your understanding of related issues is fundamentally limited — maybe totally precluded.”
The consequences of the knowledge crisis are dire. To rephrase the book’s subtitle, the crisis breaks our brains, pollutes our politics, and corrupts Christian community.
Kristian traces the origin of the crisis to the information revolution. “In the span of a few decades we massively increased the quantity of information the average person encounters daily, much of which makes or assumes major truth claims,” she writes. “But we didn’t equip ourselves for those multiplying encounters.”
To fix the crisis, then, we need to equip ourselves with virtues that help us discern truth. These include humility, studiousness, honesty, wisdom and love. Believers develop them, in part, through a hermeneutic of obedience. As Kristian explains, “we gain understanding of Scripture when we are prepared to obey it.”
We also need to develop habits that train our attention on truth, goodness and beauty. Kristian confesses that for her, “the chief risk is overuse of the internet, particularly via my phone, at times when I should be attending to something different and better.”
That risk seems widespread. Many of us need to develop healthier habits of device usage, social media interaction, and news consumption.
Kristian closes Untrustworthy by acknowledging that “argument is a tool of limited uses” in the knowledge crisis. She cites G.K. Chesterton: “We should be chiefly concerned not so much to give [the foolish mind] arguments as to give it air.” For Kristian, that air is “a relationship, ordinary and grounded in love.”
In short, the solution to our knowledge crisis is — and has always been — speaking the truth lovingly (Ephesians 4:14–15).
Book Reviewed
Bonnie Kristian, Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics and Corrupting Christian Community (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
What is the crisis? “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble,” an adage misattributed to Mark Twain states. “It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Our knowledge crisis is strong belief in evident falsehoods.
Proof of it is as close as your social media feeds. If yours are like mine, they are filled with bad information. People like, comment on, and share that information anyway.
Media isn’t the only problem, however. The knowledge crisis interacts with social phenomena such as cancel culture, conspiracism, and distrust of experts (which Kristian concedes is sometimes earned).
The crisis also crops up in statements like, “In my heart, I know what’s right,” though the facts point contrariwise. And it is apparent in identity politics. Kristian explains that “if you don’t have a given identity or experience … your understanding of related issues is fundamentally limited — maybe totally precluded.”
The consequences of the knowledge crisis are dire. To rephrase the book’s subtitle, the crisis breaks our brains, pollutes our politics, and corrupts Christian community.
Kristian traces the origin of the crisis to the information revolution. “In the span of a few decades we massively increased the quantity of information the average person encounters daily, much of which makes or assumes major truth claims,” she writes. “But we didn’t equip ourselves for those multiplying encounters.”
To fix the crisis, then, we need to equip ourselves with virtues that help us discern truth. These include humility, studiousness, honesty, wisdom and love. Believers develop them, in part, through a hermeneutic of obedience. As Kristian explains, “we gain understanding of Scripture when we are prepared to obey it.”
We also need to develop habits that train our attention on truth, goodness and beauty. Kristian confesses that for her, “the chief risk is overuse of the internet, particularly via my phone, at times when I should be attending to something different and better.”
That risk seems widespread. Many of us need to develop healthier habits of device usage, social media interaction, and news consumption.
Kristian closes Untrustworthy by acknowledging that “argument is a tool of limited uses” in the knowledge crisis. She cites G.K. Chesterton: “We should be chiefly concerned not so much to give [the foolish mind] arguments as to give it air.” For Kristian, that air is “a relationship, ordinary and grounded in love.”
In short, the solution to our knowledge crisis is — and has always been — speaking the truth lovingly (Ephesians 4:14–15).
Book Reviewed
Bonnie Kristian, Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics and Corrupting Christian Community (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022).
P.S. If you liked my review, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.
P.P.S. This review is cross-posted from InfluenceMagazine.com by permission.
November 13, 2022
There are some broad insights in this book that are worth holding onto: the importance of humility, the acceptance of some degree of uncertainty, the need to hold doors at least slightly ajar for reconciliation.
But the off-hand need to rope the American Left into the problem and the strange biblical proof-texting tick are distracting moves. Maybe these are the ante you put down to speak to Evangelical audiences, but I’m not convinced this book will land for anybody else.
Per FTC guidelines, be advised that I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
But the off-hand need to rope the American Left into the problem and the strange biblical proof-texting tick are distracting moves. Maybe these are the ante you put down to speak to Evangelical audiences, but I’m not convinced this book will land for anybody else.
Per FTC guidelines, be advised that I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
December 6, 2022
I had mixed feelings about this book. Overall, it speaks to a lot of themes that I appreciate, and she says a lot of things that are going to make a lot of readers unhappy. I appreciate that spirit, especially when so many people are afraid to say what they mean. For many of us, it is easy to get wrapped up in our ideological silos, thinking we are experts, when in reality, we are not experts in most things. Many of the principles that she espouses are things that I truly believe, so I resonated with a lot of what she said.
The biggest concern I have about this book is that we find ourselves in a climate where Christianity is arguably seen as a net negative by a substantial proportion of our society, including many of the institutions claimed to be experts. As a result, while I absolutely support the calls for humility and open dialogue to pursue truth together, I sometimes think it gives a little bit too much benefit of the doubt to the expert institutions involved. For instance, if I interviewed many college philosophy departments, arguably the experts in the field, and the consensus would be that atheism or agnosticism is a better worldview choice than Christianity. I am not a highly credentialed philosopher at Harvard, but I think I have the right worldview on this one. That's the kind of dilemma I kept wrestling with as I read this book. To use some trendy Christian terminology right now, a lot of times I felt like this book was written for the "neutral world", but I don't know if it flies in the "negative world" if that is where we are right now.
I entirely appreciate a lot of what she has written, but I think there might be a bit too much emphasis on institutional knowledge given the opposition to specifically our Christian faith that we find in many institutions. However, if you want to read about the way I was the world was often times, this is a very good book, so I certainly recommend it.
The biggest concern I have about this book is that we find ourselves in a climate where Christianity is arguably seen as a net negative by a substantial proportion of our society, including many of the institutions claimed to be experts. As a result, while I absolutely support the calls for humility and open dialogue to pursue truth together, I sometimes think it gives a little bit too much benefit of the doubt to the expert institutions involved. For instance, if I interviewed many college philosophy departments, arguably the experts in the field, and the consensus would be that atheism or agnosticism is a better worldview choice than Christianity. I am not a highly credentialed philosopher at Harvard, but I think I have the right worldview on this one. That's the kind of dilemma I kept wrestling with as I read this book. To use some trendy Christian terminology right now, a lot of times I felt like this book was written for the "neutral world", but I don't know if it flies in the "negative world" if that is where we are right now.
I entirely appreciate a lot of what she has written, but I think there might be a bit too much emphasis on institutional knowledge given the opposition to specifically our Christian faith that we find in many institutions. However, if you want to read about the way I was the world was often times, this is a very good book, so I certainly recommend it.
February 7, 2023
This is a critical book we’ve needed for quite some time. A thoughtful, honest, humble discussion of our epistemic crisis, rooted in Scripture and expertly researched. Kristian invites us into a practical way forward. Cannot recommend highly enough.
October 20, 2022
This was an excellent look at epistemology and how our view of truth affects us and the church. Well written and challenging.
June 2, 2024
This book is very simple but covers a ton of ground in relation to propaganda, conspiracy, technology, and community.
