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.

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?

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.

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.)

If you work with youth or young people or even young at heart you need to read this. It's most important revelation is that this is what they think of Christianity, Christian and ultimately me. I want to love people to Jesus not bash them in the head to church. By understanding their views I can better do more of the former and less of the later.

Yet another book trying to keep the focus on man instead of God. We have a book at the house from the 1940s (yes, the 1940s) calling the Church to see the danger of our man-centered Gospel.

It isn't about us or what the public thinks of us, it's about God. If we're a surrendered people and our desire is to point all people to Him, as Jesus said, "If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me", then we should expect the masses to reject us. Jesus said the majority would reject Christianity; He said the way was wide that leads to destruction, and narrow that leads to life.

Jesus never chased after anyone. He told it like it was. He's a God of Love, but also a God of Truth, and we will all face Him someday.

The very first word He preached was, "Repent". This will never be popular with people who want God on their terms.

Should the Church change it's message? Only if it is preaching anything other than "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand...". Should the Church change it's focus? Yes, back on God where it belongs. Should the Church change it's approach? Yes; we need to get out of the brick and mortar building and live it out on the streets.

Jesus taught the truth in love because He cared where the "sheep without a shepherd" were headed. To the woman at the well, He, without any reservations or hesitation, told her that she was living with someone who wasn't her husband, which she knew was wrong. He didn't condemn her, but reminded her that she was headed in the wrong direction and started sharing God's truth with her. That's the Gospel, folks.

It isn't an "us against them" mentality. It is a "I do what I see My Father doing" mentality that we need to foster in God's people, and send them out on the streets where the people are. We need to be lighthouses pointing people to God, not to religion.

The real book that needs to be written is: Are we willing to count the cost? Are Christians willing to give up their lives like our Example did to reach the world for God? Expect rejection and persecution. It comes with the territory. Jesus was the most humble, loving, person alive, but he also drove the money-changers out of the temple with a whip, because He loved His father first. (There's a reason why the first 4 commandments are the first 4, did you realize that?) It cost Him his life, of course. Are we willing to count that cost, ourselves?

As an old Mosaic (almost 22) and a born-again Christian according to the criteria of the researchers, I found this book to be deeply sobering. It expressed some of the tension I have felt since high school, and helped explain why so many in my generation are resistant to the form Christianity has taken in the last two or three decades.

I was encouraged by the fact that most "outsiders" are not resistant to the message of Christianity, especially the message of Jesus (at least on social issues), but rather they are resistant to the way self-professing Christians act, especially when those actions don't line up with what Jesus taught. This gives me hope because if we lead by example and live according to the teachings and spirit of Jesus, this generation will flock to Him because this generation is longing for a transforming power to take on the massive challenges of our world today.

I also take heart in the fact that these perceptions can change, given a wide repentance of attitudes and actions on the part of Christians, especially those in leadership. The issue of homosexuality is a perfect case study: the over-40 cohort of leadership in the American church has not adequately given those under 30 a dynamic, life-affirming viewpoint and approach to understanding and wrestling with the issue of homosexuality. It's either "Hate the sin, love the sinner" (which comes across as insincere and even mean to outsiders), condone the sin, or condemn the sin, none of which fit with our way of doing things and viewing reality. We (the under-30 generation) are more loyal to our "tribe" - our network of friends and friends-of-friends (think Facebook) - than to institutions. So if our best friend comes out as gay, and our church says to "Love the sinner, hate the sin", we have a very hard time coming to terms with that. We feel intense loyalty to our friend but a lingering loyalty to the institution of our childhood. More often than not, the institution (the church, marriage, traditional sexual mores, etc.) is cast off.

The author stated that - while every generations becomes more liberal in its youth and gradually becomes more conservative - the current generation of late teens and twentysomethings is somehow different than past generations were at their age, given the massive amounts of technology, marketing, violence, and other media that we have literally grown up around and within. That to be 23 years old in 2008 is very different than what it was like to be 23 in 1988 or 1978. Only time will tell if this assertion is true or not, but I have a feeling it may be true.

Overall, this is a very good book for a) parents of Mosaics and Busters, especially Christians, who need to understand the makeup of their childrens' culture and values, and b) Christian Mosaics and Busters, especially those firmly in the Christian "bubble", who need a kick-in-the-pants and an understanding that the way we are doing things (as far as "evangelism" and even how we express our faith in general) simply is not working for our generation.

I agree with the main thrust of the book: That young outsiders have certain perceptions about Christians that do not line up with the teachings of Jesus (judgmental, anti-homosexual, pushy with conversion, hypocritical, etc. instead of caring, loving, forgiving, humble, etc.), and that these perceptions both inhibit Christians' ability to effectively reach that generation, and repulse young outsiders from even considering the faith. And also, that the fault is not entirely with outsiders (as outsiders they don't understand first-hand the richness and depth of love that can only be found in God through Jesus), but blame also rests on Christians - both Boomers and Gen X and Y - for not incarnating the teachings and spirit of Jesus in our lives, "losing our soul" in our quest to maintain our fast-crumbling cultural and political hegemony in American society.

We can reverse these perceptions: let's get to work!

I think I've been waiting for this book for a long time. I think about all the "Christians" I've met who have been so bitter, so self-righteous, so mean-spirited, so quick to damn, that if you're not careful, your view of the church and Jesus himself can get very jaded. I found I wasn't alone.

David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons' book unChristian explores the disgust many people (with particular emphasis on the younger generation) have with Christians, and how this image has evolved. UnChristian shows that most 18-29-year-olds view Christian faith as hypocritical, insensitive, out of touch with reality, boring, confusing, irrelevant, bigoted, too political, old-fashioned, and the list grows. Maybe you've heard these labels yourself. Maybe you've heard these labels about your own church. And at some point, one or more of these labels applies to each one of us personally.

