Billy Hallowell’s Fault Line is a call for Christians to not only understand the culture we are currently living in, but to engage in it and change it from within, rather than retreating. Hallowell correctly diagnoses the causes of our cultural shift from accepted Judeo-Christian values to the amoral (and even anti-moral) free-for-all. He meticulously documents these shifts historically using data from well-recognized pollsters such as Barna and Gallup. He points to the three main methods of information dissemination (media, entertainment, and education) in our culture and how those three have both reflected and driven the “seismic shifts” in thinking.

Most readers will fall into two categories I think. Conservatives will find themselves nodding their heads as Hallowell documents, explains, and demonstrates when, where, and how the shifts started, how they are currently playing out, and the impact they are likely to have down the road. It’s hard to argue with the statistics and clear, well-researched data presented. Others will probably react not as well, wishing to silence the message, and this book explains why and how such reactions have come to be more typical.

Two quotes came to my mind as I read this book. First, in his essay entitled Christian Apologetics, CS Lewis said, “What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects – with their Christianity latent.” The second quote is from Proverbs 15:1. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

More than just explanations, Hallowell calls conservatives and Christians to not just nod their heads in agreement but to actively pursue positions in media, entertainment, and culture, actively shore up the Judeo-Christian moral foundations, and to do so in a gentle, loving, and kind way. Doing so will thereby influence the very catalysts for change in our culture and truly preserve free speech and morality.

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I have read several articles on this topic over the last 10-15 years or so, so I suppose I should not be surprised that there seems to be little news here. The author clearly has done his research, but the evidence simply is an updating of what was already out there.

In addition, are some issues with the argument that seems flawed, such as when he seems to skim past the possibility that people aren't less religious than before but they simply are stopping to pretend to be Christian because it has no fringe benefits for them. To be fair, a couple of paragraphs were spent on this idea, but then the narrative moved on to the next point. I would contend that if this aspect of nominal Christianity is not explored more fully, then the premise may quite well be faulty.

Also, compared to the rest of the text, there was little time spent on how Christians added (and perhaps permitted) this anti-religious trend by leaving the fields of education, entertainment and the media. Sure, one must admit that how we got here may not matter as what we do from here, but to gloss over this fact lessens the responsibility we have for the current state of affairs.

I did appreciate how the author calls upon Christians to address these issues now that they seems to have reached critical mass. If you are well-read on this issue, this offering might be a mixed bag. If you are new to this topic, then this books provides a good snapshot of the current state of affairs (concerns notwithstanding).

There is no question that Christian influence in Western culture is waning. Journalist and culture watcher Billy Hallowell writes about the decline and the marginalization of Christian voices in Fault Line: How a Seismic Shift in Culture is Threatening Free Speech and Shaping the Next Generation. Hallowell starts with a review of the data showing that the millennial generation is moving away from religion, specifically faith in Jesus. Then he discusses major areas of culture: TV and movies, popular music, higher education, and the news media, chronicling the shifting values that move our culture farther and farther from Christian norms.


Very little of what Hallowell writes will be a surprise to anyone who is aware of the culture we live in. Some of the best insights were in the first section, regarding the decline of religious belief among the younger generations. He quotes Barna Group researcher David Kinnaman, who said, "there is a 'new moral code' . . . the 'morality of self-fulfillment'" which "has all but replaced Christianity as the culture's moral norm." Moral standards are reduced to what's right for you, not what's right according to an objective standard.


Without objective standards, people eagerly consume whatever lowest-common-denominator offerings the mass media serves up. Cultural norms influence cultural expressions and vice versa, in a spiraling race to the bottom. And if we believe entertainment doesn't influence behavior, we're fooling ourselves. "Young people who watched the greatest amount of sexual content were two times more likely to have sex in the next year." Conversely, "reducing the amount of sexual talk and behavior on television, or the amount of time that adolescents are exposed to them, could appreciably delay the onset of sexual activity." Hallowell doesn't call for censorship. Rather, he points out that in the not-so-distant past, "society was once so repulsed by negative content that Hollywood was forced to change its ways--and chose to do so accordingly." In contrast, Hollywood, in general, now chooses to push the limits of sex and violence more and more every year.


Higher education is a whole separate problem. It is "often a breeding ground for exclusively progressive ideals and values that are masqueraded, paraded, and marketed to young minds as definitive, unadulterated truth." Hallowell makes it clear that he is not against liberals teaching in colleges. But, first of all, he does find it problematic that liberals outnumber conservatives among faculty something like ten to one. More importantly, he gives examples of a tendency to exclude conservative viewpoints in the classroom. The college experience should be about being exposed to a variety of perspectives and learning to evaluate and differentiate points of view, but, as Hallowell describes, it's too often liberal indoctrination.


Finally, Hallowell describes the liberal biases in the news media. Like higher education, newsrooms are weighted heavily on the liberal side. Further, few journalists are practicing Christians, thus have a limited perspective on news about religion. Hallowell provides plenty of evidence and examples, but really all the evidence you need is to tune into the nightly news or pick up the New York Times.


Far from being a right-wing screed, Hallowell calls for balance and freedom of speech. The problem with liberal voices in entertainment, academia, and the media is not that they are liberal, it's that they often drown out and actively inhibit and exclude conservative voices. He writes, "if Christians and conservatives don't become professors, reporters, cameramen, producers, actors, and studio heads, then having substantial influence in the realms of entertainment, media, and higher education is a virtual impossibility." There are barriers in place, to be sure, but Christians must not back down from making their voices heard. Following Josh McDowell, Hallowell writes that Christians must be informed, be rational and sound in our positions, live out our faith with integrity, and listen and interact with others. Cultural fault lines are clear to all of us; perhaps Christians can deepen our participation in culture and bring people together.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!