July 8, 2022
There was a time when many people had to deal with information overload. With technological advancement, the challenges of managing information have not only grown but have also multiplied. No longer can we simply trust the stuff thrown at us, we need to question their authenticity more and more. Questions like: Who is the publisher? What is their agenda? What kind of people are they hiring? What do they stand to gain? What political alliances are they a part of? Who is funding their business? Is it fake news? These are fundamental questions dealing with the tip of the iceberg of published "facts" and gross misinformation trolling the Internet daily. Sometimes, when a piece of news is published, one has to ask why before accepting what was dished out to us. We are in an information crisis. How do we trust news that is presented to us as "facts?" Author Bonnie Kristian goes beyond such mass misinformation by calling this a "knowledge crisis" (technical term: "epistemic crisis") that permeates wide segments of society. For Christians, this is also a faith crisis. Based on her wide experience as a journalist, she notices the incredible amount of half-trust being masqueraded as facts for public consumption. Whether it is the left or the right, moderate or middle-ground, all are guilty of manipulating facts for their own ends. The difference lies in the extent of the manipulation. Unfortunately, those who believe such information wholesale had lept to drastic measures on their own lifestyles. Kristian shares how some folks who feared a Trump loss would lead to an economic disaster stopped buying a house or curtailed their economic activity. From gay marriages to conspiracy theories, politics to Covid-19 matters, and how news media has led to divisions in various communities, misinformation dominates our media. These have driven a wedge that divides societies all over the world, even families. In writing this book, author Bonnie Kristian has three key objectives:
1) Help us name the crisis
2) Identify its rotten fruits
3) Find the air that is still undefiled
She names three broad domains affected by the knowledge crisis. Politically, countries are divided as people feed on information that pushes them further apart. Socially, many well-intentioned individuals spread fear based on false news. Faith-wise, world media has increasingly moved people further away from biblical truth. Sadly, even Christian media are guilty of disseminating half-truths or biased opinions. From profit-making purposes to over-zealous proselytizing, it is increasingly difficult to be objective. On using social media, she warns us of the four ways we encounter "epistemic confusion." Such confusion leads to mob mentality behaviour that crucifies those who offer a view counter to mainstream views. People have been known to lose their jobs and be exposed to public shame via "cancel culture." She looks at conspiracy movements and reminds us with Proverbs 3:5 not to lean on our own understanding but on God. Plus, as people increasingly feel empowered by what they read on the Internet, they start challenging conventional experts and specialized training in a skeptical fashion. Gradually, Kristian offers us some hope to correct such scenarios. In "epistemic reconciliation," we learn that even when the Bible shows us glimpses of the Truth, we lack the capacity to comprehend them. We need new lenses to see Truth. Prayer, humility and wisdom to discern the differences between knowledge, opinion, and conjecture. Human beings are not as objective as they think they are. She promotes the three "epistemic virtues" of studiousness, intellectual honesty, and wisdom to counter our decaying environment of epistemic confusion. The chapter on "A Practical Epistemology" is worth the price of the book.
My Thoughts
==============
There are many shrewd observations done by the author that most people don't normally see. She is spot on when examining how our modern culture is becoming more arrogant just because we know a little bit more from the Internet. Just as we demand humility from various experts in our world, we need to stay humble ourselves, to know that what we believe today may not be the whole truth. Perhaps, when we read about a certain piece of information or news from the Internet, it is good to even ask why we are shown that particular article at any one particular time. Are we being fed by certain algorithms to promote their views? Are we unwitting pawns being used by the tech titans of our day? Have we trusted dubious sources more and legitimate sources less? Have we lost our own ability to discern truth from falsehood? It has been said that we are what we do on social media. In a culture where many people think they are experts based on what they see on screens, we need great humility to begin questioning the things we see even before we start challenging the experts of the sciences and the arts. If we could all nip falsehood in the bud, we limit the spread of misinformation that could lead to unnecessary fear and public panic.
We need a renewed call for discerning actual facts from personal opinions. We need wisdom to differentiate the silent voices of truth versus the noisy cymbals of fads. For people of faith, we need the Word of God to shed light on the works and words of the world. The timeless truth is that we need to read and study the Bible more each day. Otherwise, we are vulnerable to many untruths. The Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth. The way of love, the humility of thought, and the fruit of the Spirit are all truths according to the Word of God. Kristian has given us a powerful clarion call to wake up from any slumber even as the world around us are sinking into epistemic confusion. We are called to be the light of the world, and not to become conduits of errors promoted by the world. Just as John Wesley famously said, "The world is my parish," we need to wake up and remind ourselves that the technological world is our new parish.
If you consume a lot of news online, this is a necessary read. If you do not read a lot on the Internet, this book is an important equipping resource. Whatever it is, it is helpful to remember that the Internet is not a neutral tool. It is a principality where the spiritual forces of darkness are thriving with. It is time to stand up and counter falsehood, beginning with not spreading falsehood. Let this book help initiate that.
Bonnie Kristian is an experienced journalist skilled in compelling opinion writing, concise news delivery, and meticulous editing. Bonnie is the author of A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). As a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief at The Week, Bonnie writes and edits opinion pieces on foreign policy, religion, criminal justice, urbanism, civil liberties, electoral politics, and more. Her column, "The Lesser Kingdom," appears in print and online at Christianity Today. Her work has also been published at outlets including USA Today, Defense One, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, Politico, Time, Reason, National Interest, and The American Conservative. A graduate of Bethel Seminary, she lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and twin sons.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
1) Help us name the crisis
2) Identify its rotten fruits
3) Find the air that is still undefiled
She names three broad domains affected by the knowledge crisis. Politically, countries are divided as people feed on information that pushes them further apart. Socially, many well-intentioned individuals spread fear based on false news. Faith-wise, world media has increasingly moved people further away from biblical truth. Sadly, even Christian media are guilty of disseminating half-truths or biased opinions. From profit-making purposes to over-zealous proselytizing, it is increasingly difficult to be objective. On using social media, she warns us of the four ways we encounter "epistemic confusion." Such confusion leads to mob mentality behaviour that crucifies those who offer a view counter to mainstream views. People have been known to lose their jobs and be exposed to public shame via "cancel culture." She looks at conspiracy movements and reminds us with Proverbs 3:5 not to lean on our own understanding but on God. Plus, as people increasingly feel empowered by what they read on the Internet, they start challenging conventional experts and specialized training in a skeptical fashion. Gradually, Kristian offers us some hope to correct such scenarios. In "epistemic reconciliation," we learn that even when the Bible shows us glimpses of the Truth, we lack the capacity to comprehend them. We need new lenses to see Truth. Prayer, humility and wisdom to discern the differences between knowledge, opinion, and conjecture. Human beings are not as objective as they think they are. She promotes the three "epistemic virtues" of studiousness, intellectual honesty, and wisdom to counter our decaying environment of epistemic confusion. The chapter on "A Practical Epistemology" is worth the price of the book.
My Thoughts
==============
There are many shrewd observations done by the author that most people don't normally see. She is spot on when examining how our modern culture is becoming more arrogant just because we know a little bit more from the Internet. Just as we demand humility from various experts in our world, we need to stay humble ourselves, to know that what we believe today may not be the whole truth. Perhaps, when we read about a certain piece of information or news from the Internet, it is good to even ask why we are shown that particular article at any one particular time. Are we being fed by certain algorithms to promote their views? Are we unwitting pawns being used by the tech titans of our day? Have we trusted dubious sources more and legitimate sources less? Have we lost our own ability to discern truth from falsehood? It has been said that we are what we do on social media. In a culture where many people think they are experts based on what they see on screens, we need great humility to begin questioning the things we see even before we start challenging the experts of the sciences and the arts. If we could all nip falsehood in the bud, we limit the spread of misinformation that could lead to unnecessary fear and public panic.
We need a renewed call for discerning actual facts from personal opinions. We need wisdom to differentiate the silent voices of truth versus the noisy cymbals of fads. For people of faith, we need the Word of God to shed light on the works and words of the world. The timeless truth is that we need to read and study the Bible more each day. Otherwise, we are vulnerable to many untruths. The Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth. The way of love, the humility of thought, and the fruit of the Spirit are all truths according to the Word of God. Kristian has given us a powerful clarion call to wake up from any slumber even as the world around us are sinking into epistemic confusion. We are called to be the light of the world, and not to become conduits of errors promoted by the world. Just as John Wesley famously said, "The world is my parish," we need to wake up and remind ourselves that the technological world is our new parish.