Of course the problem is the image of Christianity, rather than real, living faith in Jesus Christ. They like Jesus, but not the church. It's not God, it's these Christians they can't stand! But the responsibility in how that image has come about lies on the shoulders of many Christians, of all traditions and backgrounds. Too many things over the years have often taken priority over strong, sincere discipleship. They've taken priority over our first love. Kinnaman points out that in matters of the heart, in lifestyle -- from abusing someone, to viewing pornography, to saying mean things behind someone's back -- younger Christians (ages 18-29) are virtually no different from their non-Christian counterparts.

I can imagine many Christians getting angry about this book. But don't toss it aside, even if you're prepared not to agree. Listen to what Kinnaman and Lyons are saying, seriously, thoughtfully, prayerfully.

It's not too late. Whatever the reason for this image of Christianity, the image can change. It's time to stop ignoring the culture's frustration with us and our churches. There are many ways we can get real, strip ourselves of whatever drives our culture away, and reach out.

This is our wake-up call.

I was force fed Chistianity for the first 16 years of my life. I'm still trying to shake off the horrors to this day. I read this book thinking I would at last find a way to forgive the church for the way it treated me and the damage it did to me all those years ago. I found myself becoming only angrier. I read this book and I still hate the Christians..perhaps even more. I'm sure that many agnostics and atheists aka thinking people may have come to their non-belief due to the way they were treated in the church as a child. The nonsense, the fears, the silly doctrine, the lies. I am one of those people. Christopher Hitchens makes more and more sense each day. Lewis Black said it best during his "Red, White and Screwed" routine. "God is a prick!"

In their book, "unChristian", authors Dan Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons, use research data gathered as part of the femri project's commissioning of a study by the Barna Research group to examine the attitudes of persons aged 15-49 towards Christianity in the United States. As the title implies and the authors report, the data does not paint a positive picture.

The strength of this book is that the conclusions drawn by the authors about the six broadly negative attitudes held by members of the last two generations are based on solid statistical research (that can be accessed by the reader through a web site). While some of the definitions and questions betray a specific paradigm from which the research is conducted, the results are founded on good data. Additionally, the conclusions drawn from this data, while again stated from within a specific paradigm, can be taken as following fairly straightforwardly from this data.

With these data in mind, Kinnaman discusses the broad scope of each of the attitudes, their effect on the interaction of generational members with much of American Chritianity and some solutions focused towards changing the attitudes from broadly negative to more positive. Refreshing, Kinnaman does not make excuses for or try to explain the appropriateness of the behaviors from those who call themselves Christians that has contributed to the negative perceptions discussed but challenges those actions and calls for individuals and churches to examine their biases and modify them according to broad scriptural principle.

The one caveat I would have regarding this book is that it is written by people associated with evangelical Christianity for readers familiar with and involved in that particular brand of of the Christian faith. Those coming from the emergent church conversation or from churches that have already begun to face up to some of the challenges the authors mention may find that some of the conclusions they have reached have already been identified within their own traditions. What is good about this book in that context is that while many of those arguments have heretofore been based in anecdotal information, the fermi project has gathered the statistical data to support the conclusions reached. However, much of Kinnaman's discussion still comes from that evangelical perspective of getting people saved (especially ironic given one of the chapter topics) rather than working with God to redeem all of creation back to Him. Finally, I would have liked to have seen more information on how Christians ought to practice their faith outside of the six somewhat narrowly defined topics. While issues like social justice, climate change, poverty and the like are mentioned, they are rarely discussed in more than a passing mention and, as such, the reader may be left that those outside the church only have complaints when, in fact, they are looking for the church to take the lead in issues that are deeply meaningful to them. Perhaps the authors will write another book addressing issues evangelical churches can address that will resonate with new generations of seekers.

In closing, this a book I think every leader within Christianity should read. This especially true for those in "middle management" (as it were) who lead small group studies and ministries. If the attitudes and perceptions the authors mention are to be changed, this is where such change will begin.

Christianity in the U.S. has an image problem, and it stands to lose an entire generation of young people if things don't change dramatically and soon. That's the conclusion of a three-year study by the Barna Group examining attitudes toward Christianity expressed by Mosaics and Busters, those in the late-teen-to-30 age group. Barna's findings should give evangelical Christians pause, but only briefly. Given the seriousness of the situation, believers can't pause for too long, because it seems they have a lot of work to do.

Here's one finding that shows just how negative an image we project to the world around us: "The primary reason outsiders feel hostile toward Christians, and especially conservative Christians, is not because of any specific theological perspective. What they react negatively to is our 'swagger,' how we go about things and the sense of self-importance we project. Outsiders say that Christians possess bark --- and bite.

Christians may not normally operate in attack mode, but it happens frequently enough that others have learned to watch their step around us. Outsiders feel they can't let Christians walk over them." That's pretty devastating stuff, though it really should come as no surprise to any Christian who has been listening carefully to outsiders under 30, and even some insiders over 30, in recent years.

The short version of the research findings is this: Mosaics and Busters most often expressed disenchantment (or outright hostility) toward Christians because they perceive them as hypocritical, only interested in people as potential converts, uncharitably anti-homosexual, sheltered from cultural and societal realities, too political, and judgmental. Before you get defensive, David Kinnaman is quick to remind Christians that this is how they are perceived. Your perception may differ, but that doesn't change the fact that outsiders often reject Christianity because of the image it projects.

