Starred review from PW to appear next week:-
unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity … and Why It Matters
David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. Baker, $17.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8010-1300-3
Kinnaman, president of the Barna Institute, was inspired to write this book when Lyons (of the Fermi Project) commissioned him to do extensive research on what young Americans think about Christianity. Lyons had a "gut-level sense that something was desperately wrong," and three years of research paints exactly that picture. Mosaics and Busters (the generations that include late teens to early 30-somethings) believe Christians are judgmental, anti-homosexual, hypocritical, too political, and sheltered. Rather than simply try to do a PR face-lift, Kinnaman looks at ways in which the church's activities actually may have been unchristian, and encourages a return to a more biblical Christianity, a faith that not only focuses on holiness but also loves, accepts and works to understand the world around it. It would be possible to get lost in the numbers here, but the authors use numerous illustrations from their research and life experiences, and include insights at the end of every chapter from Christian leaders like Charles Colson, John Stott, Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis. This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence the church for years to come. (Oct.)
3 comments:
I imagine that different groups would define what it would mean to "return to biblical Christianity quite differently. And that Colson's and Stott's comments would be quite different from McLaren's and Wallis'. Sounds interesting.
I have "gut-level sense that something is finally desperately RIGHT" and people are seeing Christianity for what it really is. Yay!
Thought you might like to check out this interview I did with UnChristian co-author Gabe Lyons.
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