If you consume a lot of news online, this is a necessary read. If you do not read a lot on the Internet, this book is an important equipping resource. Whatever it is, it is helpful to remember that the Internet is not a neutral tool. It is a principality where the spiritual forces of darkness are thriving with. It is time to stand up and counter falsehood, beginning with not spreading falsehood. Let this book help initiate that.
Bonnie Kristian is an experienced journalist skilled in compelling opinion writing, concise news delivery, and meticulous editing. Bonnie is the author of A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018). As a deputy editor and acting editor-in-chief at The Week, Bonnie writes and edits opinion pieces on foreign policy, religion, criminal justice, urbanism, civil liberties, electoral politics, and more. Her column, "The Lesser Kingdom," appears in print and online at Christianity Today. Her work has also been published at outlets including USA Today, Defense One, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, Politico, Time, Reason, National Interest, and The American Conservative. A graduate of Bethel Seminary, she lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and twin sons.
Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Brazos Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
February 26, 2023
Summary: A discussion of the epistemic crisis that has swept our society, riven our politics, and undermined our Christian community, and steps one may take to cultivate epistemic virtue and live discerningly.
We’ve all lived through it the last number of years. The “fake news” we encountered on social media and the resistance to fact-checkers, equally accused of being “fake” or biased or wrong. We’ve watched friends go down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, of the left or the right. We’ve watched or even participated in the arguments about who do you trust for pandemic information. We’ve watched a sizable part of the country believe in a “stolen election” even though no actionable evidence has met the standards of proof required by a court of law (and recently learned of admissions that even news outlets who promoted these ideas didn’t actually believe them). We’ve watched conflicts over matters like masking policies rip apart churches, places where we are taught to love and submit to one another.
In short, we are faced with what many have called an “epistemic crisis.” We are not longer sure how we know, and how we may know the truth and left in little tribal groups and echo chambers where all we can say is “you have your truth and I have mine” and agree to a world of “alternate facts” and “alternate truths.” Bonnie Kristian is a seasoned journalist who grew up in a conservative Christian, Late Great Planet Earth Background. In Untrustworthy, she explores how we have gotten to this place, and what we may do, particularly in the Christian community, to live with epistemic virtue and discernment, even if we are unable to change the broader landscape.
She begins with looking at what’s wrong with the news from the bias of mainstream media to the profit and entertainment bias that has come to dominate many news outlets. She argues for the effort to do unbiased reporting along older models with a high commitment to admitting errors and publishing corrections. She also notes the deleterious effects of online media, underscored by Nicholas Carr’s Atlantic critique: that it encourages distraction rather than focus, it’s tailored to our taste my algorithms, it modifies our real-world interactions, and serves to solidify our views making us less likely to consider other evidence. From this, she moves to one of the most disturbing phenomena of the online world, the punishing of views that transgress by cancellation, threatening both the personal and job security of the cancelled, with no place for forgiveness or restoration. From “mobs” we move to “schemes” and how our online media feed conspiracy thinking. Addressing Christians she makes three modest proposals: “(1) don’t argue; (2) look at the fruit the mindset is bearing; and (3) don’t seek a false sense of security that doesn’t come from God.” Finally, she discusses skepticism and the death of expertise, where a Google search is as valid as years of training and research in a specific field. She’s candid about the ways experts undermine trust while recognizing how dependent we are on expertise in so many dimensions of our modern life. She notes that even experts are constantly learning and that revised expert advice can be a good thing because it reflects that learning.
She turns, then to how people change their views, and it is not through argument. She cites Jonathan Haidt’s analogy of the rider (reason) and the elephant (emotion), and that the rider is going to go where the elephant wants to go. The issue is redeemed emotion, where love supplants fear. She also discusses identitarian deference which means when discussing matters of race, class, disability, and gender and sexuality, we must defer to those with the particular status in question. This can lead to a highly Balkanized society and denies that we can understand another whose lived experience is different and forecloses discussion. She calls for a middle ground, still allowing for someone to “speak as an X” upholding the example of Esau McCaulley, among others, who does speak as a Black scholar, humbly and with integrity, but wishes to be taken seriously for good scholarship from a Black perspective, not just because he is Black.
Chapters 8 and 9 on developing epistemic virtue and making a plan are worth the price of the book. She asserts that truth is knowable, that we can know it, but not all of it, and that humility is a requisite virtue. She asserts that epistemic virtue requires one to be studious while limiting our focus (we can’t know everything), intellectually honest, wise in our use of that knowledge, cultivating an epistemology of love and a hermeneutic of obedience. Practically, she calls for a look at our habits: our devices and desires, our space and our subscriptions, our social media use, and our news consumption. She suggests how we may both strengthen the rider and become aware of the elephant. She concludes with inviting us to choose better things and holds up 1 Peter as an example of doing so.
While discussing the landscape of media in society and larger social trends, the book focuses not on finger-pointing but self-assessment, asking us how we have been affected by the ways we engage with various forms of news and online media, how we have allowed the epistemic crisis to corrode our own epistemic virtue. She recognizes that people are going to keep doing all the things that have led to this crisis but that the challenge for us, particularly in the Christian community, is the development of virtues that make us, if not immune, then certainly more discerning. Setting boundaries on media consumption and choosing real social engagements with our families and Christian community also acts as a check on the extremes.
Two things I would like to see her address in the future. One is steps toward restoring a commitment to reporting that is closer to the objective standard once set by journalism, perhaps more self-aware given our understandings of bias. The other is the steps one may take to address Carr’s analysis of how the internet has broken our minds, and in what ways we might grow in our capacity for extended discussions, focused inquiry, and long form journalism and reading. That’s for another book, perhaps, and her practical advice in this one points in those directions. This is a worthy book to consider for those engaged in adult education and Christian formation, where one would hope the virtues basic to epistemic virtue might be developed. Educators also might give attention to this in understanding more of the challenges they face in forming virtuous learners. Clearly, an important book.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
We’ve all lived through it the last number of years. The “fake news” we encountered on social media and the resistance to fact-checkers, equally accused of being “fake” or biased or wrong. We’ve watched friends go down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, of the left or the right. We’ve watched or even participated in the arguments about who do you trust for pandemic information. We’ve watched a sizable part of the country believe in a “stolen election” even though no actionable evidence has met the standards of proof required by a court of law (and recently learned of admissions that even news outlets who promoted these ideas didn’t actually believe them). We’ve watched conflicts over matters like masking policies rip apart churches, places where we are taught to love and submit to one another.
In short, we are faced with what many have called an “epistemic crisis.” We are not longer sure how we know, and how we may know the truth and left in little tribal groups and echo chambers where all we can say is “you have your truth and I have mine” and agree to a world of “alternate facts” and “alternate truths.” Bonnie Kristian is a seasoned journalist who grew up in a conservative Christian, Late Great Planet Earth Background. In Untrustworthy, she explores how we have gotten to this place, and what we may do, particularly in the Christian community, to live with epistemic virtue and discernment, even if we are unable to change the broader landscape.
She begins with looking at what’s wrong with the news from the bias of mainstream media to the profit and entertainment bias that has come to dominate many news outlets. She argues for the effort to do unbiased reporting along older models with a high commitment to admitting errors and publishing corrections. She also notes the deleterious effects of online media, underscored by Nicholas Carr’s Atlantic critique: that it encourages distraction rather than focus, it’s tailored to our taste my algorithms, it modifies our real-world interactions, and serves to solidify our views making us less likely to consider other evidence. From this, she moves to one of the most disturbing phenomena of the online world, the punishing of views that transgress by cancellation, threatening both the personal and job security of the cancelled, with no place for forgiveness or restoration. From “mobs” we move to “schemes” and how our online media feed conspiracy thinking. Addressing Christians she makes three modest proposals: “(1) don’t argue; (2) look at the fruit the mindset is bearing; and (3) don’t seek a false sense of security that doesn’t come from God.” Finally, she discusses skepticism and the death of expertise, where a Google search is as valid as years of training and research in a specific field. She’s candid about the ways experts undermine trust while recognizing how dependent we are on expertise in so many dimensions of our modern life. She notes that even experts are constantly learning and that revised expert advice can be a good thing because it reflects that learning.