The long version is what makes this book a must-read for...well, for all of us. It always sounds hyperbolic to say that "everyone" should read a particular book, but trying to narrow down the audience for this one is difficult. Let's just say that any thinking evangelical Christian with an open mind --- even half open --- would do well to read UNCHRISTIAN. It's vitally important for anyone in leadership to do so, but even those who are not leaders need to share some of the responsibility for giving Christianity a bad image.

One case in point is Christians' attitudes toward homosexuality --- and homosexuals. The "hate the sin, love the sinner" attitude so often expressed by Christians just doesn't wash with Mosaics and Busters. They see little love and compassion toward gays. From what they've observed, Christians hate both the sin and the sinner. Again, this is the short version and hardly does justice to the detailed, compelling and convincing research results.

And lest you think this is a dry read, full of statistics that will make your eyes glaze over, let me assure you that this is not the case. Yes, there are lots of numbers to wade through, but the authors did a masterful job of surrounding those numbers with eye-opening anecdotes and highly accessible analysis. And they included sidebars featuring commentary from other authors who have their ear to the ground on all this, including Rick Warren, Andy Crouch, Brian McLaren and FaithfulReader.com reviewer Margaret Feinberg. Their insights help enliven the chapters and put a human face on the stats.

Despite the depressing statistics, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons offer hope that we can change the way outsiders perceive us by changing the way we live out our faith. Chapters end with a "Changing the Perceptions" section that offers practical steps we can take to turn the situation around. The book also includes an appendix on the methodology of the research and a short but helpful glossary of terms.

There is little question that the authors are correct in saying that Christianity has an image problem. But the problem is far more serious than mere image. The reality is this: evangelical Christianity has an attitude problem. And until that is corrected, until we begin to live out our faith more authentically, until we lose our swagger, the image --- the negative image --- will remain in the minds of outsiders.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

Speaks directly to the person who feels a need to reach people on the outside. The writer uses research data obtained from people on the outside to determine how we "church" folks are preceived. I really did not learn anything new, but this book creates within me thedesire to change who I am in Christ in order to be Christ for those on the outside. The research data is clear and useful in pointing out the preception problem. The problem is me. In the way I live as a Christian. No Christian could read this book and honestly disagree with the results of the data. The church is made up of people like me, well accepted, leaders, business men and women, middle class, conservative who live our lives as we choose but profess a spiritual belief that is not used. Those on the outside have good eyes, Excellant book that will cause you to take inventory of your life.
Thomas L Moore

If Christians want fulfill the Great Commission and spread the Gospel throughout the "educated" world, then they must first understand what they're up against. This book explains why non-Christians are turned off to organized religion, and allows lay people to plan for and anticipate objections. It's also a wake-up call for pastors, elders and other church leadership to change -- or become less relevant in an increasingly secular society, whose images of church are formed by stereotypes perpetuated by the liberal left using their favorite tools: public schools, the media and socialistic government officials.

We can learn to uphold our values without judging others. The price of proselytizing is to separate the sin from the sinner and to accept the human condition, of which we are a part. Continued "holier-than-thou" attitudes only serve to push away potential believers. It also means recognizing that no matter how good we try to be, were it not for Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross, then all Christians would be considered hypocrites. Fortunately, our sins are remembered no more. This book reminds us not to be too smug about that fact.

This book is a call to an honest appraisal of the situation from the "Gallup" among Christians - the Barna Group. I am fascinated by research for what it can tell us, what it does not tell us, and the newly formed questions after reviewing what we have learned. While non-technical in its voice, this research-based book presents understandable information for the masses. The message, loud and clear, is that the way Christians see themselves and the way non-Christians see them are very different. It is time for such Christians to pull their heads out from under the sand and shake the sand out of their eyes, ears and mouths.

This undesirable "outsider" perception of Christians is far from what they are called to be by Christ. How Christians handle this will be the test. To argue that Christians are being perceived unfairly or inaccurately misses the book's point: that these realities are very real for non-Christians. Arguing from within the Christian perspective, Kinnaman calls for better listening, consideration and grace for outsiders of all stripes. A truer expression of Christ is the answer.

My only objection is the definition of "born-again Christian" (in the glossary) which focuses on "go[ing] to heaven when they die." While the book speaks of bringing heaven to earth, this definition may leave readers confused.

I was very interested to read what this book was about. it didn't take long to find out though the author is a part of the Barna Research group, that he would rely on what the stats say. His target group was the Busters/Mosaics (18-29 yrs old). He used what they said about Christians and then pointed out that in order for Christians to reach this group they needed to make some changes. I kept thinking would Jesus change his message to reach a specific group? Jesus had a general message, but he also had a specific message as the need arose, the women at the well and the rich young ruler would be examples. No the gospel message is what it is, the Good News of Jesus Christ. People are going to accept it or reject it, not on our delivery, but on how the Spirit of God is moving in the life of the person receiving the message. Books like this tend to tell us in order to reach people today we need to change the message so it is acceptable, would the Apostle Paul agree? I don't think so. If this book is right in one area, it's that Western Culture does think it has a corner of the market on the truth. Ask a persecuted Chinese, or Muslin Christian if they wonder what a 18-29 year old thinks about them, and they will say no. The important thing is that the gospel message is being delivered every where. We need to stop walking on egg shells around people and preach the gospel!

The previous reviews and the book express a theme very common in the New Testament. The description of the understanding of "christian" sounds an awful lot like the biblical description of the Pharisees.

Both Jesus and Paul were condemned by the religious people of their day for "not being Jewish enough" (by the understanding of the Jewish culture of their day). I would think that the non-religious people of the New Testament had the same opinions of the traditional religious people as are found in this book.

