unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman, Gabe Lyons
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Book Reviews of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters
Book Review: Ok read, but examination of youth culture needs to follow this book!
Summary: 3 Stars
While the information is definitely useful, Kinnaman's research of a younger generation's perception of Christianity clearly has its flaws. Sure, young people today see "Christians" as hypocrites, too political, anti-homosexual and judgmental and there is a lot that Christians and the church can learn from these assessments and opinions. But Kinnaman never turns to look at his own generations and their blurred vision of reality in the first place - the generation that chooses loyalty to their tribe over truth, or tolerates any and all lifestyle choices as legitimate - Kinnaman needs to follow up unChristian with a book written to his generation addressing their own messed up perspective on the world!Book Review: Yes, Yes, YES!! This Author Finally "Got The Memo"!
Summary: 5 Stars
I borrowed this book from my local library on a whim. The title intrigued me, and the premise was revolutionary. I was initially afraid that this book would be more of the same prattling, self-congratulatory, self-righteous propagandizing of the Christian faith that makes me sick to my stomach to even think about.
I was dead wrong.
At last, here is a book by two very self-aware Christians, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, who finally "Got The Memo" about how Outsiders (their term for people who don't self-identify as Christians) feel about Christianity in general and Christians specifically.
Their 12-year research seems to be thorough and a pretty good representative of what I and my friends and acquaintances have experienced at the hands of so-called Christians. If the New Testament saying is "By their fruits, ye shall know them," then what most Outsiders have experienced of Christians and Christianity has been horrible, bitter fruit indeed.
The book goes into detail about the main complaints about Christians/Christianity, and discusses how these types of behavior utterly destroys the intended Good News message about Jesus Christ. I'm sure that even the most liberal and self-aware of the people I've encountered as Christians or Evangelical Christians don't want to be seen as "Homophobic (the #1 complaint), hypocritical, uncaring (my word & experience), sheltered, arrogant, too political, judgmental, and only concerned about a person 'getting saved'." The book also gives example anecdotes from the research participants, detailing the treatment they received from other Christians--including abusive treatment, shunning, blaming, and deception--among other attrocities.
Throughout this book, Kinnaman and Lyons also gives their own anecdotes concerning these issues, and in so doing issues a bold call to other Christians: if you truly want to be a fit and shining witness to your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, than you should really pay attention to how to you come across--in word and deed--to Outsiders. Not to pretend to be something that you're not just to get the Outsider's trust (that would fall under the "deception" complaint, after all), but to be a better living witness to Christ's love for them and everyone.
Though I'm no longer afraid of reading the Bible anymore, I will never again self-identify as a Christian in this lifetime (due to child abuse issues and other horrible treatment at the hands of "Christians"). (Thus, I'm Pagan.) However, I find this book invaluable and instructive--and even a little healing. There are at least two Christians out there who "get the memo" about how we Outsiders feel about our treatment at the hands of other Christians. Bravo on such a wonderful, eye-opening book.
Note: for some reason, the authors placed LDS/Mormons in the non-Christian category, which I find odd and a little insulting. LDS members follow and revere Jesus Christ in their church, so why put them in the "Outsider" category? (I'll still give the book 5 stars, though, for the groundbreaking content of the book alone.)
Book Review: UnChristian- what non-Christians think about you.
Summary: 4 Stars
If you work with youth or young people or even young at heart you need to read this. It's most important revelation is that this is what they think of Christianity, Christian and ultimately me. I want to love people to Jesus not bash them in the head to church. By understanding their views I can better do more of the former and less of the later.Book Review: We're still doing it...
Summary: 3 Stars
Yet another book trying to keep the focus on man instead of God. We have a book at the house from the 1940s (yes, the 1940s) calling the Church to see the danger of our man-centered Gospel.
It isn't about us or what the public thinks of us, it's about God. If we're a surrendered people and our desire is to point all people to Him, as Jesus said, "If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me", then we should expect the masses to reject us. Jesus said the majority would reject Christianity; He said the way was wide that leads to destruction, and narrow that leads to life.
Jesus never chased after anyone. He told it like it was. He's a God of Love, but also a God of Truth, and we will all face Him someday.
The very first word He preached was, "Repent". This will never be popular with people who want God on their terms.