She turns, then to how people change their views, and it is not through argument. She cites Jonathan Haidt’s analogy of the rider (reason) and the elephant (emotion), and that the rider is going to go where the elephant wants to go. The issue is redeemed emotion, where love supplants fear. She also discusses identitarian deference which means when discussing matters of race, class, disability, and gender and sexuality, we must defer to those with the particular status in question. This can lead to a highly Balkanized society and denies that we can understand another whose lived experience is different and forecloses discussion. She calls for a middle ground, still allowing for someone to “speak as an X” upholding the example of Esau McCaulley, among others, who does speak as a Black scholar, humbly and with integrity, but wishes to be taken seriously for good scholarship from a Black perspective, not just because he is Black.
Chapters 8 and 9 on developing epistemic virtue and making a plan are worth the price of the book. She asserts that truth is knowable, that we can know it, but not all of it, and that humility is a requisite virtue. She asserts that epistemic virtue requires one to be studious while limiting our focus (we can’t know everything), intellectually honest, wise in our use of that knowledge, cultivating an epistemology of love and a hermeneutic of obedience. Practically, she calls for a look at our habits: our devices and desires, our space and our subscriptions, our social media use, and our news consumption. She suggests how we may both strengthen the rider and become aware of the elephant. She concludes with inviting us to choose better things and holds up 1 Peter as an example of doing so.
While discussing the landscape of media in society and larger social trends, the book focuses not on finger-pointing but self-assessment, asking us how we have been affected by the ways we engage with various forms of news and online media, how we have allowed the epistemic crisis to corrode our own epistemic virtue. She recognizes that people are going to keep doing all the things that have led to this crisis but that the challenge for us, particularly in the Christian community, is the development of virtues that make us, if not immune, then certainly more discerning. Setting boundaries on media consumption and choosing real social engagements with our families and Christian community also acts as a check on the extremes.
Two things I would like to see her address in the future. One is steps toward restoring a commitment to reporting that is closer to the objective standard once set by journalism, perhaps more self-aware given our understandings of bias. The other is the steps one may take to address Carr’s analysis of how the internet has broken our minds, and in what ways we might grow in our capacity for extended discussions, focused inquiry, and long form journalism and reading. That’s for another book, perhaps, and her practical advice in this one points in those directions. This is a worthy book to consider for those engaged in adult education and Christian formation, where one would hope the virtues basic to epistemic virtue might be developed. Educators also might give attention to this in understanding more of the challenges they face in forming virtuous learners. Clearly, an important book.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.
May 29, 2023
SUMMARY: The late pastor James Atwood believed guns to be the biggest problem facing the American church. Author Jemar Tisby argues that racism and white supremacy are. In Untrustworthy, Bonnie Kristian asserts the largest problem facing American churches is epistemic (epistemic -- of or relating to knowledge or knowing). According to Kristian -- the poisons of cancel culture, conspiracy theories, and skepticism of experts in conjunction with social media algorithms incentivized to make money at all costs are the largest problems facing the American church. Kristian posits that if we can't agree on whom to trust or what is true then everything else is a moot point.
"We don't know what is true, what is knowable, what is trustworthy. Our information environment is chaotic and overwhelming, rife with conspiracy theories, 'fake news,' and habit-forming digital manipulation," Kristian writes. "It is breaking our brains, polluting our politics, and corrupting Christian community. It may be the most pressing and unprecedented challenge of discipleship in the American church."
Untrustworthy explores the various factors contributing to the widespread problem of distrust in contemporary society. Kristian, a journalist and political commentator, offers a compelling analysis of the erosion of trust in various institutions, including government, media, and corporations. She delves into the root causes of the problem, such as the impact of social media algorithms, the rise of fake news, and the impact of partisan politics on public trust.
Kristian says we only need to look at the current state of public discourse in America for the effects of this epistemic crisis that manifests itself "in the gullibility and quarrelsomeness that has us spreading fabrications and fallacies on social media, the proliferation of so-called satire intended to fool, rather than enlighten and bemuse, and the popularity of political and religious memes that consist of apocryphal quotations, cheap manipulations, and bad math."
Kristian identifies and critiques six realms: media, both traditional and social, mob (cancel culture), schemes (conspiracy theories), skepticism (distrust of experts), emotion, and experience (identity), where the epistemic crisis is festering. In each chapter, she skillfully and clearly explains the reasons why each subject is contributing to the epistemic crisis and why we should care.
For instance, in chapter three she says that cancel culture exacerbates the epistemic crisis because "there is no due process" and "there is permanent rejection with no path to change one's mind." The boundary is constantly changing and once that boundary is crossed there is no path to reconciliation. In chapter four, she identifies why conspiracy theories are appealing to many people (they provide community, people like to help, like to be right, and like patterns) and why conspiracy theories are happening in churches (bad theology, political allegiance, and authority).
"Conspiracism is always epistemic poison. This accusatory, credulous mindset, more than any individual theory, is what contributes to our epistemic crisis," Kristian writes. "It treats confirmation bias as confirmation, rumor as research, and innuendo as proof. It isolates its victims and builds their community on a foundation of sand. It falsely labels ideas and behaviors unconnected to reality as a heroic search for truth. And all those downsides, ironically, are part of conspiracism's appeal. They're part of why people believe."
Laced throughout each chapter is a call to truth and accuracy. Christians are called to seek the truth and to reject falsehoods and deception. This means being discerning in our consumption of media and being willing to challenge narratives that are not grounded in truth.
Part of living out this truth is being ruthlessly judicious in the media we share and the words we use on social media. Kristian argues that trust begins with personal responsibility and integrity. As Christians, we are called to live lives of integrity, being truthful in our words and actions. By living out our faith in this way, we can model the kind of honesty and integrity that builds trust in our communities and in the broader society.
In the final three chapters, Kristian provides a treasure trove of easy-to-follow advice on ways to combat this epidemic. She devotes roughly a third of the book to ways to actively work against the crisis. Kristian believes that it is not enough to identify and eliminate the bad habits, but we need to replace the practices with better, life-giving ones.
Chapter eight is devoted to six epistemic virtues (humility, studiousness, intellectual honesty, wisdom, love and obedience) where she details what each trait is and is not. Chapter nine touches on habits such as arranging spaces for virtue (non-TV centric), avoiding passive consumption of media, and carving out time for weekly, daily, monthly and yearly sabbaths from media.
We particularly liked the tips for engaging with social media in a healthy way - especially the advice to logon for a specific purpose and time and to avoid random scrolling.
In the final chapter Kristian extols Christians to be a breath of fresh air. This means being in relationships with people, having humility, listening, and being patient.
Untrustworthy provides a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of distrust and offers practical suggestions for rebuilding trust in our communities and in society as a whole. Its clear and well-organized writing style, thoughtful analysis, and well-researched arguments make it a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand this important topic.
KEY QUOTE: "How we handle knowledge and how we assess truth claims are crucial for the development and outworking of our faith as Christians. It's fundamental to everything in the political arena and so much of our private lives as well. The simplest conversations can feel impossible when we can't agree about what is true--or whether and how truth can even be found. And if we can't talk to one another, how do we worship together? How do we govern together? How do we live together?"
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate topics for a disillusioned church.
"We don't know what is true, what is knowable, what is trustworthy. Our information environment is chaotic and overwhelming, rife with conspiracy theories, 'fake news,' and habit-forming digital manipulation," Kristian writes. "It is breaking our brains, polluting our politics, and corrupting Christian community. It may be the most pressing and unprecedented challenge of discipleship in the American church."