Perhaps this is not a new issue, but the same old issue: over time the traditional church drifts away from what God desires to do with people inside and outside of the faith. And the words of Jesus, then and now, are intended to bring them back into the purpose of God.

this book was disturbing enough to spark a fire in me and my church. we recently completed a series called "unchristian" based on the discoveries of the barna group presented in this book. with ammunition to find out if this was true locally, i went to atlanta with a video camera and a microphone. amazingly, all the people we interviewed shared the same opinions as those presented in the book. this book accurately depicts the viewpoint of those on the outside looking in. i highly recommend all Christians and all pastors read this book. it will challenge the modern church to change methodology without compromising the message of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom!

This study is extremely comprehensive and yet the facts and statistics are so compelling that it doesn't drag down the text into monotany at all. If you are unsure about how to evangelize or what you might be up against when taking on the "great commission" this is a must read. Everyone who is leading people in the church should know the truth about how they are being percieved from the outside and re-position themselves with the knowledge that will enable you to move forward through this generation of skeptics and moral relativists. Have fun reading and implementing programs that will help your outreach to become more effective!

This book started off good and provided new insights as to what the new generation of folks believe about religion and religious issues. Basically he says there are many legitimate reasons why the younger crowd is turned off by Christianity. In some respects, very interesting book.

Why, then, did I not finish? Not only did he feel homosexuality is a sin, but his smugness comes through as he feels Christians need to take a more accepting of these poor "homosexuals". I almost threw up. Those church folks, who still believe it is a sin, will continue to see the young folks leave in droves. These people are perverting the teachings of the Bible to fit their own bigotry. They are no different from folks who waived the Bible in the air to defend slavery or to reject women's suffrage. That will not bring the younger crowd in.

It is ironic. He is writing primarily to those conservative Christians to tell them what they can do to bring the younger generation back to church. As long as they have these outdated beliefs, such as homosexuality is a sin, they will not be able to reach the younger crowd. I couldn't even finish the book.
As long as these Christians continue to believe homosexuality is a sin, they will be perceived as anti-gay.

In the process of studying the views of the younger generation, he was able to break this generation into three parts: 1) a group that he calls "outsiders" are composed of atheists, agnostics, those belonging to another religion other than Christian (which he includes "Judism, Islam, Mormons and unchurched adults who are not born again Christians" in this group); 2) Mosiacs (those born between1984 and 2003) and Busters (those born between 1965 to 1983).

Through his findings, he concluded that this group of people with 70% believe the Bible may not be completely accurate, but many do believe it has much good values which will help in their lives. Younger crowd seems to also believe that Jesus was not without sin and it is possible to have a meaningful life without "Jesus".

Disdain for evangelicals is strong among this group. (I wonder why?) In fact only 2% see evangelicals in a positive light.

The outsiders believe Christians are anti-gay (91%), judgmental (87%) and hypocritical (85%). Only a small percentage strongly believe that the labels "respect, love, hope, and trust" describe Christianity. Only a minority believe Christianity is genuine, or a religion that makes sense, or relevant to their lives. Most believe that modern Christianity no longer seems Christian".

The author says the majority of these younger folks believe in marriage equality and allowing gays to adopt children.

Even though the book itself was a disappointment, the hope is with the younger adults who tend to say no to bigotry and who have a different perspective on religious beliefs. There is hope.

If the research presented in this book is anywhere close to accurate then evangelical leaders must, absolutely must, take a long, hard look in the mirror. If we had set out to look as bad as possible in the eyes of our non-believing neighbors, I don't know that we could have achieved a favorability rating of 3%. 97 out of 100 of our neighbors between the ages of 16 and 29 believe that we're either harmless or harmful.

It is clear to me that there are serious, serious flaws in the way we've been "doing ministry." The fruit of our efforts -- usually heartfelt, passionate, and often well-resourced -- is that of the 85% of our young neighbors who know someone who claims to follow Christ, 85% of them see no difference at all in the way their Christian friends live.

This not a perfect book; if I could give 4 1/2 stars I would on account of the research methodology. I have concerns about the ways Barna and his organization delineate evangelicals and born-agains, and though I'm not a sociologist I know enough about survey research to believe that better metrics could be created than the already very good ones currently on offer.

So there is ample fodder for quibbling if anybody wants to do that. But to indulge in such sniping around the edges would be to avoid dealing with the very hard facts presented in this book.

Read it, and weep. And then pray and fast and study and work to figure out what 21st century evangelicalism ought to look like. As good as the 20th century version may look to some of us...well, it's not about us, is it?

unChristian is an in depth, world's view of Christianity. Or, rather, Christians themselves. As a Christian, it makes me look at myself in a more intense light. What do people see when they look at me? Is what I saying matching what I am doing? The research in this book tells it all! Read carefully, and be prepared to blow your mind!

What have we become? What have we done with our faith but trash it for political agendas and attempting to 'reclaim american for Christ"?! We have sadly became blinded, as "christians", by following and living by slogans that tickle the ear, instead of living and following Scriptures that convict the heart through our ears!

Jesus was a radical with His Message and rebel in His Ministry on earth. He felt our pain, He cried, He was hungry and homeless, He lived as we lived, so He may say in His own way, "I been there."

When will we realize that we no longer live out the commandments of Christ? When will we see that Webster's dictionary comes closer to defining the "Christian" better then our lives reveal. It was once said that if we want others to know what we believe, they should just watch how we live our lives.

We need to wake up people!!! We need to see that we fail Christ when falling for religion, what Christianity has become! It don't find how to live as a Christian should in Pat Robertson, or James Dobson, or any religious organization that represents only a bigger agenda of conforming minds by their words, instead of transforming hearts by The Word.

People, we need to wake up, and The UnChristian is just evidence of that need.

