Rebecca St. James Challenges Believers with 'Radical Living'

By Josh Kimball, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, October 15, 2008

After serving as a major voice for abstinence in her previous best-selling book, Christian songstress Rebecca St. James is challenging readers of all ages to join her on the journey to "everyday radical living."

"My new book Pure exists to encourage purity from the inside out as a total lifestyle," St. James explained in a recent interview.

"Striving to live a pure life physically is itself a huge goal. But in addition, the way we turn over our fears and priorities to God, the way we forgive others, literally the way we approach every aspect of this life and our purpose—are also part of the total package of a pure lifestyle," she added.

St. James' 90-day devotional, published by FaithWords, hit book stores last month and takes readers on an intimate day-to-day walk. It presents St. James' own voice and personal insights, her challenges and victories – ultimately offering readers wisdom and encouragement in living a lifestyle that's "both counter-cultural and totally exhilarating in its' freshness of purpose."

"I'm passionate about purity because it works," St. James exclaims.

The Grammy award winning artist's last book, Wait For Me, has sold in excess of 100,000 copies to date and was recently re-published in updated format by Thomas Nelson.

While Wait For Me was about the "how-tos" of living a pure life, St. James says Pure "is really kind of going deeper into the heart."

"It's really encouraging us to go deeper with God," she said in a GodTube.com interview, adding that "purity comes from that heart commitment and relying on His strength for that purity."

And in a culture that St. James sees "discouraging purity blatantly," the Christian songstress feels the timing of her book was just right.

"We just gotta be really active about protecting our minds," she said. "If you're watching or listening to things that are going to encourage you on your walk with God, then that's going to help you live it out in your life too."

In addition to her entrance into the book industry, St. James has also been exploring ways to become active in the film industry.

She told Gospel Music Channel that she is passionate about making quality family-focused films and said she was talking to a couple of major film companies in Los Angeles.

"I'm just kind of trying to remain with my hands open and trust Him," she said.

In addition to taking improv classes on her recent sabbatical, St. James had also been reportedly working on a romantic comedy screenplay based on Christian author Kristin Billerbeck's popular novel, What a Girl Wants.

Despite her new pursuits, St. James still plans to continue releasing new albums and expects her latest work to have more musical diversity than ever before. She told Gospel Music Channel that she acquired a fresh love of music during her recent sabbatical, reporting that she "was able to enjoy new music and really get a fresh passion for it" after taking some time away from her daily musical endeavors.

St. James' last album, aLIVE in Florida, was a retrospective collection of greatest hits and fan favorites.