unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman

unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters Reviews

• 
  Katie

  I dunno, dawg, this book was all over the place for me--to coin a Randy Jackson-ism. I wasn't really feelin' it toward the end, and it got a little pitchy in the middle, around the whole homosexuality part. I dunno. Paula?
  
  There! Now I am HIP and WITH IT! and MEDIA SAVVY! and CREATIVE! and TUNED IN! Maybe now "outsiders" my age will be drawn to the Christian faith as though by a magnet!
  
  Alas it's not so simple, and I would caution anyone from taking the research or conclusions in this book as definitive. Their polls found some dramatic numbers, true, but for me a big red flag was raised when they revealed just how dramatically the current numbers differ from their own 1995 numbers. Not to mention, I happened to notice that their survey results (on the attitudes of young Americans towards Christianity) were much more dire-sounding than other surveys I have seen from other news sources. To me this says "re-examine your methodology and sample for possible biases and confounds and re-do the study." Not "publish a book decrying how horrible everything has suddenly and inexplicably gotten." Dramatic changes in attitudes can happen in 10 years, sure, but they are rare and must be carefully appraised before we start running around trying to decide what to do about the putative "crisis."
  
  Kinnaman however takes the numbers at face value, and pelts them at you again and again. Young people--nicknamed as "busters" (that's me, high school class of 1998) and "mosaics" (that apparently includes everyone from my little brother to my kids)--think that Christianity is full of it. That we're hypocrites, and "boring" and "out of it" and "archaic" and "homophobic" and sin-of-all-sins in this postmodernist postethics moral relativistic world--we're "judgemental." We're just uncool, man, face it. We probably smell bad and wear coke bottle glasses and can't get anyone to take us to the prom, also!
  
  (I'm actually rather certain that the Baby Boomers who file in and make up the majority of every mainline Protestant church I have visited said the same things back in about 1971, no? And they had their fun with the guitars and flowers in the pews and suddenly now they're putting checks in the plate to fund Bach Cantata night.)
  
  To use the jargon of social research, I'm not entirely sure that Kinnaman is right in identifying these dire numbers as being a "cohort effect," that is, a true trait of an entire generation, shaped by the environment in which they were raised. I think he may be seeing a transient effect based on newly protracted adolescence and its attendant rebellion. Overprotected and coddled, today's high school graduates live out their adolescence from 18-35 in many ways. The 28 year old of today may well be more like the 18 year old of 1968.
  
  Having said that, Kinnaman is right that some of the blame can be placed on the shoulders of Christians and Christian institutions. It is right to see where we have come up short, and how we could better serve our most important missions and directives. That would be, by the way, the Gospel. I am of the opinion that if we stay true to that course, young people will eventually come to us. Kinnaman feels the same, it seems, but he's a lot more freaked out about it and offers all kinds of frantic ideas on how to polish our "brand image" as it were. Some of these are good, some of these are not so good, but the overall tone of panic and hysteria, not to mention the constant belting of statistics, makes it hard to discern.
  
  While I take seriously charges of hypocrisy and prejudice, I find it hard to take as seriously complaints about being "boring" and "too set apart." It is not the job of serious people of faith to entertain and fit in. And then on the other hand, Kinnaman charges that we are also too conformist! This is what comes of trying to stay with the trends--confusion, chaos, and loss of one's direction. I found the young "outsiders" (as he calls them) to sometimes have good points, but sometimes as well to be vapid, shallow, and judgemental and narrow-minded in their own ways. There is a case to be made that the church would do better to stay put and wait for these folks to eventually hit the shallow bottom of popular culture and come to us looking for something steadier and deeper. (Usually about the time they start either having kids or realizing they will one day pass away.)
  
  The biggest flaw with the book, however, was its neglect to mention the effects of the media. The media is all about splashy headlines, so the most outre and ridiculous specimens of any group--including both Christians and secular young people--are the ones that get reported upon. This distorts our opinions of one another considerably, and it was easy to see that many of the statistics reflected opinions based on media exposure rather than exposure to an actual church or Christians. Once again I was confirmed in my belief that one of the single most important things a parent can teach a child these days is how to debunk and disbelieve media hype and reports. Kinnaman would do well to examine this question, perhaps in another book.
• 
  Karen

  I picked up this book on a whim and almost tossed it aside when I realized it wasn't going to be about what I thought it was going to be about. But something made me read the first sentence - "Christianity has an image problem" - and that surely caught my attention.
  
  The book is written by an evangelical Christian and has several sections of text written by active Christians. The discussion primarily centers around research conducted over a three year period dissecting views of Christians/Christianity held by "outsiders" of various age groups. Through this research, the author discovered that not only are Christians perceived negatively (hypocritical, antihomosexual, insensitive, intolerant,judgmental, hyperpolitical, etc.) but that the negative perception increases as the age range of the group decreases. The purpose of the book is to sound the alarm to Christians about how they are perceived and to offer suggestions on how to improve their image. The concern, of course, is that Christianity is losing its following, particularly among young people.
  
  It was refreshing to see that the author agrees with the idea that Christians have moved far away from the behavior and world perspective advocated by Christ. However, he doesn't quite take his argument far enough in explaining exactly how Christians could advocate for their own political interests (which he does support) while appearing non-judgmental, loving, and tolerant. Evangelical politically active Christians are always "against" things, putting them squarely in the GOP. If they were to politically advocate for the loving side of Christianity - charity, tolerance, others before self - that would put them on the other side of the aisle politically. I'm intrigued by the idea that in order to follow this gentleman's advice, the Democratic party would be inundated with born again Christians.
  
  A thought provoking book thoroughly enjoyed by this outsider, who shares many of the perceptions illustrated by the study.
  
  
• 
  Nate

  Oooh.... Shocking..........
  
  Non-Christians have negative views of Christians!!!!! We're not the majority!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!
  