In recent years the Barna Group has been focusing on the failures, rather than the success of Christianity. It wasn't bad enough when George claimed that no spiritual transformation at all is occurring in the brick-and-mortar traditional church. Now the new president of his organization reiterates that position by basically saying that the Christian church is a hotbed of hypocrisy that is turning off enthusiastic young converts and supporters.

What else is new? What do you expect from a generation growing up on Mario Brothers and Grand Theft Auto that only learns to communicate via text messaging?

Discipleship is based on discipline. And that is the one thing sorely lacking in our Christian lives today. It is the fallacy of attempting the mass marketing of the pretense that to be a Christian all you have to do is try to be a nicer person and send in your tithe check that is tragically transparent to a youth culture that has grown up having to sort out truth from the hype and pitch of deceptive advertising.

Ironically, the Bible says it all: "You must be born again." "The old has gone, the new has come." The big lie of the postmodern church is that conversion from unrighteous living to righteous living is a lifelong process, but the Bible clearly says it is a complete rebirth and an instantaneous happening: either you walk as Christ walked or you walk like the other guy. It does not say "Try to be perfect", but it says point-blank, "Be as perfect as your Heavenly Father." The Old Testament makes it very clear. Only one person every 500 years or so makes it to perfection, and it takes 144,000 of these perfect ones before Christ can return. So the only really redeeming value of this book is that it clearly documents, using statistical research, what is really obvious to the rest of us: "our righteousness is like filthy rags", just as the Bible says. This book is dull, statistical, and redundant. Kinnaman needs to stick with research and leave the writing to the writers...

The product is fine... I however deliberately ordered more books so I would qualify for free shipping. When I received my books, I found that I had been billed for shipping.

This book is the fruit of a 3 year study of perceptions that those not it in the church have about Christians and the church. Simply put, Christianity has an image problem.

One surprise to the researchers was "many Christians have lost their heart for those outside the faith" (p.14). To me, that's a no brainer seen true by simple observation.

The title term "unChristian" takes it's clue from the most common reaction to our faith: "Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind, that Christianity in our society is not what it was meant to be" (p.15).

38% of those surveyed (2 out of 5) have had a "bad impression of Christianity" and 1/3 said that Christianity represents a negative image with which they would not want to be associated (p. 24).

Another lesson learned from the research is that "Christians have become famous for what we oppose, rather than who we are for (26).

Inside each chapter is an analysis of the most common points of skepticism and objections to Christianity, and how the church can reshape the perception.

For example, the term "Sheltered." The perception is that "Christians are boring, unintelligent, old-fashioned, and out of touch with reality." The solution is to reshape that perception as "engaged, informed, and offer sophisticated responses to the issues people face" (121).

But reshaping is not playing with semantics. The book is a call to action and provides practical steps and suggestions for pastors, church leadership, and lay people.

UNChristian is a must read for anyone who is concerned about the relevancy of the Evangelical Christian faith to the younger generations. More than just exposing the serious perception problems, UNChristian offers alternative perspectives and responses that are meaningful and helpful. UNChristian is also easy to read in a few sittings.

Hopefully if you read this book it will break your heart and ruin you. Sad but unfortunately true

An excellent resource and must read for any minister and lay person wanting to reach the current generation and build the future of the church. While some of the results will be hard to swallow, in reflection, they are true and the research is sound. We had a book discussion with twenty-five year olds and found the findings in the book supported.

Most thoughtful Christians (unChristians?) are aware of the problems; I was looking for some decent courses of action aimed at correcting them. Not here.

Being creative takes courage, both in the act and in navigating the consequences generated by creativity. So David Kinnaman's ability to convert a pile of statistics into potential - potential to change a person's perspective and, thus, to change their life - is, in my view, nothing short of a corageous work of art.

To call this book "art" will undoubtedly be dismissed as gross overstatement. No matter, because the potential described in these pages offers promise to those of us deeply wounded (and in many cases irrevocably harmed) by the unChristianity that has infected our lives.

The author has woven what are essentially damning stats into a tapestry accessible to every level of reader and every relevant point of view held. The information presented is practical and extremely useful for all sides because of its open and honest nature. And Kinnaman weaves with a non-judgemental humility rarely seen in my experience. He could have undermined the results or come down hard on the Christian community; he did neither. His capacity for compassion resonates across every page. And he does something that brings an even greater credibility to this work: he invites other thoughtful and humble individuals like Jud Wilhite, Margaret Feinberg and Leroy Barber to address the issues that have eternal consequences for saint and sinner(if you're someone who believes Christianity is truth).

One of the most important consequences of this book is its promise of restoration. I don't necessarily mean a return to Christianity by people like me, but a return to Christ-likeness by those who call themselves "Christian." The author and contributors all display a measure of courage that gives me the courage to risk faith in followers of Jesus. And I am humbled, the edge taken off my anger, disappointment and strong sense of betrayal.

Perhaps, after witnessing this Christ-likeness in action, I'll find reason to forgive, having been led to that forgiveness by fellow human beings not bent on my return to Jesus - but interested in my heart, my mind, my ideas, hopes, and dreams. In other words, someone interested in friendship.

For your art, Mr. Kinnaman, I am grateful.

These insights are so vital to effective and appropriate evangelism, that it is one of those few books that are essential reading for any Christian.

