A recent YouGov poll claimed that Russell Brand is having a disastrous influence on politics. The research looked at various celebrities and their impact on political life, and 46 per cent voted Brand a negative influence. He even managed to eclipse the likes of Jeremy Clarkson. But what is the 39-year-old doing to have such an impact?

It can be easy to dismiss Brand. He has had a mediocre acting career, a sadly failed celebrity marriage and a difficult past including addictions to alcohol, drugs and sex. Despite all this, he is continually in demand as a presenter and host. Even the Dalai Lama asked Brand to host a conference and he's recently had airtime on Newsnight, Radio 4 and Channel 4 News. There's a lot to disagree with, but I think Brand is nevertheless a person, indeed a cultural phenomenon, worth learning from. Here's why:

1. Challenge accepted norms

One of my favourite Russell Brand moments was when he was on MSNBC being questioned by a very patronizing presenting panel. When the news anchors began to talk about Brand as if he wasn't there, he interjected: "You shouldn't say he when the person is present, that is basic good manners." After being continually spoken about rather than spoken to Brand commandeered the show – reading the autocue as if he was the presenter.

There was something about his subversive approach that I loved. He called out the hypocrisies and challenged the assumptions of the media: calmly, yet persistently and very eloquently. As the seasoned presenters squirmed uncomfortably, I found myself cheering him on as he refused to play by the rules.

Of course it may be different when Brand challenges our ideologies and presuppositions, but let's begin by applauding his strength of conviction that refused to conform for the sake of it, and his willingness to turn the tables on the media in response to their hypocrisy. 

2. Have courage in your convictions

In February Russell Brand took on Jon Snow. He was part of an online petition championing the idea that drug addiction should be treated as a disease rather than criminal behaviour. The campaign received over 100,000 signatories. Brand was invited to speak about the petition but on the show Snow refused to properly engage with the main topic, instead taking the opportunity to harangue Brand about comments he had made discouraging young people from voting.

Brand refused to be drawn, instead calmly putting forward his views persuasively and with a good dose of humour. His fearlessness, humour, sarcasm, insight and directness combine to impressive effect. Sometimes he can overstate his case, sometimes he is bullish and refuses to respond to other opinions. I might not always agree with where he concludes his argument but often I can't help be impressed by how he makes his points. I think we could learn a lot from Brand's demeanor. On his best days he models grace under fire, leaving behind a clear argument and a smile.

Even in personal conversation many Christians lack the courage of their convictions. We worry so much that we may come across as bolshy, ungracious or argumentative, that we end up not speaking up at all for our beliefs. But Brand shows us that there is often something compelling and attractive about someone who is confident and passionate about their beliefs, however unorthodox. 

3. Wisdom can come from surprising places

From turning up to work dressed as Osama bin Laden the day after the 9/11 attacks, to leaving an unsavoury voicemail message for 83-year-old Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, he has had his unwise (some would say outrageous) moments.

And yet Brand's brand has never been stronger. Sometimes his dark side speaks sense – pointing out the flaws in our society that others are simply too polite to draw attention to. The truth is that sometimes wisdom can come from unusual places, but it should be recognised wherever it appears. The book of Proverbs reflects this as it distils common sense from cultures outside of the chosen people of God. Paul takes a similar approach in his Areopagus address in Athens where he is willing to borrow from Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.

However unlikely the source, we can learn from people as diverse as Russell Brand, Richard Dawkins, Taylor Swift, the Dalai Lama and anyone else, because by God's grace every human being reflects God's image and so has something useful to contribute to our understanding. It would be easy to write him off completely, but my challenge is to use our God-given discernment to discard the chaff, and hold on to the kernel of wisdom .

4. Messiah Complexes are Real

There's a lot of tongue firmly in cheek in the title of Brand's stand up comedy tour "Messiah Complex". Brand is definitely positioning himself as a spokesperson for the masses. He will often try to distance himself from the ruling classes by siding with the common man. But Brand is not an everyman hero – he simply does not inhabit the same world as most of us. He enjoys the celebrity status and high life with all the trimmings expected from a man worth a reported £9 million.

And yet he wants to be seen as an ordinary guy and calls other ordinary people to join his revolution of non-participation in the democratic system. He alleges that politics is fundamentally broken and that he personally offers a better way forward. He is accountable to no one – he makes pronouncements in his own name, and for his own purposes. Slowly the public are becoming tired of Brand's approach and his own form of hypocrisy, to the point that he is now being labelled a "Champagne Revolutionary". 

This is another important lesson. No matter how high profile, how eloquent, or how humorous the speaker, rhetoric alone lacks credibility. Brand calls for a populist revolution but his message quickly loses impetus as he is not first and foremost a man of the people, rather he is a celebrity looking for an audience. 

Jesus has a far greater claim to be a revolutionary than Brand, or indeed any of history's other megalomaniacs. He lived with the people that he loved. He spoke revolution and lived it out. No one could argue that he was simply after an audience as he hung on the cross for the revolution of love of the Kingdom of God that he taught. When evaluating who to follow, Jesus reminds us of the fundamental quality of a revolutionary leader – someone who will put the needs of others ahead of their own needs. We can learn to be wary of leading without serving, of preaching without practice, of eloquence without kindness and style without substance.

5. Disaffection is an opportunity

A lot of Brand's rhetoric draws on a general dissatisfaction with the status quo. The failure of modern politics to capture the imagination and conviction of the public leaves a vacuum that Brand and others are more than willing to fill. It's another guise of the populist politics that drives Nigel Farage's UKIP. Their fearless challenge to the establishment means sometimes Farage and indeed Brand can appear to speak wise words of common sense. But too often all they offer is a criticism without offering anything of substance to replace it.

Brand proposes an 'anti-politics' that encourages young people to abstain from voting while Farage presents a controversial political stance in an attempt to attract votes from those disillusioned with the mainstream parties. Both Brand and Farage are light on policies and positions and heavy on rhetoric. It may seem attractive for a while, but the promises are simply undeliverable. 

What can the church learn from Russell Brand? If we remain aloof from politics we miss an opportunity to offer our own radical alternative vision for our national life. We can follow Brand's example to ask hard questions, but we must go a step further and do the hard thinking. We must expose hypocrisy, but also seek to eliminate it in our own lives. We must be passionate and confident, yet winsome and humble. As the General Election approaches we must make sure that the church plays its part by joining the national conversation, but demonstrating the servant leadership Jesus modelled, rather than the self-serving politics Brand espouses.

Dr Krish Kandiah is the president of London School of Theology, the largest interdenominational, evangelical theological college in Europe. He is also the founder of Home for Good, a start-up charity helping to find adoptive and foster homes for children in the care system.