Untrustworthy explores the various factors contributing to the widespread problem of distrust in contemporary society. Kristian, a journalist and political commentator, offers a compelling analysis of the erosion of trust in various institutions, including government, media, and corporations. She delves into the root causes of the problem, such as the impact of social media algorithms, the rise of fake news, and the impact of partisan politics on public trust.
Kristian says we only need to look at the current state of public discourse in America for the effects of this epistemic crisis that manifests itself "in the gullibility and quarrelsomeness that has us spreading fabrications and fallacies on social media, the proliferation of so-called satire intended to fool, rather than enlighten and bemuse, and the popularity of political and religious memes that consist of apocryphal quotations, cheap manipulations, and bad math."
Kristian identifies and critiques six realms: media, both traditional and social, mob (cancel culture), schemes (conspiracy theories), skepticism (distrust of experts), emotion, and experience (identity), where the epistemic crisis is festering. In each chapter, she skillfully and clearly explains the reasons why each subject is contributing to the epistemic crisis and why we should care.
For instance, in chapter three she says that cancel culture exacerbates the epistemic crisis because "there is no due process" and "there is permanent rejection with no path to change one's mind." The boundary is constantly changing and once that boundary is crossed there is no path to reconciliation. In chapter four, she identifies why conspiracy theories are appealing to many people (they provide community, people like to help, like to be right, and like patterns) and why conspiracy theories are happening in churches (bad theology, political allegiance, and authority).
"Conspiracism is always epistemic poison. This accusatory, credulous mindset, more than any individual theory, is what contributes to our epistemic crisis," Kristian writes. "It treats confirmation bias as confirmation, rumor as research, and innuendo as proof. It isolates its victims and builds their community on a foundation of sand. It falsely labels ideas and behaviors unconnected to reality as a heroic search for truth. And all those downsides, ironically, are part of conspiracism's appeal. They're part of why people believe."
Laced throughout each chapter is a call to truth and accuracy. Christians are called to seek the truth and to reject falsehoods and deception. This means being discerning in our consumption of media and being willing to challenge narratives that are not grounded in truth.
Part of living out this truth is being ruthlessly judicious in the media we share and the words we use on social media. Kristian argues that trust begins with personal responsibility and integrity. As Christians, we are called to live lives of integrity, being truthful in our words and actions. By living out our faith in this way, we can model the kind of honesty and integrity that builds trust in our communities and in the broader society.
In the final three chapters, Kristian provides a treasure trove of easy-to-follow advice on ways to combat this epidemic. She devotes roughly a third of the book to ways to actively work against the crisis. Kristian believes that it is not enough to identify and eliminate the bad habits, but we need to replace the practices with better, life-giving ones.
Chapter eight is devoted to six epistemic virtues (humility, studiousness, intellectual honesty, wisdom, love and obedience) where she details what each trait is and is not. Chapter nine touches on habits such as arranging spaces for virtue (non-TV centric), avoiding passive consumption of media, and carving out time for weekly, daily, monthly and yearly sabbaths from media.
We particularly liked the tips for engaging with social media in a healthy way - especially the advice to logon for a specific purpose and time and to avoid random scrolling.
In the final chapter Kristian extols Christians to be a breath of fresh air. This means being in relationships with people, having humility, listening, and being patient.
Untrustworthy provides a deeper understanding of the causes and consequences of distrust and offers practical suggestions for rebuilding trust in our communities and in society as a whole. Its clear and well-organized writing style, thoughtful analysis, and well-researched arguments make it a must-read for anyone seeking to better understand this important topic.
KEY QUOTE: "How we handle knowledge and how we assess truth claims are crucial for the development and outworking of our faith as Christians. It's fundamental to everything in the political arena and so much of our private lives as well. The simplest conversations can feel impossible when we can't agree about what is true--or whether and how truth can even be found. And if we can't talk to one another, how do we worship together? How do we govern together? How do we live together?"
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate topics for a disillusioned church.
August 12, 2022
In the past decade or so, I have encountered a veritable avalanche of questionable assertions based upon dubious facts (if any) obviously designed to manipulate their target audience. It seems as if people are more gullible than ever and this book tries to identify why we are apparently unable to separate fact from fiction. In fact … given the proliferation of slanted news “opinion” and poorly researched news “entertainment” re-enforced by misleading news “memes” … how to we know what is true and what is not.
The author tries to explain what the problem actually is, how we got here and what we should do about it … the later from a decided Christian perspective … and while I am generally in agreement on pretty much everything she says, I am not as optimistic. Yes … forwarding that “political” meme on facebook designed to falsely enflame the heart against your opponent is decided unchristian and we have an obligation to avoid such evil gossip … but that doesn’t seem to be much of an impediment for many American Christians (including members of my own family who, when forced to acknowledge what they are forwarding/saying was untrue, simply respond by saying they didn’t really mean it … and they just like to stir the pot … before doing the exact same thing again). Unfortunately I typically respond just like the author … with verified sources and debate trying to get them to recognize the error of their ways come back to reason and logic and fairness and christian love. It has taken me awhile to get there, but ultimately I did … you can’t win that argument … so just don’t engage. It is a hard lesson to be sure.
So how did we get to a place where alternative facts and relative truth are the norm? From the constant attribution of ‘fake news” to anything we don’t like to the tribal identity politics that denies any authority to dissenting voices … the media seems like the obvious place to start … and “There is something off here, but it’s generally not intentional, ideologically motivated inaccuracy, as so many American fear.” The optimism here is cute. I used to think this too; but, the battle lines now have been drawn and information is the weapon of choice in this war. While profit is still important, power is the real goal … significantly more than entertainment and speed. Profit here is easy when you have the ability to so easily manipulate your partisans with fear and anger (and Entertainment generally plays on a different set of emotions … or includes such more often than not). How we got here might be chalked up to profit and entertainment initially … but we are well beyond that now.
Regardless … while biased news is not really a recent phenomena, the ability of these news outlets to so easily manipulate their audience is (at least for Americans). They are simply taking advantage of the cracks in our society and the author does a very good job at identifying what these are (and even offers advice on how we, as christians, should respond). Ultimately the author provides a few healthy habits and some welcome advice by which we might be able to stem the tide of this “epistemic crisis” by our example … and maybe bring a few of our friends and family back from the brink … I mean, it has got to be better than simply walking away from them right?
I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Untrustworthy #NetGalley
The author tries to explain what the problem actually is, how we got here and what we should do about it … the later from a decided Christian perspective … and while I am generally in agreement on pretty much everything she says, I am not as optimistic. Yes … forwarding that “political” meme on facebook designed to falsely enflame the heart against your opponent is decided unchristian and we have an obligation to avoid such evil gossip … but that doesn’t seem to be much of an impediment for many American Christians (including members of my own family who, when forced to acknowledge what they are forwarding/saying was untrue, simply respond by saying they didn’t really mean it … and they just like to stir the pot … before doing the exact same thing again). Unfortunately I typically respond just like the author … with verified sources and debate trying to get them to recognize the error of their ways come back to reason and logic and fairness and christian love. It has taken me awhile to get there, but ultimately I did … you can’t win that argument … so just don’t engage. It is a hard lesson to be sure.
So how did we get to a place where alternative facts and relative truth are the norm? From the constant attribution of ‘fake news” to anything we don’t like to the tribal identity politics that denies any authority to dissenting voices … the media seems like the obvious place to start … and “There is something off here, but it’s generally not intentional, ideologically motivated inaccuracy, as so many American fear.” The optimism here is cute. I used to think this too; but, the battle lines now have been drawn and information is the weapon of choice in this war. While profit is still important, power is the real goal … significantly more than entertainment and speed. Profit here is easy when you have the ability to so easily manipulate your partisans with fear and anger (and Entertainment generally plays on a different set of emotions … or includes such more often than not). How we got here might be chalked up to profit and entertainment initially … but we are well beyond that now.