I agree with this book, and what the Author is trying accomplish. The Christian community need to be directed onto a more loving path and we need to be open and honest with everyone. No one wants to see this fake and frankly, mean, group of people w ho try and debate you into loving a God that they don't see in the lives of a lot of "Christians"

If you're a person of Christian faith, you will probably find this book more than a bit unsettling. Based in research, the authors help uncover the perceptions, often based in reality, that leads outsiders to accuse the Church of being UnChristian in it's behavior. Clearly, their intent is to help the Church as an institution, as well as individual Christians "hear" the concerns of those who are ruling out involvement in Christianity. And they seek to draw out the tough issues the Church needs to face where the perceptions of those outside truly are in contradiction with the character of what Christianity is supposed to be about. I happen to be a person of lifelong Christian commitment. I also happen to have a M Div from a prominent seminary. And I found the book to be very insightful and helpful. It did loose a bit of it's energy and insightfulness in the later chapters. Nonetheless, I'm planning to use it as a discussion starter for an adult class in our church. I suspect it will stimulate very engaged conversation, if not some level of controversy.

Haven't read it yet but it seems good so far. On time delivery and in good condition.

This book should be required reading for everyone who calls himself/herself a Christian in the 21st century. It is so insightful to view our faith from the outside looking in and inevitably reveals how we have allowed our faith to be polluted. It brings a new haunting nuance to "gaining the world, but losing your soul" when we are forced to confront that the church may be the guiltiest culprit of this admonition when our preoccupation to be right overwhelms our conviction to heal and restore.

Very rarely do I read a book that actually impacts my life. Yet, this book does just that. The author's findings reiterated many of my own frustrations growing up in the church. I am a thirty-something Christ follower who is convinced there has to be a more loving, natural way of showing God's grace to younger generations. UnChristian is not only thought-provoking, it is convicting as well. I realized that I need to focus on changing my own world rather than pointing a finger at Christians who are giving our faith a bad name. The Gospel should never be watered down to meet the needs of "outsiders" but at the same time if we meet the needs of "outsiders" first- through relationships- they will be more interested in the Gospel's message of grace and hope. UnChristian is a must-read for anyone interested in truly impacting today's world for Christ.

I found UnChristian to be a very well-written informative book on how those who call themselves Christians are perceived in the world today. Written by a researcher at the Barna Institute and a colleague, it is certainly an eye-opening book on what those who don't follow Jesus think of those who do. As a Christian and follower of Jesus, I took the information written there to heart and am changing how I interact with the outsiders (that's what they call those who don't follow Jesus). Excellent book; would highly recommend it to those who want to make sure their Christian walk impacts all those they come in contact with

Methods such as surveys, observations, and testimonies infrequently produce a definitive reason why a specific social group with a large population has adopted certain behaviors. Researchers drawing any conclusion from these methods must assume that those participating in the study are objective and those interpreting the data are objective. These methods become less reliable when the effect (i.e. a % of mosaics and busters stop going to church) is the only objective part of the study. Unless cause theories can be implemented into a test group in a controlled environment, the real cause will never be discovered. With this many variables, researchers can afford only an educated guess at best.

Kinnaman and Lyons increase the number of variables in their research by imposing their own set values and cultural influences. Both authors assume that the church is primarily for the unsaved; therefore, the church should be tailored to attract the unsaved rather than be a place to encourage and disciple Christians. They also assume that church culture (jargon, etiquette, polity) is not part of discipleship. They also assume that the church should not have its own culture but should reflect a secular culture. They also assume that the pleasures of this world have little influence in causing a falling away from the church. They also assume that cultural relevance is the primary method for drawing people to Christ and keeping them in the church. They also assume that God's will and marketing trends are synonymous with each other. They also assume that a Christian's primary role is to be liked by the unsaved. They also assume that every Christian should be perfect, that is, always saying everything with perfect love and wisdom. With these set of assumptions, it is obvious why they believe that the church universal is Satan incarnate or at least one of its imps. "IF IT WERE NOT FOR CHRISTIANS THERE WOULD BE LESS PEOPLE GOING TO HELL!"--balderdash!

Sure, the church can do a number of things to make Christianity more palatable, but when the dust settles, a crucified Messiah will always be a stumbling block or foolishness to the world, and many people will be drawn away by their own lust. Jesus must have failed many people in Israel since the Jews accused Him of being a blasphemer; Paul must have failed since most in Israel and the surrounding Greek areas hated him.

When we stand before God, we cannot blame imperfect Christians and outdated churches as an excuse for not following Christ: "God I did not become a follower of Christ because some Christian offended me when he told me that homosexuality is a sin; it hurt my feelings."

However, in our efforts to change this falling away, every church should be designed to give Christians the tools so that they can have a personal relationship with Christ and the skills to reach the unsaved.

Methods such as surveys, observations, and testimonies infrequently produce a definitive reason why a specific social group with a large population has adopted certain behaviors. Researchers drawing any conclusion from these methods must assume that those participating in the study are objective and those interpreting the data are objective. These methods become less reliable when the effect (i.e. a % of mosaics and busters stop going to church) is the only objective part of the study. Unless cause theories can be implemented into a test group in a controlled environment, the real cause will never be discovered. With this many variables, researchers can afford only an educated guess at best.

Kinnaman and Lyons increase the number of variables in their research by imposing their own set values and cultural influences. Both authors assume that the church is primarily for the unsaved; therefore, the church should be tailored to attract the unsaved rather than be a place to encourage and disciple Christians. They also assume that church culture (jargon, etiquette, polity) is not part of discipleship. They also assume that the church should not have its own culture but should reflect a secular culture. They also assume that the pleasures of this world have little influence in causing a falling away from the church. They also assume that cultural relevance is the primary method for drawing people to Christ and keeping them in the church. They also assume that God's will and marketing trends are synonymous with each other. They also assume that a Christians primary role is to be liked by the unsaved. They also assume that every Christian should be perfect, that is, saying the right things and doing the right things with pure motives and proper attitudes that display perfect love and wisdom. With these set of assumptions, it is obvious why they believe that the church universal is Satan incarnate or at least one of its imps. "IF IT WERE NOT FOR CHRISTIANS THERE WOULD BE LESS PEOPLE GOING TO HELL!"