  
  Oh yeah. I almost forgot. That's what I think about American Evangelicals, too.
  
  
  Seriously, this book is a good wake-up call for Christians to stop majoring in the minors and actually start living in a way worthy to be called Christian.
  
  I like the fact that with every negative attitude, there is a positive response or way out of the present predicament. It's not only tearing things down, it's actually building things up, too.
• 
  Bagger

  Okay here's the rub, this is a really challenging book, it attacks the idea of what people think of Christianity and shows it in black and white graphs.
  Its a sobering book, in a lot of ways Christian's have messed up so bad that you get through each chapter thinking, it can't recover no one will ever take Christianity seriously ever again.
  I think it should be required reading for ever person who claims to be a Christian, and for every person who knows someone claiming to be a Christian.
  Cause it challenges the Christian, and it most likely acknowledges the opinions of those who see the church through its followers.
  
  
• 
  Maree Brown

  This book definitely had me contemplating my life choices in dropping level 3 stats. Personally i’m not really a number crazy gal but if looking at about a million and one graphs in your spare time sounds like your cup of tea then boy do i have the book for you.
  It certainly was eye opening to see how christians are perceived from the outside in, just a littlee too repetitive for my liking. Oh and not to mention depressing, because these stats are from 2007 i couldn’t help but notice the same issues prevalent in 2021..still waiting for this world changing revolution that this book is advocating for :((
  
  Hypocritical, self righteous, empty conversion attempts. Evangelism focused and then abandonment. Arrogant. Judgemental and the main theme that came through for me was a disingenuous love for the lost. As heartbreaking as those were to acknowledge i think it was really important for me to come to terms with the fact that this is the reality of what people think when they hear the word christian. Even more heartbreaking is realising that these are probably pretty fitting descriptions in many cases because here’s the thing. People have been hurt by the church. People have religious trauma. Christians have tarnished the name of Jesus and we need to take responsibility for that instead of playing the victim every time. Because there’s difference between persecution and rightly deserved criticism.
  
  Definitely made me aware of the miscommunication and shortcomings in my own evangelism attempts. Bit cringe to think of how those were perceived but ah well what can you do. I think the main thing i will be implementing from this book is to prioritise relationships with my non christian friends and go from there. From genuine love will come a genuine representation of the gospel not vice versa as i think we’ve all proven unsuccessful.
  
  “Are we trying to please God or polishing our holy credentials in front of fellow insiders? Is it possible that part of the reason that Christians have lost their appeal to outsiders is they have lost passion for people outside of the church.”
  
  I didn’t really enjoyyy reading this book but it was good for me to read which was a real pain. Glad it’s over.
  Ily David xoxox
• 
  M Christopher

  Once again, I've found a book about which I have deeply divided feelings. The research done by the Barna Institute about the attitudes of Busters and Millennials toward the Church is deeply important. The fact that so many of the next generations see Christians as having abandoned the teachings of Jesus is disturbing and that they presume that all Christians are out-of-touch, hypocritical, homophobic and mean-spirited is even more so. The chapters that disclose these attitudes are an important read for any Christian.
  
  Less valuable are the chapters in which David Kinnaman draws his conclusions on ways to counteract these negative impressions. His advice is the ecclesiological equivalent of putting lipstick on a pig. In some chapters, he seems only to be saying, "Outsiders just don't understand us; we've got to do a better job of telling our story." In the chapter on homophobia, he resorts to the discredited philosophy of "hate the sin, love the sinner." There is no bold vision in Kinnaman's recommendations; no sense of true reform.
  
  I ended up skipping whole chapters of this book and skimming others. I'd recommend finding articles online that detail the findings of Barna's research and passing on Mr. Kinnaman's 1950s-with-a-veneer-of-2007 style of evangelism.
• 
  Eric Thompson

  It's been said that if someone offers you a mint you should in no wise refuse. The gesture may be communicating a valuable piece of information of which you have been previously unaware. Your breath may smell like rotting garbage on a hot day, but if it weren't for this one unpleasant fact, the person offering help really wouldn't mind your company. In fact, they might even enjoy it. Take the hint and suck on the TicTac. Otherwise, you might find scarce the number of people willing to be close to you.
  
  If the church were paying attention she would notice that while a large percentage of Americans are not hostile to her message, fewer and fewer people are volunteering to join her at her lunch table. Gabe Lyons, the founder and president of Q Ideas, commissioned The Barna Group to do some statistical research as to why 20-somethings are conspicuously absent from evangelical churches. The result of that extensive research is unChristian, written primarily by David Kinnaman, president of Barna, and co-written by Lyons.
  
  Three years of polling and interviews are summarized in the book. The news is not good for the church. The church stinks in the nostrils of Millenials. The research uncovers a fascinating fact, however. Though the church may be offensive to younger Americans, they are largely receptive to the Gospel--a critical distinction for those inside the church but an impossible one for those outside.
  
  unChristian is a book built on scientifically-solid and relevant data. Thousands of people were asked dozens of questions and their responses formed the content of the book. When asked what word(s) define their views of the Christian church, the top eight responses became the titles of the first eight chapters. Not one of these answers is positive.
  
  As an interested reader (a Young Adult Pastor in my church), reading unChristian was extraordinarily difficult. While I can usually read a similar-sized book in 1-2 weeks, this one took me several months. And I know why. Picking it up to read the next chapter, or finishing the one I had to put down last, meant summoning a great deal of emotional energy. It's one thing to be offered the mint. It's quite another to find out that while your halitosis is excruciating, it's just the beginning of the problem. You stink.
  
  unChristian documents a crisis. The church spreads a message in the Gospel that contains an inherent difficulty: it requires repentance and submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ over all creation and humanity. However, the church should be a beautiful picture of Christ and his coming Kingdom filled with people who have so yielded to his lordship. We cannot remove the core offense of the Gospel but we should be horrified at the many other offenses we have placed between the outsider and the One who died to save them and rose from the dead to restore them to the beautiful and perfect image in which they were created. The outsider can't differentiate between the church and the Gospel. The medium is the message.
  