Regardless … while biased news is not really a recent phenomena, the ability of these news outlets to so easily manipulate their audience is (at least for Americans). They are simply taking advantage of the cracks in our society and the author does a very good job at identifying what these are (and even offers advice on how we, as christians, should respond). Ultimately the author provides a few healthy habits and some welcome advice by which we might be able to stem the tide of this “epistemic crisis” by our example … and maybe bring a few of our friends and family back from the brink … I mean, it has got to be better than simply walking away from them right?
I was given this free advance review copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#Untrustworthy #NetGalley
September 15, 2022
Are you a person who has wondered what has happened to our civic discourse? Have you had difficulty determining how to assess the value of news content you consume? Do you have a relationship with a friend or family member in dire need of repair over political differences?
If one or more of your answers to the above questions is "Yes!"-- you would do well to acquire Bethel Seminary-educated Bonnie Kristian’s new book titled Untrustworthy.
A work sorely needed in this time, Untrustworthy plums the depths of what Kristian aptly names an epistemology crisis —which involves the study of knowing—in the United States.
In this book, Kristian boldly details errant conspiracy thinking-- and how to meet it --that affects people across the political spectrum, while seeking to understand a backstory of events that somewhat justified conspiracy movements coming into existence in the first place.
In this book, Kristian shows how the economics and growth of journalism have irreversibly impacted the objectivity of 1970s mainstream news production, before sharing how to go about consuming 2022 news so s/he can remain well informed.
In this book, Kristian capsulizes phenomena like cancel culture and the identity assumption, so you (in case you are like me) no longer have to walk around wondering what they really mean.
In this book, Kristian generously sources her work from both religious scholars and biblical scripture, giving the reader plenty of future reads to explore, as well as dilemmas over which ones to post on his or her wall of inspiration.
Should one of the above reasons to read it not be compelling enough, Untrustworthy will also help you sharpen your linguistic saw on concepts like fact, opinion, and conjecture for helping a child with their school essay or assessing the veracity of a news organization’s products.
Were there a 'List of Top 50 Books Most Deserved To Be Read' published somewhere, this one would definitely belong on it, as it is worthy of being absorbed & applied in book clubs, coffee shops and corridors of political officeholders alike.
Besides her call to clear out the epistemological cobwebs from our lives (my shoddy phrasing not the author’s 😊) Kristian supplies many virtues and practices worth aspiring to in this volume: one being to seek knowledge of ultimate significance—or the kind that explains the world’s features as they bear on human happiness.
On this count, in this reviewer’s opinion, Bonnie Kristian was wholly successful in the writing of Untrustworthy.
If you think you would appreciate reading a truth-lover’s dream filled with the integrity of a good friend who is in your corner, Untrustworthy is a book for you. Once you finish putting it down, it won’t be possible for you to walk away without being more edified, better resourced, and sufficiently prepared to do your part in helping solve America’s knowledge crisis.
I highly recommend this superb book.
"Whatever policy progress we can make, we will never be free of deception, ignorance, error, and confusion in this age, but you can produce a populace wise and caring enough to reject them. It has to start with the believers, not with the belief."
-- Attributed to Fredrik DeBoer
If one or more of your answers to the above questions is "Yes!"-- you would do well to acquire Bethel Seminary-educated Bonnie Kristian’s new book titled Untrustworthy.
A work sorely needed in this time, Untrustworthy plums the depths of what Kristian aptly names an epistemology crisis —which involves the study of knowing—in the United States.
In this book, Kristian boldly details errant conspiracy thinking-- and how to meet it --that affects people across the political spectrum, while seeking to understand a backstory of events that somewhat justified conspiracy movements coming into existence in the first place.
In this book, Kristian shows how the economics and growth of journalism have irreversibly impacted the objectivity of 1970s mainstream news production, before sharing how to go about consuming 2022 news so s/he can remain well informed.
In this book, Kristian capsulizes phenomena like cancel culture and the identity assumption, so you (in case you are like me) no longer have to walk around wondering what they really mean.
In this book, Kristian generously sources her work from both religious scholars and biblical scripture, giving the reader plenty of future reads to explore, as well as dilemmas over which ones to post on his or her wall of inspiration.
Should one of the above reasons to read it not be compelling enough, Untrustworthy will also help you sharpen your linguistic saw on concepts like fact, opinion, and conjecture for helping a child with their school essay or assessing the veracity of a news organization’s products.
Were there a 'List of Top 50 Books Most Deserved To Be Read' published somewhere, this one would definitely belong on it, as it is worthy of being absorbed & applied in book clubs, coffee shops and corridors of political officeholders alike.
Besides her call to clear out the epistemological cobwebs from our lives (my shoddy phrasing not the author’s 😊) Kristian supplies many virtues and practices worth aspiring to in this volume: one being to seek knowledge of ultimate significance—or the kind that explains the world’s features as they bear on human happiness.
On this count, in this reviewer’s opinion, Bonnie Kristian was wholly successful in the writing of Untrustworthy.
If you think you would appreciate reading a truth-lover’s dream filled with the integrity of a good friend who is in your corner, Untrustworthy is a book for you. Once you finish putting it down, it won’t be possible for you to walk away without being more edified, better resourced, and sufficiently prepared to do your part in helping solve America’s knowledge crisis.
I highly recommend this superb book.
"Whatever policy progress we can make, we will never be free of deception, ignorance, error, and confusion in this age, but you can produce a populace wise and caring enough to reject them. It has to start with the believers, not with the belief."
-- Attributed to Fredrik DeBoer
August 24, 2022
4.5/5…As a fellow believer with libertarian leanings, I have long paid attention to Bonnie’s various short-form works, as well as her previous, more theological, book, A Flexible Faith, which was a very unique examination of different denominations and big questions…a really great read for someone who maybe gets siloed into the beliefs and outlooks of their own tribe. As much as I spend maybe too much effort cultivating diverse sources left, right, libertarian, and center, in order to shake out an understanding of my world, it is nice to have a few sources that have a take that I am in accord with way more often than not.
After setting up her thesis, she then looks at subjects such as the failings of our varied media and modern cancel culture. If one pays attention to these matters in the day to day, factually, I wouldn’t say much here is earth-shattering, but the familiar is focused on at times via belief and scripture, which is of value. As a hater of cancel culture, it was interesting looking at it through the lens of forgiveness and redemption…not that I think a lot of it’s more notable practitioners right this minute seem to be down for a ton of either, though the right have canceled plenty as well.
What follows then, is an issue that I see impact way too many of my believer friends, who tend to be on the political right…a gravitation to conspiracy theories (QAnon anyone?). Bonnie then has some ideas for personal steps to try to face up to these friends in the real…which are obviously difficult to put into practice, but definitely better than the disengagement I have found myself falling into.
Then follows an interesting examination of one that has been driving me crazy in the era of say climate change skepticism and Covid-deniers…the tension between “ the death of expertise” and the many notable failings of our experts these last couple of years. What we non-experts should do, circling back to maybe a path of wisdom for experts. To me this more intellectual topic ties in nicely with the following chapter on how we can let our emotions lead us….and the sometimes triumph of emotion over intellect….yikes! I love the wrapup here as it applies to me…I need to do a better job of allowing emotion to supplement the intellect I most value in myself.
To me the later chapters then become more personal, kind of a metaphysical workbook for reflection and maybe personal growth in our outlook, our heart, our work and lifelong study, our habits and then also distractions from the important ….There’s always room for that.
I loved this opportunity to take a step back from our world and culture and reflect on it from a different point of view. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC that allowed it!
After setting up her thesis, she then looks at subjects such as the failings of our varied media and modern cancel culture. If one pays attention to these matters in the day to day, factually, I wouldn’t say much here is earth-shattering, but the familiar is focused on at times via belief and scripture, which is of value. As a hater of cancel culture, it was interesting looking at it through the lens of forgiveness and redemption…not that I think a lot of it’s more notable practitioners right this minute seem to be down for a ton of either, though the right have canceled plenty as well.
