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

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Authors: David Kinnaman, Gabe Lyons
Publisher: Baker Books
Category: Book

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Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 1

ISBN: 0801013003
Dewey Decimal Number: 277.3083
EAN: 9780801013003
ASIN: 0801013003

Publication Date: October 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Based on groundbreaking Barna Group research, unChristian uncovers the negative perceptions young people have of Christianity and explores what can be done to reverse them.

Customer Reviews: Read 59 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Great Book But Not the Whole Story August 19, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This is a great book, but it's not complete.

The book does a wonderful job of showing why Christians look unattractive in the eyes of those who are not part of the faith. To complete the picture, I would recommend George Barna's excellent books "Revolution" and "Pagan Christianity"?

These two books explain why most churches are unattractive to both Christians and non Christians alike, and ("Pagan Christianity" especially) gives a great deal of historical evidence for why this is the case.

1 out of 5 stars

Didn't Read It August 18, 2008
2 out of 8 found this review helpful

I agree that the church has to change but can someone please tell me why we (the church) should go to the "world" and ask the "world" what the church of Jesus Christ should look like?

5 out of 5 stars

A must read for all August 18, 2008
This is one of the most impacting books of our day. Every Christian should look at this closely. Jesus and Paul understood well the culture they lived in. We will do our selves a huge favor to understand the culture that we live in today.

3 out of 5 stars

Ok read, but examination of youth culture needs to follow this book! August 13, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

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!

5 out of 5 stars

Yes, Yes, YES!! This Author Finally "Got The Memo"! August 13, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful

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.)

Copyright 2007 White Hat Communications.
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