  This is bitter medicine to swallow but it doesn't come without some sweet relief. Kinnaman and Lyons aren't out to pile on the church--to join in the onslaught of those pointing out her many blemishes. Each chapter presents a perception of the church revealed by the research but ends with a collection of essays from leaders, representing a wide array of Christian traditions and ministries, proposing healthier ways for the church to interact with the culture. This is not mere PR, but a solidly biblical way of thinking and acting on the difficult and divisive issues of our day. The hopeful result is a new perception; a sweeter-smelling way for the church to engage in the world.
  
  This new approach is summarized in the final chapter. A wide range of Christian voices come together, ranging from recently departed lions John R.W. Stott and Chuck Colson to the established Rick Warren and Bill Hybels to the newer voices of Rick McKinley and Andy Crouch. They provide a biblically-solid and well-articulated new way of approaching our culture. The church needs to hear it. We've been offered a perspective of ourselves that we couldn't have sensed on our own. We need to take the mint.
• 
  Karson

  This is a book about Christianity in America today. The authors opinions have been formed by research, not vague feelings or hunches. I would recommend this book to Christians first, then anyone else interested in american sub-cultures and their perceptions of other groups and vice versa. The research findings in this book are a solid reminder that Jesus is recored as saying that the whole law and prophets hang on and point to the principle of loving God and other people. If you don't do those two things, then your opinions about baptism, church finance, "worship style", church size, inter-faith relations, the ultimate fate of 'non-believers', biblical authority, etc simply add to the divisive and destructive us/them, who's in/who's out noise in our world.
  Strange abstract doctrinal differences (like chosen method of baptism or interpretation of the apocalyptic book Revelation) are enough to forever separate Christians from each other, never mind the wide chasm it places between Christians and the rest of the world. This book is a call to return to what matters. There are several major criticisms of the American church in this book (written by a conservative evangelical.) The courageous way to read this book is to take each criticism personally. Instead of complaining about how THEY are so judgemental, or how THEY are so caught in their protective bubbles, or how THEY are so smug and unquestioning in their philosophies and ideaologies, one should read this book and question themselves. How are we devisive? How do we get caught up on abstract principles that dont matter? How do we miss the point?
  To be human means to develop, and to constantly move towards a fuller and wider understanding. This means that there is always personal work to do. If every Christian in America read this book with that attitude the baptists might talk with the universalists every once in a while. The Catholics might visit with the Episcopals more often. Christians might strike conversations with non-believers with the hope of learning something FROM them, rather than the hope of teaching something TO them. Christians might remember that they are part of a bigger body called HUMANITY! Maybe as HUMANS we'd be able to focus on what unifies us rather than what divides. O that eternal protestant problem of division!!
• 
  David Eiffert

  "Arrogance is perhaps the most socially acceptable form of sin in the church today. ... We don't see it, but outsiders can sense it."
  
  This book wasn't written TO me. It was written ABOUT me.
  As a Christian Pastor who tends to agree with Christianity's critics more than the two cheerleaders, I found myself saying "yeah, no duh" a little too often. I felt like I could have recited this book from memory without having read it. Because of that, it felt a little flat.
  I guess reading your own biography isn't always the most exiting way to spend your afternoon.
  
  Nevertheless, I'm grateful this type of research exists and I sincerely hope these ideas will become the norm in the evangelical world.
• 
  Dennis Henn

  Why have so many of those 18-29 checked out of church? Why do so many negative Christian stereotypes abound among this generation, even among those who profess belief? With statistics and interviews, Kinnaman seeks to answer those questions. Insightful, the findings reinforced many complaints I have voiced about Evangelicalism. We are not viewed as authentic, as compassionate, as real followers of a biblical Jesus. We are seen as judgmental, as coopted and corrupted by politics, and as hypocrites. We care less about people than numbers. We care more about being right than righteous. A very good read.
• 
  Lynnette

  A dozen years ago or so when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute, I attended a session at a conference purely because they were giving out free books. I listened to David Kinnaman and Gave Lyons talk on a panel about the staggering research they were seeing and why it matters to the church. It was very convicting. At the end they offered us the free books but encouraged us to only take one if we were definitely going to read it. Well, I did eventually get around to reading it! It is fascinating that a book written before the term Millennials was coined predicted exactly what we continue to see amongst my generation today. Even though the statistics are 13 years old by this point, it is still a relevant study. It shows how and why Millennials tend to think about the world and shows why “deconstruction” and Word of Faith are so popular right now. Understanding the history and the trends helps me feel better equipped to approach people of different generations. The premise of the book is basically pointing out how the “brand” of Christianity is harming our witness for Christ and we need to change it. I think the authors did a great job explaining the need to change people’s perceptions of Christianity without sacrificing the truth of the Word of God. They also make a compelling case for why thinking about people’s views about Christianity matters. I learned a lot from this book and would definitely recommend it. It is older so it’s possible one of their new books might be even more relevant and helpful to read. My one complaint is that they sometimes use The Message, but they never use it as a word by word translation so I don’t mind too much.
• 
  Ken

  UN christian
  By David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
  Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007
  256 pages
  
  I would rank this book among the five most important books I have read in the past ten years. I cannot stop thinking about the implications of it. The authors compel me to re-examine my life in light of God’s word and the proposals in the pages of UN christian.
  
  David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, uses survey data to show us what American Christianity looks like to those who are outside our churches. (“Outsiders” were the author’s targeted focus group and scientifically defined.) These outsiders contend that Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind. Kinnaman reveals that a surprising number of those who view us Christians so negatively have abandoned churches after participating long enough to gain a clear understanding of what preachers and congregations do, say, and require.
  
