unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and Why it Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons

Wow - what a great book!  This book is basically a report about the stereotypes surrounding the Christian faith, why young people have those stereotypes, and how Christians contribute to those stereotypes.  It's written (by Christians) as an informative guide for ministers and people of the Christian faith.  The research was done by the Barna Group on a grant supplied by the Fermi Project.  They assessed the common feelings, perceptions and beliefs of young adults (under 30) about Christianity and identified a set of stereotypes most often cited.  They then looked at what Christians, including churches, were doing that might contribute to those stereotypes and suggested a different approach to behavior and ministry.  It's basically a huge, thoughtful, introspective "look in the mirror" wake-up call to Christians, and a call to return to Christ-like behavior (and Christs' teachings) on a personal level in the way they think, believe and act on a daily basis.  It's been touted by multiple people of faith as a book "every Christian should read" but IMO, it's a book everyone should read, especially those who live in a society where the major religion is Chrisitianity.

My only criticism of the book is that it can get bogged down with statistics, and if someone is not used to reading non-fiction it may be difficult.  Overall, I thought it was well-written and well worth the read. ( I was given a copy by a Christian friend and read it in about 4 days.  Which is fast for me, LOL!)

Thanks for the info. Did you also post a review?

Nice to meet you LeeAnne!  There are a few of us here - pop in the Religion and Spirituality forum and say Hi. :)

Clara, if you mean on Amazon.com - no I did not write a review.

Interesting fact about the author...  In an interview, he said while pouring over the data he had a real moment of enlightenment where he actually wept about what he was learning.  He said it changed his perception of his faith and his role in his faith.  Very powerful stuff!

that sounds pretty interesting!

Here is the YouTube interview with the author David Kinnaman.  I can't watch it, but it may be of interest to those who might like the book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mKfg2mrMP4

And a nice USA today article about it:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-10-10-christians-young_N.htm