Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.... and Why It Matters.

Sutton, Geoffrey W.

UNCHRISTIAN: WHAT A NEW GENERATION REALLY THINKS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY....AND WHY IT MATTERS. David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. (2007). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. Pp. 255 , Hb. $17.99. Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton (Evangel University/Springfield, MO).

"Christianity has an image problem." (p. 11) Kinnaman and Lyons interpret years of research that compares the views of those outside Christianity to those of people who are on the inside. They conclude that contemporary Christianity is unchristian. David Kinnaman is president of The Barna Group, which conducts research into faith and culture. Gabe Lyons is the founder of the Fermi Project, which commissioned the study. The authors identify the negative attitudes of young Christians toward Christianity (e.g., anti-homosexual, judgmental) and, with help from select Christian leaders, offer suggestions on improving the perceptions of and making genuine connections with young Americans (ages 16-41).

After a few pages, it occurred to me that the authors seemed stuck in a time warp. I pictured these young Christian authors standing with a fundamentalist doctrinal foot in the American Evangelical Christianity of the 20th century while looking forward with qualified compassion as they sought to plant the other foot on terra firma. Although the authors encourage their readers to accept the reality of the negative perceptions held by young Christians and outsiders (their term for non-Christians), they advocate changing the perceptions but not necessarily the beliefs that engender the disapprobation. Here lies the tension that makes the book more interesting than the readable analysis of the six themes representing the negative perceptions held by young outsiders toward Christianity. Following two introductory chapters, six chapters are devoted to one of the six themes, which I will summarize in this review. The authors close with an encouragement for Christians to change their manifest attitudes from unchristian to Christian. They include useful details of their research, which is in the end material.

Most outsiders and nearly half of young Christians associate Christianity with hypocrisy. In this study, hypocrisy is a simple position of saying one thing while doing something contradictory. Of interest, young Americans seem to accept this hypocrisy as a common phenomenon. In support of the accuracy of the perception, the authors summarized the results of many studies, "born-again Christians fail to display much attitudinal or behavioral evidence of transformed lives." (p. 47) The examples reflect such common targets of holiness preaching as sex, gambling, profanity, and alcohol. In part, the authors preach about the importance of holiness yet they also advocate that older Christians live a more honest and transparent life. The authors skim over the nuances of lifestyle behaviors in a manner not likely to please either older or younger Christians.

Get saved! contains a series of vignettes bolstered by statistics that help readers glimpse a caricature of Christians as salvation peddlers whose only interest in others is the tally of souls won to Christ. The emphasis here is on the importance of developing a sincere interest in others. The message is clear.

"Out of twenty attributes that we assessed, both positive and negative, as they related to Christianity, the perception of being anti-homosexual was at the top of the list." (p. 92) The authors provide a detailed analysis of the common negative beliefs held by Christians toward people who identify their sexual orientation as gay (the authors refer to such persons as homosexuals throughout the chapter). Kinnaman related an encounter with a gay friend that illustrates his personal struggle to develop a Christian response toward the gay community. The pages of this chapter reflect compassion and suggest how some sensitive Christians, like the authors, might respond to the challenge of a new perspective. Nevertheless, they are unlikely to win many friends among the GLBT community.

The perspective of Christians as sheltered and out of touch with the real world is not surprising. Some churches provide an incredible range of community components such as coffee shops, bookstores, and fitness centers. They offer childcare, school, and recreational programs. Many Christians live in a bubble, which is not at all austere. It is hard to disagree with the authors' encouragement to step outside the faith-bubble and connect with people who have needs.

Do you know any American Christians who lace their communication with right-wing political propaganda? The common association of American Christians with certain political agendas is a commonplace and a source of distaste for many young outsiders and young Christians. Wisely, the authors do not advocate a disengagement from politics but rather encourage a more reasoned view of sociopolitical issues and a genuine respect for those who disagree.

Perhaps it is fitting that the final theme is about judgment. Only 20% of outsiders strongly agree that, "Christian churches accept and love people unconditionally, regardless of how people look or what they do." (p. 185) The authors call for Christians to examine their judgmental attitude and the associated pride and arrogance it communicates to the world.

Overall, the authors achieved their purpose. The presentation of statistics is in reader-friendly format with charts that reveal what percentage of what age and faith group holds various opinions. That young Americans hold different beliefs than older Americans is never surprising. The six themes that represent clusters of opinions are intrinsically interesting as behavioral information about various American subcultures. Clinicians can garner fresh thoughts when considering what constitutes Christian spirituality in the lives of their clients. Researchers may find ideas for further investigation, including the empirical challenge to the ideas the authors promote as ways to change the actions of older Christians in order to change the negative perception of Christianity. Educators will find the book a resource to stimulate discussion in schools and churches. A major shortcoming is a fairly narrow focus on American protestant evangelical Christianity, which could be construed to represent Christian and unchristian by those with a limited understanding of the various branches of Christianity around the world. Interested readers can learn more at the project website, www.qideas.org.

Rodney L. Bassett, Editor