  The author never advocates for Christians to strive for popularity. He does not suggest compromise or fawning before critics. But he paints an unflattering picture. Christians might be tempted to take offense and respond defensively. Our culture seems intent upon silencing Christians and the faith. A terrible mistake we would make if we, the church, should circle the wagons and take a fortress mentality in defense against such criticism and loss of public approval. Our Lord calls us to strive to be the effective ambassadors of spiritual transformation in people’s lives. So we cannot abandon the Great Commission by blaming our contemporaries for our fruitless witness. The sheer numbers of citizens who call themselves Christians in this country is enormous. Why is the faith having such a minimal impact? Kinnaman warns that the Christians have a serious problem in the way that we evoke disrespect and rejection. Our neighbors are not listening and do not seem to like us who name the Name of Jesus. Are we the salt that has lost it’s influence?
  
  What the outsiders observe predominantly falls under six topics: hypocrisy, winning souls as if an impersonal sales pitch, hatefulness toward homosexuals, un-involvement in contemporary social problems, over-emphasis on conservative political views, and an unloving lack of compassion for those who are not “Christians.” Each of these topics receives a lengthy treatment in a full chapter that documents each accusation and then unfolds a Biblical response that Christians would be wise to adopt and demonstrate instead of perpetuating the status quo. Each topic / chapter is concluded with a collection of brief but varied testimonies and essays by recognized church leaders and authors who confirm the positions argued in the chapter.
  
  This reviewer confirmed the author’s findings by quizzing his own thirty-something children. What this book tabulates is indeed circulating popularly in the minds and conversations of young Americans. Kinnaman and Lyons cannot be dismissed lightly. They have published a significant warning for us who seek the honor of God and the promotion of the Gospel of God’s grace for lost sinners.
  
  Especially helpful, in the estimate of this reviewer, were chapters five and six, which address our missteps toward homosexuals, and the absence of Christian ideas and services in the community because of Christians' isolation from real world concerns and social problems.
  
  Outsiders label us as “UN Christian” because our ways have offended them in no small measure. Readers may object that unbelievers compose the worst source for evaluation of churches or of the Christian faith. However even the apostles urged Christians to be sensitive of their interactions with outsiders. Peter charges believers to live in gentleness and respectfulness because Christians will inevitably be slandered (I Peter 3:15-17).
  
  This book broke my heart because instead of listening to Peter’s wise advice we have played into the hands of our critics and given them the proof that we are what they say we are: hypocrites, obnoxious parrots of an impersonal “gospel,” reactionaries against any hint of homosexuality, uncompassionate, worthless physicians who can heal no one, Pharisees who talk but do nothing righteous.
  
  May the Lord help us to repent before He spits us out of His mouth. This book can provide practical starting points as to how we can repent specifically.
  
  
  - Ken Counts
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Erin

  I pretty much figured that this book was going to be yet another review of the issues that non-Christians have with Christians. Not a shocking read - most of it just recaps all the reasons I'd left the church in the first place - because it comes off as hypocritical, judgmental, obnoxious, and completely intolerant of any view other than it's own - *even just for discussion*. What bothered me the most about this book though was how dry it was! It was like reading the research papers my classmates and I had to put together for our class on Qualitative and Quantitative Social Research. Dry, dry, dry!
  
  
  I'd like to add in my own two cents here - - - EVERYONE - - - Christians AND non-Christians alike need to realize that (and I'm gonna steal a quote here) the church is not a museum for saints - it is a hospital for sinners. Preach less, listen more, and *try* to live by example. Saying over and over and over again how things are supposed to be and why "you (pointing finger)" are wrong, and then doing the exact same thing or something worse just builds this wall of hypocrisy which separates everyone from the truth of Jesus' message....
  
  "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Luke 6:41-42)
• 
  Ko Matsuo

  Kinnaman's book shines a light onto the state of evangelicals in the US. The book was written in 2007 after 3 years of research. It reads like a prophetic message to evangelicals many of whom ignored his message when it was written.
  
  I'm dismayed at the number of negative comments I have read about this book. The Christian church in the 21st century is highly prejudiced and closed minded but doesn't want to admit that it is. This attitude was not justifiable when America was a Christian majority, and it is absolutely not justifiable now.
  
  I really liked this book. It echoes GK Chesterton's reply to a newspaper question, "What's wrong with the world." He reputedly answered "I am." If Christians would take this approach, that would be a big first step in regaining credibility.
• 
  Walter

  Oh my goodness, where do I start and what do I say? Hmmm. Perhaps I can be most generous by suggesting that this book, David Kinnaman's unChristian is Dickensian in the sense that it represents the best of times (some very good things) and the worst of times (many very bad ones). If I'm less charitable, I could say that it's alternatingly awesome and awful, piercingly insightful and stunningly blind, inspiringly Spirit-filled and depressingly and offputtingly spiritually tone-deaf, etc. In sum, this book offers great insight from its research - and thus is a worthy read - but the biases of the author and some of his collaborators outweigh this greatly - and thus make it a very difficult one.
  
  [Disclaimer: I consider myself a Christian, but one of a very different and more progressive stripe than the author of this book. In fact, the reason that I read the book is that I've been concerned that the decidedly un-Christ-like behavior of many self-described evangelical or conservative Christians casts a pall over us - self-professed Christians - as a whole. As a friend of mine once observed, some of the unChristian behavior (to use the author's term) "makes me embarrassed to admit that I'm a Christian." As this book makes clear (primarily by contrast), there's a diversity in how this faith is practiced, but the high visibility and vocal nature of many evangelical/conservative Christians/groups tends to color the perception of the religion overall to the detriment of those of us faithful who are equally appalled by the ungodly behavior of too many of our fellows.]
  