Should the Church change it's message? Only if it is preaching anything other than "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand...". Should the Church change it's focus? Yes, back on God where it belongs. Should the Church change it's approach? Yes; we need to get out of the brick and mortar building and live it out on the streets.
Jesus taught the truth in love because He cared where the "sheep without a shepherd" were headed. To the woman at the well, He, without any reservations or hesitation, told her that she was living with someone who wasn't her husband, which she knew was wrong. He didn't condemn her, but reminded her that she was headed in the wrong direction and started sharing God's truth with her. That's the Gospel, folks.
It isn't an "us against them" mentality. It is a "I do what I see My Father doing" mentality that we need to foster in God's people, and send them out on the streets where the people are. We need to be lighthouses pointing people to God, not to religion.
The real book that needs to be written is: Are we willing to count the cost? Are Christians willing to give up their lives like our Example did to reach the world for God? Expect rejection and persecution. It comes with the territory. Jesus was the most humble, loving, person alive, but he also drove the money-changers out of the temple with a whip, because He loved His father first. (There's a reason why the first 4 commandments are the first 4, did you realize that?) It cost Him his life, of course. Are we willing to count that cost, ourselves?
Book Review: Sobering
Summary: 4 Stars
As an old Mosaic (almost 22) and a born-again Christian according to the criteria of the researchers, I found this book to be deeply sobering. It expressed some of the tension I have felt since high school, and helped explain why so many in my generation are resistant to the form Christianity has taken in the last two or three decades.
I was encouraged by the fact that most "outsiders" are not resistant to the message of Christianity, especially the message of Jesus (at least on social issues), but rather they are resistant to the way self-professing Christians act, especially when those actions don't line up with what Jesus taught. This gives me hope because if we lead by example and live according to the teachings and spirit of Jesus, this generation will flock to Him because this generation is longing for a transforming power to take on the massive challenges of our world today.
I also take heart in the fact that these perceptions can change, given a wide repentance of attitudes and actions on the part of Christians, especially those in leadership. The issue of homosexuality is a perfect case study: the over-40 cohort of leadership in the American church has not adequately given those under 30 a dynamic, life-affirming viewpoint and approach to understanding and wrestling with the issue of homosexuality. It's either "Hate the sin, love the sinner" (which comes across as insincere and even mean to outsiders), condone the sin, or condemn the sin, none of which fit with our way of doing things and viewing reality. We (the under-30 generation) are more loyal to our "tribe" - our network of friends and friends-of-friends (think Facebook) - than to institutions. So if our best friend comes out as gay, and our church says to "Love the sinner, hate the sin", we have a very hard time coming to terms with that. We feel intense loyalty to our friend but a lingering loyalty to the institution of our childhood. More often than not, the institution (the church, marriage, traditional sexual mores, etc.) is cast off.
The author stated that - while every generations becomes more liberal in its youth and gradually becomes more conservative - the current generation of late teens and twentysomethings is somehow different than past generations were at their age, given the massive amounts of technology, marketing, violence, and other media that we have literally grown up around and within. That to be 23 years old in 2008 is very different than what it was like to be 23 in 1988 or 1978. Only time will tell if this assertion is true or not, but I have a feeling it may be true.
Overall, this is a very good book for a) parents of Mosaics and Busters, especially Christians, who need to understand the makeup of their childrens' culture and values, and b) Christian Mosaics and Busters, especially those firmly in the Christian "bubble", who need a kick-in-the-pants and an understanding that the way we are doing things (as far as "evangelism" and even how we express our faith in general) simply is not working for our generation.
I agree with the main thrust of the book: That young outsiders have certain perceptions about Christians that do not line up with the teachings of Jesus (judgmental, anti-homosexual, pushy with conversion, hypocritical, etc. instead of caring, loving, forgiving, humble, etc.), and that these perceptions both inhibit Christians' ability to effectively reach that generation, and repulse young outsiders from even considering the faith. And also, that the fault is not entirely with outsiders (as outsiders they don't understand first-hand the richness and depth of love that can only be found in God through Jesus), but blame also rests on Christians - both Boomers and Gen X and Y - for not incarnating the teachings and spirit of Jesus in our lives, "losing our soul" in our quest to maintain our fast-crumbling cultural and political hegemony in American society.
We can reverse these perceptions: let's get to work!