Sure, the church can do a number of things to make Christianity more palatable, but when the dust settles, a crucified Messiah will always be a stumbling block or foolishness to the world, and many people will be drawn away by their own lust. Jesus must have failed many people in Israel since the Jews accused Him of being a blasphemer. When we stand before God, we cannot blame imperfect Christians and outdated churches as an excuse for not following Christ: "God I did not become a follower of Christ because some Christian offended me when he told me that homosexuality is a sin; it hurt my feelings." However, in our efforts to change this falling away, every church should be designed to give Christians the tools so that they can have a personal relationship with Christ and the skills to reach the unsaved.

For some reason I had a hard time finishing this book. I would read awhile and then put the book aside for some time before picking it up again. I knew I needed to read it, but had a difficult time doing so. Perhaps it is because I don't really want to know how bad things are for Christianity and the future. In spite of the positive comments about the future found in the back of the book, the body of material is disturbing indeed.

It has not escaped notice that the 19-35 yr. olds are largely absent in our churches. We can keep children through High School and then . . . . what happens to them? Although the book is not specifically addressing the needs of children raised in the church, the material gives great insight into what their peers are thinking and, undoubtedly, what causes many of them to leave the fold as well.

The book has heightened my sensitivities and has caused me to repent of certain attitudes. God help us to be the people he has created us to be.

"Christianity has an image problem." That's how unChristian begins, and it is the problem it attempts to resolve, not by explaining the Christian faith to non-Christians, but by urging professing Christians to fix their image in 6 specific areas. According to the research done for this book (from the Barna Group), Christians are accused of being hypocritical, insincere in their efforts to convert people, antihomosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental. Because of these accusations, the writers contend, evangelical Christians, or those who are considered to be "born again," have lost the respect of those outside the church. These non-Christians consider the Christian faith as it is practiced today to be unChristian, that is, "they think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind, that Christianity in our society is not what it was meant to be" (p. 15). Are they right?

It is tough to argue with the data gathered from the research. The authors make a convincing case that even those inside the church--young Christians in particular--agree that something has gone terribly wrong with modern Christianity. I found myself nodding in agreement quite a bit as I read the accusations hurled at the faith I myself possess. If our faith has become "unChristian," we must not delay in working to fix it. And even if we are tempted to think that it doesn't really matter what non-Christians think about us since non-believers will always disapprove of what we believe (the authors field this charge and respond to it on pp. 36-39), we have to realize that perceptions, even wrong perceptions, still affect the way people respond to us. If as Christians we desire to be heard by non-Christians, then we would do well to listen first to them.

As for the specific allegations leveled at us, can there be any doubt that Christians by and large are guilty of being hypocritical? It is true that for many of us our lives do not reflect what we say we believe. And we can surely understand that many of our attempts at evangelism have lacked in genuine interest for the person with whom we are sharing our faith. Yes, the Christian faith can seem "like a religion of rules and standards" (p. 123), and surely many of us have far too often made others feel like we were judgmental, setting ourselves up as the judge and jury of morality. We are known more for what we are against than for what we are for. We are too quickly associated with a political party and with antihomosexual values. What is helpful in this book is the authors' ability to help us see why we should not wear many of these charges as badges of honor. Each chapter concludes with a section from various contributors explaining ways in which we might change these perceptions of non-Christians.

There are, however, a couple of areas in which I think the authors have erred.

First, in chapter 5, in which the authors' deal with the accusation that Christians are unloving and hostile to homosexuals, I found the authors to be wrong about some of their conclusions. They quote (favorably) one pastor who says, "the struggle of gays being attracted to the same sex is no different than my struggle in being attracted to the opposite sex" (96, emphasis mine). Now I agree that the sin of homosexuality is no different than the sin of immoral heterosexuality as far as God's judgment of sin is concerned. But the Bible does suggest that there is a progression in reprobation, and according to Romans 1, homosexuality is further down that progression than other sins. The authors also ask if "we really want government regulating the sex lives of its adult citizens" (96). Does this mean that we should oppose a Federal Marriage Amendment? Do the authors think that government should not regulate morality in any way? I agree that "we cannot assume that politics is the only or best way to influence people" (106) and that we can further burn the bridges by which we hope to reach homosexuals by unloving political jargon. But this doesn't mean that Christians should abdicate this issue politically and cease in our efforts to influence our legislators toward a biblical morality. The authors also imply that we shouldn't speak so passionately against the right of homosexuals to adopt children because "our most important concern must be the response of young people to Christ, not merely what type of home they grew up in." While there is much to learn from this book's chapter on homosexuality, I was disappointed by these suggestions that we shouldn't fight the issue politically because of the potential that our opinions will alienate the homosexuals we should be trying to reach with the gospel.

Second, and perhaps even more importantly, there is a potentially fatal flaw in the research that supports this book. On page 46 the authors tell us that in their research, "when it came to nonreligious factors--the substance of people's daily choices, actions, and attitudes--there were few meaningful gaps between born-again Christians and non-born-agains." The point is clear: this book is built upon the assumption from the research that born-again Christians do not live much differently from those who are not born-again. The authors even tell us how they identify those who are born-again: "a person has to say he or she has made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important and that the person believes he or she will go to heaven at death, because the person has confessed his or her sin and accepted Christ as Savior" (46). Based on these conclusions, the book attempts to help these "born-again" Christians recover an authentic Christian faith.