What follows then, is an issue that I see impact way too many of my believer friends, who tend to be on the political right…a gravitation to conspiracy theories (QAnon anyone?). Bonnie then has some ideas for personal steps to try to face up to these friends in the real…which are obviously difficult to put into practice, but definitely better than the disengagement I have found myself falling into.
Then follows an interesting examination of one that has been driving me crazy in the era of say climate change skepticism and Covid-deniers…the tension between “ the death of expertise” and the many notable failings of our experts these last couple of years. What we non-experts should do, circling back to maybe a path of wisdom for experts. To me this more intellectual topic ties in nicely with the following chapter on how we can let our emotions lead us….and the sometimes triumph of emotion over intellect….yikes! I love the wrapup here as it applies to me…I need to do a better job of allowing emotion to supplement the intellect I most value in myself.
To me the later chapters then become more personal, kind of a metaphysical workbook for reflection and maybe personal growth in our outlook, our heart, our work and lifelong study, our habits and then also distractions from the important ….There’s always room for that.
I loved this opportunity to take a step back from our world and culture and reflect on it from a different point of view. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC that allowed it!
October 15, 2022
If there was a book I wish I'd written myself, it would probably be something very much like Bonnie Kristian's latest work, Untrustworthy.
The book will resonate with anyone who has felt the unique pain and confusion of realizing they can no longer assume a shared reality with the people around them. Kristian is adept at synthesizing the various societal ills that have become apparent in the past five to ten years into a larger picture with a common cause. That cause is a malfunctioning and/or malformed epistemology. Kristian explains that "epistemology asks questions like these: What do we know? How do we know it? What's the difference between knowledge, opinion, and conjecture?" She writes that the crisis in the Church as well as the world at large is due to the fact that "In the span of a few decades we massively increased the quantity of information the average person encounters daily...but we didn't equip ourselves for those multiplying encounters."
One of the most insightful and helpful topics Kristian covers is that of conspiracism, and how it has taken hold in the Church. She dives deep into the pathologies that cause people to seek refuge (or perhaps intellectual numbness) in conspiracy thinking, and identifies why Christians can be even more susceptible because they believe in (and then misunderstand) the concept of a "divine plan." Also interesting is her discussion of expertise. She rightly points out how the virtue of humility will lead us to listen to experts, but also speaks to the limits of expertise and the need to refrain from asking expertise to mean something it can't (e.g. flawlessness).
Probably the most significant portion of the book comes in the final chapters. In the first 70% of Untrustworthy, Kristian does an excellent job diagnosing the problem facing us. But she doesn't leave us hanging. She motivates us to pursue intellectual robustness, arguing that "our very character...is at stake. Careful oversight of our intellectual lives is imperative if we are to think well, and thinking well is an indispensable ingredient to living well." She points us to the virtues of humility and wisdom, and shows us how to cultivate those virtues through habit formation and, for the Christian, a heart prepared to obey God. She says, "Our capacity for knowledge and faithfulness to the truth is determined by the posture of our hearts. If we don't want something to be true, we become less able to perceive its reality." She exhorts us to the practice of self-awareness, especially as it relates to how we form our beliefs, and gives us practical means of rewiring our brains to more readily develop a taste for truth.
Five stars. I wish everyone would read this book.
The book will resonate with anyone who has felt the unique pain and confusion of realizing they can no longer assume a shared reality with the people around them. Kristian is adept at synthesizing the various societal ills that have become apparent in the past five to ten years into a larger picture with a common cause. That cause is a malfunctioning and/or malformed epistemology. Kristian explains that "epistemology asks questions like these: What do we know? How do we know it? What's the difference between knowledge, opinion, and conjecture?" She writes that the crisis in the Church as well as the world at large is due to the fact that "In the span of a few decades we massively increased the quantity of information the average person encounters daily...but we didn't equip ourselves for those multiplying encounters."
One of the most insightful and helpful topics Kristian covers is that of conspiracism, and how it has taken hold in the Church. She dives deep into the pathologies that cause people to seek refuge (or perhaps intellectual numbness) in conspiracy thinking, and identifies why Christians can be even more susceptible because they believe in (and then misunderstand) the concept of a "divine plan." Also interesting is her discussion of expertise. She rightly points out how the virtue of humility will lead us to listen to experts, but also speaks to the limits of expertise and the need to refrain from asking expertise to mean something it can't (e.g. flawlessness).
Probably the most significant portion of the book comes in the final chapters. In the first 70% of Untrustworthy, Kristian does an excellent job diagnosing the problem facing us. But she doesn't leave us hanging. She motivates us to pursue intellectual robustness, arguing that "our very character...is at stake. Careful oversight of our intellectual lives is imperative if we are to think well, and thinking well is an indispensable ingredient to living well." She points us to the virtues of humility and wisdom, and shows us how to cultivate those virtues through habit formation and, for the Christian, a heart prepared to obey God. She says, "Our capacity for knowledge and faithfulness to the truth is determined by the posture of our hearts. If we don't want something to be true, we become less able to perceive its reality." She exhorts us to the practice of self-awareness, especially as it relates to how we form our beliefs, and gives us practical means of rewiring our brains to more readily develop a taste for truth.
Five stars. I wish everyone would read this book.
December 5, 2022
I have mixed emotions about this book. I highly agree with Kristian that we are in the midst of a knowledge crisis. People accept statements without documentation and criticize those who want evidence for a proposed truth. We don't even agree on the method for finding the truth. And, as Kristian says, this problem has infiltrated the church.
Unfortunately, this book, while it is great in what Kristian says, it is not something my friend who reposts thoughtlessly would ever read. It is way too academic and not friendly to the common reader. This book may well be read by a pastor and then preached about. Otherwise I don't know how the people who really need the information included will get it.
Here are some of the highlights of the book. I appreciate Kristian reminding readers, “...Christian faithfulness does require sincere pursuit of truth in love.” (557/4336) She explores news sources, admitting that most have a bias. She covers the lure of “fake news.” She reminds us the explosive nature of words and that Christians are to put on kindness and respond with love. Christians should refuse to be part of the vindictiveness. She includes ideas on how to deal with conspiracy thinking. I like that she suggests we be intellectually honest people, asking ourselves whether we believe something because it is well-documents or because we just want it to be true. Further suggestions include eliminating social media apps and turning off cable news, rather choosing reliable sources. She also suggests reading about logical fallacies but offers no instruction herself.
I wanted this book to be something the average Christian could read and from it glean some practical ways to evaluate statements and claims. I wanted a strategy for how one would go about determine the truth of a media post. While Kristian has provided an excellent analysis of the problem, there is a lack of applicability for the average Christian.
Unfortunately, this book, while it is great in what Kristian says, it is not something my friend who reposts thoughtlessly would ever read. It is way too academic and not friendly to the common reader. This book may well be read by a pastor and then preached about. Otherwise I don't know how the people who really need the information included will get it.
Here are some of the highlights of the book. I appreciate Kristian reminding readers, “...Christian faithfulness does require sincere pursuit of truth in love.” (557/4336) She explores news sources, admitting that most have a bias. She covers the lure of “fake news.” She reminds us the explosive nature of words and that Christians are to put on kindness and respond with love. Christians should refuse to be part of the vindictiveness. She includes ideas on how to deal with conspiracy thinking. I like that she suggests we be intellectually honest people, asking ourselves whether we believe something because it is well-documents or because we just want it to be true. Further suggestions include eliminating social media apps and turning off cable news, rather choosing reliable sources. She also suggests reading about logical fallacies but offers no instruction herself.
I wanted this book to be something the average Christian could read and from it glean some practical ways to evaluate statements and claims. I wanted a strategy for how one would go about determine the truth of a media post. While Kristian has provided an excellent analysis of the problem, there is a lack of applicability for the average Christian.