  The author is the leader of the Barna Group, a firm that does research, polling and consulting on and for Christian churches and groups and the population at large relative to spirituality, and especially that of the Christian variety, and they are also admittedly positioned toward the right/more conservative end of this spectrum. In short, Mr. Kinnaman is a self-described (and -defined) evangelical, as, apparently, are most of his firm's clients, and it's through this prism of evangelical Christianity that he interprets the results of his and his firm's otherwise objective research. So, the research is great - topically significant and insightful - but the interpretation of these findings is, well, decidedly less so (and, often, just plain biased and awful). I recommend this book highly because as a particularly religious society in the United States, we need to know how Christians are perceived and experienced by others and what they think of themselves. But I also share a warning with prospective readers: unless you are an evangelical Christian yourself, you are likely to have to look beyond the interpretation and analysis of the research results as, frankly, the author's evangelical bias is present (too) often and makes for very difficult reading. On the whole, it's worth the effort (because the research is so telling and compelling), but it'll be an effort for the those who don't share the author's view of evangelical Christianity.
  
  Simply put, because of their behavior, Christians are, as a group, perceived negatively in many ways and generally more negatively than positively, especially by the young (i.e., survey participants who were aged approximately 18-41 years when the research was done in 2007) and "Outsiders" (i.e., those who are atheists, agnostics, affiliated with other religions or Christians who are unchurched). In fact, to summarize the research findings, the author identifies six "broad themes" that are associated with Christians, who are/appear to be: hypocritical, too focused on getting converts, anti-homosexual, sheltered, too political and judgmental. Tough list, eh? Exactly ... which is why this research and this book are so important.
  
  Yet, I offered both characterizations - "are/appear to be" - because this points to one of the book's first and most important flaws: throughout it, the author and a number of his collaborators/guest contributors refer to (conservative/evangelical) Christianity's "image problem." Suffice it to say that if you're perceived as hypocritical, judgmental, anti-homosexual, sheltered and both too political and focused on converting others, you have more than an image problem, you have issues of true substance and character. Simply put, this is not about the superficial/"image," this is about fundamental, substantive character- and behavior-driven indictments of how some/(too) many practice their Christian faith in contemporary America ... and the author's failure to address this backfires in a big way and actually heightens a reader's awareness of this major miss. (And, as the author freely and frequently acknowledges to his credit, there are a significant number of born-again and evangelical Christians who are currently affiliated with churches - making them "Insiders" - who agree with these characterizations, which further reinforces their substantive nature.)
  
  To examine these findings, the author chooses to focus on each of these six major criticisms in a separate chapter. To put a fine point on it, the chapter about the 'perception' of anti-homosexuality is the most offensive thing that I've ever read. After acknowledging why Outsiders (and many Insiders) consider (evangelical/conservative) Christians to be anti-homosexual, the author then reminds readers that the Bible condemns homosexuality and that therefore, though it's a tough message, Christians are compelled - because of their "Biblical worldview" - to condemn homosexuals for their behavior and seek to bring them back to the right/Godly/Christian way to live (which, conceptually, would either be monogamous, married heterosexuality or celibacy). What?!? This is so heinous, it's hard to figure out where to start. Let's try this as an abbreviated reaction/summary:
  
  First, the (few) 'prohibitions' against homosexuality are in the Old Testament and define it as "an abomination." By contrast, the Patron of Christianity, Jesus, never said anything about it but did hang out with society's outcasts and the persecuted (as the LGBT community continues to find itself to be today). Second, despite the apparent unawareness or denial of many evangelical/conservative Christians, modern science has shown that homosexuality is natural and occurs in most species, including humans, so it's not a "choice" to live in an abominable way (and, therefore, urging people oriented in this way to repent and return to 'normal' is a denial and invalidation of one of the most core aspects of their humanity). Third, the author presents his approach - which, in reality, is just a rehashed version of "hate the sin, love the sinner" - as self-evident and the only possible one, which, to put it mildly, is just b.s. There are many possible approaches for people of deep (Christian, et. al.) faith - including Christ-like unconditional love - but supposedly 'true' Christians (i.e., those who subscribe to the "Biblical worldview" as posited by the author) must condescend to those in LGBT community in this way, so you won't find them here. Suffice it to say that this section confirms that Christians of this ilk are indeed both anti-homosexual and judgmental (in addition to behaving in complete contrast to their Patron). Fourth and finally, if Christians are compelled by their Biblical worldview to follow the Good Book's guidance on this topic, must they also now prohibit tattoos and the eating of shellfish and condone slavery and the subjugation of women, etc., as the Bible also does? (Put another way, is highly selective reading/interpretation of the Bible in this way OK/appropriate for 'true Christians'? Of course, the author doesn't address this [just like his evangelical and conservative peers invariably don't].) Simply put, Chapter 5 was so offensive that it was a pure act of will to finish it. The condescension, the insincerity and the unChristianity are palpably inhumane. Is it any wonder that the vast majority of Outsiders and an increasing number of younger Insiders either reject or are beginning to question this (per)version of Christianity?
  
  So read this book - its research is insightful and compelling - and grin and bear the interpretation/'analysis.' If there's any hope of rescuing the evangelical/conservative brand of Christianity, the definition of the problem and a few good suggestions - mainly from outside contributors - are contained herein. But, on the whole, what this book reminds us all is that when we humans presume to know the mind of God, good things can happen but so, too, can far too many bad ones (including to the point of evidencing our very deep capacity for inhumanity). Much of what is characterized as Christianity now is virtually in complete contrast to its Patron's example and, thus, as a number of evangelical/conservative leaders point out in the Afterword, the solution to these very real and deep substantive issues can be found in a return to His behavioral example by his followers. I wish that I were more optimistic that this'll happen - especially given the continuation and, in fact, deepening of the unChristianity that we've seen in the seven years since this book was published - but I do appreciate that someone on the Christian Right has finally admitted that there's a problem. Let's hope that this becomes much more widely appreciated in this community soon, as the consequences of this not happening - in light of the 'gay' marriage 'debate,' the continuing battle over women's reproductive rights (and the mystifying SCOTUS decisions that attach to them), etc. - are significant and detrimental to us all.
• 
  Matt

  This feels dated, in more ways than one, which is the biggest reason for the low star count, but I do respect what David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons were attempting here. In hindsight, the idea that the American church just needed to start acting "Christian" again and maybe get some of those trendy guys who wear the clear-frame glasses to help with a rebrand was... a bit naive.
  