But a survey cannot identify true "born-again" Christians without error. Just because a person makes the necessary profession to be classified doesn't mean he or she really is. The authors say that two out of every five adults nationwide qualifies as being "born again." Really? Forty percent of adult Americans are born again? What the authors miss is that behavior is a better identifier of regeneration. Of course, only God knows those who are truly his, but the Bible says we are to inspect the "fruit" of people's lives in discerning those who are truly born-again (1 John 3:10). I do not deny that true believers are often guilty of the accusations leveled at them in this book by non-Christians. But I do think that Christianity gets much of its bad reputation from those who are not truly born again. So I'm afraid the research for this book is skewed.
Nevertheless, the damage is done to the Christian reputation, even if the guilty party are those who profess to be Christians but truly are not. Keeping that in mind, this book does offer some helpful advice for Christians who truly desire to convey to "outsiders" what it means to be Christian. I give this book 4 stars.

The authors have presented their studies and findings quite well. It gives one an opportunity to see yourself as others might see you, it is like looking into a mirrow for christians. It also presents new perspectives on sharing your faith with a younger generation. A book well written.

The book was in great condition and I felt that it was well worth the money.

A fantastic book brimming with facts and percentages written in a language for the rest of us. The book expounds upon the massive Barna Group research project which studied the spiritual thoughts and opinions of the current generation (Mosaics and Busters).

The results are sobering and convicting while never didactic. This book is a burst of cold water on the face of stagnant Christianity.

It's not meant to be refreshing, it's time to wake up.

If you're a leader in the church today and don't read this book, you're missing out. Our culture is screaming and you need to hear what it's saying.

In his book The Heart of Christianity (2003) Marcus Borg of Oregon State University describes how his university students have a uniformly negative image of Christianity. "When I ask them to write a short essay on their impression of Christianity," says Borg, "they consistently use five adjectives: Christians are literalistic, anti-intellectual, self-righteous, judgmental, and bigoted."

Christians might object, rather defensively, that it's unfair to draw sweeping conclusions based upon the report of one person. If you think that way, you'd be right in your logic but wrong in your conclusion. A new book called unChristian (2007) by David Kinnaman of the Barna Group presents objective research that supports Borg's subjective anecdote. Kinnaman's three-year study documents how an overwhelming percentage of sixteen to twenty-nine year olds view Christians with hostility, resentment and disdain.

These broadly and deeply negative views of Christians aren't just superficial stereotypes with no basis in reality, says Kinnaman. Nor are the critics people who've had no contact with churches or Christians. It would be a tragic mistake, he argues, for believers to protest that outsider outrage at Christians is a misperception. Rather, it's based upon their real experiences with today's Christians. In addition to their statistical research, the book includes anecdotes from people who were interviewed, follow-on comments at the end of each chapter by some 30 Christian leaders, and reflections about why we've come to such a place and how we might make it better.

According to Kinnaman's Barna study, here are the percentages of people outside the church who think that the following words describe present-day Christianity:

* antihomosexual 91%
* judgmental 87%
* hypocritical 85%
* old-fashioned 78%
* too political 75%
* out of touch with reality 72%
* insensitive to others 70%
* boring 68%

It would be hard to overestimate, says Kinnaman, "how firmly people reject-- and feel rejected by-- Christians" (19). Or think about it this way, he suggests: "When you introduce yourself as a Christian to a friend, neighbor, or business associate who is an outsider, you might as well have it tattooed on your arm: antihomosexual, gay-hater, homophobic. I doubt you think of yourself in these terms, but that's what outsiders think of you" (93).

Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project who commissioned the Barna research remembers his first look at the data. "I'll never forget sitting in Starbucks, poring through the research results on my laptop. As I soaked it in, I glanced at the people around me 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" (222, his italics). Sad to say, Marcus Borg was even more right than he knew.

This could have been a useful means of addressing an interesting development in our culture. The original idea was a good one, but Kinnaman and Lyons have added something new: gross incompetence. A well reasoned professional approach would have made this a landmark text. Instead, it is better suited to hold up the end of the sofa with the short leg. The entire point of the book is to decry how the percentage of Christians is declining in American society. Page 76 of the text puts the number at 73% for those over 41 and at 65% for those younger. Unfortunately, page 46 claims four out of every five Americans (80%) are Christian. Unless you are counting the deceased, there is no mathematical way for this to occur. It gets more absurd. As part of the analysis, a category of Outsider was created (about 24% of the population) which consists of: Atheists, Agnostics, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Mormons, Muslims, Pagans, and the Unchurched. This group of Outsiders apparently has the ability to change its characteristics from chapter to chapter. For example, page 152 claims that Outsiders are one of the four faith groups that make up the Christian electorate! (Apparently there is no non-Christian electorate.) Sometimes members of the Unchurched, also referred to as the deChurched, change categories as well. On page 74, the majority of teenagers are described as Christian and most of them leave the church within 10 years of joining (this means over 50% leave, in case either of the authors wants to know). The teens are described as having made a commitment to Christ at some point in their lives, but since they left the church they should now fall in the Outsider category. Do the math. If most leave, less than 50% remain, but the next graph shows 65% have made a commitment to Christ that is still important! They aren't Outsiders anymore (at least for this page). Are they the prodigal teens? In addition to inconsistent analysis, you'll also find misinformation about the founding of the Holy Roman Empire (it was in 962 not 337). Additionally, a Religion Professor from Rice University blatantly lies when claiming that enrollment at secular colleges and universities didn't increase from 1990 to 2004 (yes, it did, 28% at private and 13% at public, according to the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities). The level of analysis never gets beyond hoping that the church will be less judgmental to Outsiders while claiming that only those who follow Christ can be virtuous (page 217). I guess slandering two-thirds of the world's population is the author's idea of withholding judgment. As an aside, the authors never mention the 1998