December 27, 2022
This was a random grab from the library shelf. The book is my first introduction to the author and her material. I was pulled in by the subtitle as a "knowledge crisis" certainly rings true to my ears. The author correctly labels one of society's great ills as an "epistemic crisis." She notes, "when every potential source of knowledge is subject to doubt," things are a mess. She names a lot of the usual causes, (social) media, mob mentality, skepticism, and the undermining of the normal bastions of authority. People have lost grasp on what to trust or how to even vet information they are hearing. She points out there are perverse incentives at the cultural (influencers/politicians), corporate (advertising, social platforms), and personal (laziness, entertainment) levels working against us.
What should we do? The author asserts humility as the best course of action. Our first opinion may not be definitive. Why not let others have a say with a curious mind? She notes, "truth is knowable but that doesn't mean you know it." Studiousness, intellectual honesty, and wisdom are the traits we must develop. I hope we do.
What should we do? The author asserts humility as the best course of action. Our first opinion may not be definitive. Why not let others have a say with a curious mind? She notes, "truth is knowable but that doesn't mean you know it." Studiousness, intellectual honesty, and wisdom are the traits we must develop. I hope we do.
Read
October 19, 2022My thoughts:
This book discusses the needed topic of media, truth, being informed, etc. The author gives great wisdom to the ever evolving media challenges. The thing that sets this book apart (especially in a Christian author perspective) is the background, knowledge, and experience of the author. It feels like an authentic and educated discussion because it is coming from a journalistic viewpoint. While there are Christian themes and discussion the book felt more focused and articulate about the issue than others would give.
Who is this book for?
The book is for anyone who is seeing, reading, watching, or engaging with media or news. Really that means almost everyone. The book (for me) did drag and loose my attention frequently but I did enjoy it and I wish some family who send biased stories and conspiracies would read it.
Critique, Questions, Comments
A very needed discussion written with authority and education backing it.
This book discusses the needed topic of media, truth, being informed, etc. The author gives great wisdom to the ever evolving media challenges. The thing that sets this book apart (especially in a Christian author perspective) is the background, knowledge, and experience of the author. It feels like an authentic and educated discussion because it is coming from a journalistic viewpoint. While there are Christian themes and discussion the book felt more focused and articulate about the issue than others would give.
Who is this book for?
The book is for anyone who is seeing, reading, watching, or engaging with media or news. Really that means almost everyone. The book (for me) did drag and loose my attention frequently but I did enjoy it and I wish some family who send biased stories and conspiracies would read it.
Critique, Questions, Comments
A very needed discussion written with authority and education backing it.
May 9, 2023
I don't think this book presented anything I hadn't already read, but it was a good compilation of the sources those ideas come from. I appreciate the suggestion at the end that one way to build a bridge with a loved one I believe to be misinformed would be to ask them for help in accountability with information/media, but it's hard for me to apply to my own life when my loved ones in that category have zero interest in learning from me and it would be viewed as their opportunity to finally shape me into their own image, a longstanding issue that predates Trump, unfortunately.
Overall, I think the book is worth reading and is probably a good starting point for people who haven't read all the resources it gleans from, as I already had. I listened to the audiobook and unfortunately didn't enjoy the narrator and that tool away from the experience.
Overall, I think the book is worth reading and is probably a good starting point for people who haven't read all the resources it gleans from, as I already had. I listened to the audiobook and unfortunately didn't enjoy the narrator and that tool away from the experience.
June 24, 2022
"Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking our Brains, Polluting our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community" is an excellent resource written by Bonnie Kristian. Kristian discusses the current epidemic of loneliness that is spreading across our nation, which has only been exacerbated by the Internet. This loneliness and the resulting act of looking for connection online has consequences that are not only political, but also social and religious. We have lost our objectivity, and have no knowledge of our own blind spots. The author does a great job of outlining the consequences of social media, and she offers biblical advice that is easy to understand.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2022
Tackling head on the alarming current erosion of public agreement on what is true, what can be known, and who can be trusted to know, this book is a rich source of how to think about the problem and possible ways to work ourselves through it. It is deeply researched, tightly argued and artfully written. Expect to encounter many moments of, “Huh. I never thought about it that way.” Also you'll find wry wit peppered throughout, including self-deprecating wit.
Nugget on the death of expertise: “Public hubris and expert failure are a toxic mix. Their product—a sloppy, convenient skepticism of the best (albeit imperfect) knowledge we have—is epistemic poison.”
Nugget on the death of expertise: “Public hubris and expert failure are a toxic mix. Their product—a sloppy, convenient skepticism of the best (albeit imperfect) knowledge we have—is epistemic poison.”
April 10, 2023
The book we* need!
*We being the American Church, but honestly non-Christian readers may find Bonnie's diagnosis of our country's knowledge crisis and her roadmap for living through it compelling (if they can stand a few Bible verses and theological arguments here and there).
Bonnie does not spare either side of the political aisle for their contribution to this knowledge crisis and that is what bumps this book up to that fifth star for me. She is truly after an objective truth and is willing to upset, challenge, and convict many of her possible readers. I was certainly challenged by a few chapters.
I highly recommend this.
*We being the American Church, but honestly non-Christian readers may find Bonnie's diagnosis of our country's knowledge crisis and her roadmap for living through it compelling (if they can stand a few Bible verses and theological arguments here and there).
Bonnie does not spare either side of the political aisle for their contribution to this knowledge crisis and that is what bumps this book up to that fifth star for me. She is truly after an objective truth and is willing to upset, challenge, and convict many of her possible readers. I was certainly challenged by a few chapters.
I highly recommend this.
August 6, 2023
This is a really solid book to introduce underlying problems in our epistemology, and it provides practical suggestions and approaches to re-adjust our own personal epistemic crises. I think more could have been written about how to evaluate truth claims. The sections on the role of the emotions was particularly good, as was the part about "identitarian deference". The second half of the book was better than the first.
I found this book helpful to improve my resolve to be a person of integrity, to seek excellence, and to do so with a strong dose of humility, especially in the realm of what we know and how we know it.
I found this book helpful to improve my resolve to be a person of integrity, to seek excellence, and to do so with a strong dose of humility, especially in the realm of what we know and how we know it.
July 22, 2024
I really enjoy Bonnie Kristian's columns in Christianity Today and this book provides the same depth of insight with more room for articulation and research. She brings substantial biblically guided wisdom into the current direction of American culture and Christ-centered insights into navigating the same context. Kristian also provides helpful advice for those trying to gently help friends and family locked into the worst of what the modern Western mindset has to offer. This book was well worth listening to. To me, the biggest weakness of the audiobook presentation was the narrator. Her presentation was too subdued and "librarian quiet".
February 22, 2023
Kristian does a good job of dissecting the problem of our knowledge crisis and communicating steps out of it. She does not claim to have all the answers but pulls from many great thinkers to offer up solutions in a generation of passive thinkers.
If you have read books like ‘Disruptive Witness’ by Noble, ‘Tech Wise Family’ by Crouch, and ‘Common Rule’ by Early, a lot of her practical pieces of advice will not be new. Regardless of the relative novelty of the advice, Kristian’s thoughts on our knowledge crisis are important for such a time as this. Overall a good and helpful read.
If you have read books like ‘Disruptive Witness’ by Noble, ‘Tech Wise Family’ by Crouch, and ‘Common Rule’ by Early, a lot of her practical pieces of advice will not be new. Regardless of the relative novelty of the advice, Kristian’s thoughts on our knowledge crisis are important for such a time as this. Overall a good and helpful read.
September 27, 2023
Bonnie Kristian’s book explored aspects of the distrust of experts that I didn’t anticipate, and her solutions landed squarely on my heart. She gave me a filter to view my part of the problem as well as a challenging assignment as part of the counterintuitive solution. Both her diagnosis and her antidote resonated with my lived experience. Though it’s not explored deeply in the book, I was left feeling that the example of Jesus exemplifies Kristian’s remedies.
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