  But the basic project of engaging seriously with the impressions outsiders have of the church is sound, and Kinnaman sincerely tries to find a path forward without dismissing anyone's point of view. It's admirable, if idealistic.
  
  That being said, a few sections come across as cringe-y now, 13 years later, which is not surprising. But still, there's a lot to appreciate here, both of a snapshot of a simpler (or at least, more optimistic) time, and for the demographic research, which is dated but still interesting.
• 
  Nick

  If broader evangelicalism would have paid attention to the findings in this book back in 2008, we might find ourselves in a different spot now. But alas… Great information and even some great practical solutions. Some of it is slightly out of date and I would venture to say that the broader cultural perception of evangelicals is even worse now than it was in 2008. Three stars isn’t because I think they did a poor job, I just had a tough time getting into this book. I’m not sure what it was. It had plenty of anecdotal evidence to go along with the scientific data, But it seemed a bit dry anyway.
• 
  Amanda

  It's truly incredible how accurately the author's research felt the pulse of the public's reaction to toxic Christianity and proceeded to recommend a slightly more 'friendly' version of the same toxic theology.
  
  The author accurately assessed that the public, especially young adults, view Christianity as hypocritical, conversion-obsessed, anti-gay, sheltered, extremely political, and judgemental. Instead of renouncing the theologies and beliefs that led to this, repenting and asking the public for forgiveness for so grossly misrepresenting the historical Jesus, he tries to keep the beliefs and change the packaging. The book still insists LGBTQ+ people are living in sin and ought to be confronted on it (p. 188 had an especially awful moment on that), as well as fully biblically inaccurate mumbo jumbo like 'Jesus is a Christian' (p. 154) and the belief in Satan as a real spiritual being as a tenet of evangelical Christianity, the certainty of which is shaky at best if you do a half-decent look at the bible with some basic exegetical training (p. 158)... it baffles me how he can do these acrobatics to maintain judgmental and biblically inaccurate beliefs and still call Christians to compassion.
  
  Overall, the research, data, and findings were not horrible, but the interpretation was mildly disastrous at best. The guest-writer sections were hit and miss, some of them ironically portraying the same out-of-touch, judgmental, and anti-gay sentiments the book openly stated as problematic in public perception of the church. Others were insightful and tasteful. The book clearly earned two stars, and I hope that in this decade the church gets its act together and learns to properly repent and turn away from toxic theology and praxis, as well as learning how to properly do basic exegesis before thinking of writing a book referring to 'biblical living'.
• 
  Brian Eshleman

  The authors willing to ask the hard questions to see how Christians are seen by those around them. He is willing to seek empirical data to pierce assumptions and inbreeding cultural consensus. What he finds is certainly not flattering to any Christian's sense of effectiveness, and his findings give ample ground for repentance. He presents information that shows Christians perceived as little different morally than their non-Christian neighbors and yet taking an inflated sense of pride in their supposedly Christian distinction. He challenges readers who named the Name of Christ to examine our routine interactions for the grounds of such repentance.
  
  I would not recommend swallowing the book whole, however. After all, as Christians we must depend upon God's Word and His Holy Spirit to shape us and convict us. Indeed, both might be reflected in feedback we get from the world around us, but we must be careful not to become a slave to the opinions of men. After all, Jesus was blunt that the father of those who would not accept His forgiveness was the devil himself, also known as the father of lies. Pointedly, non-Christian surveyed are going to be willing to blame Christians for every flaw they see rather than face their own responsibility before the claims of Christ.
• 
  Stacie

  At first, this book was a real page turner, and unfortunately, the more I read, the more I feared turning the page. I felt like the author had betrayed the seemingly implied promise of religious reform. I was hoping for a progressive point-of-view, and instead of challenging the church to reform, he challenges the church to be less off-putting and more tolerant. These are nice goals, but I expected more. I was disappointed to discover that the author, just like the "unchristians" he targets, interprets the Word as literal law, which I gathered from his somewhat tradition inferences.
  
  If you are somewhat conservative and believe that the Bible should be followed as is, I think you might identify with the author and enjoy the book.
  
  If you are liberal and non-denominational, like me, you might get annoyed with the author.
  
  
  
• 
  David Gower

  
  
  Important topics, but for one who agrees with a more open church it is a bit like beating a dead horse. I supposed some people still really need that poor horse to suffer though.
• 
  Rachel

  “Arrogance is perhaps the most socially acceptable form of sin in the church today. In this culture of abundance, one of the only ways Satan can keep Christians neutralized is to wrap us up in pride. Conceit slips in like drafts of cold air in the winter. We don't see it, but outsiders can sense it.”
  
  “Most people in America, when they are exposed to the Christian faith, are not being transformed. They take one step into the door, and the journey ends. They are not being allowed, encouraged, or equipped to love or to think like Christ. Yet in many ways a focus on spiritual formation fits what a new generation is really seeking. Transformation is a process, a journey, not a one-time decision.”
  
  “Being salt and light demands two things: we practice purity in the midst of a fallen world and yet we live in proximity to this fallen world. If you don't hold up both truth in tension, you invariably becomes useless and separated from the world God loves.”
  
  The New Testament writer Paul told the first-century Christians: "You yourselves are our letter . . . known and read by everybody." When a person "reads" your life, what does it say? What does your faith look like to outsiders?
  
