A friend of mine recently sent me the book unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters. I finished reading it last night and thought I would share some thoughts.
The book examines how Christianity today is perceived by young adults (~16-30 years old). The authors did a good amount of research to determine the following 6 big issues (each topic gets its own chapter):
- Hypocritical
- Get Saved!
- Antihomosexual
- Sheltered
- Too Political
- Judgmental
Each chapter examines some issues and comments (gleaned from both Christians and "outsiders") associated with its topic. At the end of the chapter appear several relevant anecdotes or thoughts from notable Christian leaders.
The ultimate finding is that Christians have, in both perception and reality, become too concerned with rules instead of people. Christians need to become more like Jesus and less like the Pharisees - we should be a picture of Christ.
The book is well-written and not difficult to read or digest and it does a good job pointing out shortcomings without being overly accusatory or negative - there are some good counterexamples presented that show more Christlike behavior. I see a lot of myself in some chapters (but not necessarily all) and will readily admit that I find it easy to try to project my values on others, whether they are Christians or not.
I would recommend this book to any Christian, anyone in the 16-30 age range that the book focuses on, and especially to church leaders or teachers who have direct influence or interactions with people in that age range.
This sounds like a very relevant book. I will have to check it out!
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