Book: unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters
This is an unusual book: a Christian left his job to start up a research agency that would look at what people in America really think about Christianity. This book covers the results of a large-scale survey of the opinions that 16-29 year olds have of Christianity, and suggest some ways forward that might help the church be better perceived.
The book presents 6 main areas where Christians can do better, framed in terms of the negative perceptions that people outside the church have of them:
- hypocritical
- only interested in “saving” people
- anti-homosexual
- sheltered
- too political
- judgemental
I found it a really constructive read (once you wade through a single chapter that seems to be more about the statistical method than contain useful information), and it’s encouraged me to look at where I’m not doing Christianity any favours in these areas, and what I need to do differently.
What are your thoughts on this subject: is it fair to say that these things describe Christians in general?
Matt mentioned this book to me before. I am interested in reading it, can I borrow it from you?
Sounds like an interesting book.
Yes, those things exist in the church, and we need to continue to grow in how we work with them as we continue to travel deeper into the implications of the gospel.
And yes, people find in the church whatever it happens to be that they decide they want to find.