  A major new research project, unveiled for the first time in this book, describes the increasingly negative reputation of Christians, especially among young Americans. The research shows that Christians are best known for what they are against. They are perceived as being judgmental, antihomosexual, and too political. And young people are quick to point out they believe that Christianity is no longer as Jesus intended. It is unChristian. It shouldn't be this way. What Christians believe may not be popular, but Paul also advised the first believers to "live wisely among those who are not Christians" and to "let your conversation be gracious and effective."
  
  In this eye-opening book, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons--along with more than two dozen leading voices within Christianity--unpack the major criticisms leveled against Christians. Understand why those negative images exist and how you can best represent Jesus to your friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
  
  Your life is an open book. Is it unChristian?
  
  It's hard to believe that this research is nearly 10 years old. While I think some of it still rings true (certainly as it pertains to the belief that Christians can be judgmental, hypocritical and sheltered), I think that there are vast differences of opinions in the present day on issues of homosexuality and political engagement. I also thought that while this book certainly pertains to Canadian Christians, some of it simply doesn't translate over as Canada is a post-Christian nation. For example, Christian political action isn't nearly as uniform, powerful or polarizing as it is in the United States. I also wonder how these perceptions of Christians have evolved, and perhaps, unfortunately, become more strong given the current Trump administration and its overwhelming evangelical support.
  
  An interesting and thought provoking read. While at times it seemed hopeless, the author provided helpful and practical action items for Christians and beautiful stories from Christians who are finding creative and godly ways to challenge these unChristian stereotypes by living out the Gospel.
• 
  Erin

  Excellent. This book provides research done on what the world thinks of Christians. The research is from 2007; however from my experience I think it is as true now as it was then. Ten years ago, when I was 15, these surveys were of those the ages of 16-29 years old. What a blessing to read the opinions of people in my own generation of me.
  
  The data showed trends of how Christians are viewed, and a chapter is given to each (hypocritical, obsessed with quantity of conversions, antihomosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental).
  
  From Gabe Lyons in the Afterword about why this project was undertaken: "My sense was that if Christians could read the mind of outsiders, filtered through the objective lens of research, it would provide the motivation we needed to change how we see ourselves and our role in culture. And over time it would significantly alter how we live and interact with our friends, colleagues, and neighbors... As I soaked [the research results] in, I glanced at the people around me [in Starbucks] and was overwhelmed with the thought that this is what they think of me. It was a sobering thought to know that if I had stood up and announced myself as a "Christian" to the customers assembled in Starbucks that day, they would have associated me with every one of the negative perceptions described in this book." He also notes, "I was captivated by the opportunity that lay in front of a new generation of Christians... As I read page after page of research, immersing myself in the painful descriptions from outsiders, I was aware that my heart was changing, I felt my mind transforming. Having access to what those around me really thought challenged me. I had finally been offered a glimpse into the perspective of those I'm called to love and embrace, and I was humbled, embarrassed, and provoked to make a difference."
• 
  William Schram

  I am an atheist. I say this all the time on here. I grew up Roman Catholic, but I never took to the religion. I asked too many questions, so I could never see myself as a true believer. Any religion has depth to it. You start small with the easy-to-swallow nonsense and eventually move on to the advanced bullshit.
  
  Christianity has an image problem. A group of researchers surveyed young people and found some unpleasant truths about Christianity and how it is perceived. The book is called unChristian, and I don't know if that is proper formatting. Christianity to young people is stodgy, old-fashioned, judgmental, hypocritical, confusing, and too political. Given the recent Roe vs. Wade decision, I can't help but agree. The book came out in 2007, so it still talks about George W Bush as President of the United States.
  
  UnChristian is fascinating for one reason; it offers a different perspective on several subjects. As I mentioned in the opening sentence, I don't believe in any higher power. The author is an Evangelical Christian. He belongs to a sect of Christianity where the congregation accepts Jesus Christ as their lord and savior. I'm not sure about how far gone he is.
  
  The book makes Christianity more palatable to a particular age demographic. I assume the audience would be fellow Evangelical Christians. I was morbidly interested in where the author was going with some of his advice.
  
  Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
• 
  Zachary Matheson

  2.5 stars
  
  Overall a good and worthwhile exploration. Nothing I found surprising, but then this book is 15 years old and besides it's good to have things analyzed rigorously as opposed to anecdotally.
  
  At least two fundamental limitations:
  -Despite all the effort to understand how outsiders think, the author consistently fails to recognize that Mormons consider themselves/ourselves Christians. Also, the "Get Saved" chapter opens with a cheap shot at Mormon missionaries in order to illustrate how much people dislike being cornered to talk about Jesus ("The doorbell rings... Uh-oh... Mormons..."). Like, I get it, but not cool.
  -The author assumes he is "right" about Christianity, and thus fails to consider the fact that aspects and teachings of modern+Western+American+evangelical Christian theology might be part of the problem. There are multiple interpretations of the Bible, and it's not always clear-cut which one is "correct" (and of course THAT takes for granted the debatable proposition that the New Testament we use today is a representative collection of the actual teachings of Jesus).
  
  The best part of this book was the collection of snippets at the end of each chapter from pastors and thinkers across the country who already get it, and who are already out there working towards justice and peace and healing.
• 
  Caroline Brewer

  Started out promising. I will say that I was drawn to this because of the statistical analysis involved in expounding on the subject matter and theme of how modern day Christians are so "unChristian" (I value quantitative research, though qualitative has its place in research methods, too).
  
  I had to put it down around page 70, however. This rarely happens to me. Tougher books are often like my relationship with difficult people - I'll put up with them through the end and rarely (if ever) call it quits. The times I have ended a relationship (with a human or book), is when it gets so bad I can't see any other solution but to say "enough."
  
  The irony about this expose on judgy Christians is that the author(s) manage to do just that with people in the LGBTQ+ community (lumping them all as immoral "homosexuals," ummm WTF?), women who have had abortions (note the emphasis on WOMEN, because apparently cisgendered WOMEN are solely responsible for pregnancy termination), and a few other "sins" the author(s) delineate as big offenders.
  
  I am still reeling from reading some of this and to put it in an unChristian way: Fuck this book.
• 
  Kristin

  This book is presented as an attempt to bring the American Christian Church to understand the criticisms and rejections that they are faced with. The book claims that it is trying to help the Christian community face their problems, mistakes, and hypocritical flaws in order to survive, and in fact flourish, in the coming generations.
  
  Before I explain why I thought this book was awful, I should give some background as to who I am so that my perspective is at least fair.
  
  The book claims to analyze the opinions of those born between 1965 and 2002. I am in the older third of that range, so I do fit into the population of the book. The book was published in 2007; this review is from 2013 so perhaps some of the claims in the book would be deemed irrelevant by the passage of time, but after all it was only 6 years. I am a politically liberal mainline Christian. I live in NYC so it is fair to assume that I, and the people who I am surrounded by, may have a different worldview and Biblical interpretation than those in the Bible belt, for example. I spent my entire life in the church as the daughter of a minister.
  
  For those who don't have the patience to read my full review, I'll cut to the chase and tell you that I think this book was a lame effort which really didn't address in any depth any of the faults of today's Church. It seems as if the authors wrote this simply to say they are making an attempt to "fix" things, but with no real conviction behind it. The stereotypes in the book are predictable. The criticisms are what you would expect. What they did with that information is sub-par. The book does, however, have contributions from leaders in the faith community which are much more insightful and meaningful.
  
  For those of you with the patience to keep reading, here are some examples of the issues I take with this book:
  
  - A list of behaviors that young Christians "think are acceptable" includes gambling and using profanity. As for gambling, there is nothing inherently un-Biblical about gambling. Nobody would bat an eye at this. As for profanity, it is certainly reasonable to say that it is unbecoming (and offensive to many, therefore should not be done) and you'd be hard pressed to find people cursing in the church, that too is not a Biblical prohibition. If the authors of this book think that someone going to a casino or playing the lottery is even a miniscule fraction of the reason that the Church is suffering, they are out of their minds.
  
  - The authors of this book insist, if only by implication, that all Christians are conservative. They state that it is necessary that "Christians affirm that marriage is between one man and one woman." Now I don't care if this is the stance of the church, but many enlightened churches also recognize that this is a civil right and we live in a democracy, so their beliefs do not mandate civil law but rather just a moral position.
  
  - The authors of the book claim that Christians being political is unacceptable to outsiders. I find this to be entirely untrue. Hateful messages, bigotry, and un-Christ-like rhetoric is the problem. When a Christian steps in, motivated by teachings of Christ, and is polite, loving, and sacrificial, I have never seen outsiders take offense at their political activities. The world does not get mad when a Christian insists on educating children or stopping rape because Jesus taught us to do so. The world gets mad when people, using the name of Christ, claim that AIDS is a punishment to homosexuals and immigrants are barely human. This rejection of political action is not because of Christianity, it's a refusal to let hatred, in any name, be part of civil society.
  
  - Taking the political conversation a step farther, and in a very scary way, the authors state that "young adults are less likely to support a `Christianized' society," and "young adults are less likely...to start their political explorations as Republicans." The authors state that it is troubling that young adults do not feel that the Bible should determine the laws of the country. Frightening that they would think otherwise. Theocracy we are not. The generalization and expectation of the authors that Christian = Republican is offensive to me as a Democrat, but goes to show that these authors have a VERY narrow view of what Christian is. If it doesn't match their interpretation, it's not right. FAIL.
  
  I could go on and on, but I won't. This kind of rhetoric fills the pages of this book. In essence, the authors have two points that they don't outright say but you will see clearly by the end of the book: 1) The younger generations are drifting away from the CONSERVATIVE FUNDAMENTALIST interpretation of the faith; and 2) we should try to be nicer and more well-behaved and actually care about people to bring them back into the Church.
  
  I say no. The church should be more a reflection of Christ. The Church (of which I am an "insider") deserves much of the backlash that it has gotten. The Church should not curb gambling (as implied), the Church should not worry about its perfection. If the Church simply learns to be LOVING, its flaws will be overlooked. The young adults of today don't expect anyone to be perfect, they expect them to be LOVING. The young adults of today don't want a conservative Church, they want a LOVING church, and the conservative wing of the Church needs to accept that a difference of political opinion does not mean that one is wrong, or needs to be prayed for to change their ways.
  
  The authors of this book did a shallow job at digging deeper into why society rejects the Church. They wrote the book and now can say "we're trying." To that I say "not hard enough."
  
  
• 
  Peter Heil

  Though written now some 40 years ago, unChristian is nowhere near obsolete. This book shows well put-together data found from surveys and interviews with the new generation of the book's day. It will give you insight into what the youth of the day think and feel about the Church and what their passions and their grudges (mostly understandable) against the Church. unChristian will make you rethink what it means to reach the 20-somthing generation of Christians and put you on a path toward grace and truth. WARNING! your faith and beliefs about the world will probably be tested and you should certainly take time to reconcile with this internal struggle. I will recommend this book to Christians and those not of the Christian faith alike! It will give you a fresh perspective on the 20-something's, faults of the Church, and what Jesus called his Church to actually be like.
• 
  Megan

  While I respect the effort that went into the research for this one, it was a total slog for me. A positive way of viewing it would be that this text is a bit older now, and the problems addressed here regarding those in the church who consider themselves to be “Christian” have possibly been addressed in more nuanced ways. A negative point of view would say these are the same problems the church has always had, and that the reason nonbelievers dislike Christians is unchanging: an over-politicized concept of Christianity, hypocrisy and moral superiority. I can’t blame anyone on any of these fronts; they’re the same reasons I dislike Christians at times.
  
  The last few books I’ve read have been so dry. Consider me officially in a mini reading slump.