Between a Church and a Hard Place.

Book Review.

Park, Andrew.  Between a Church and a Hard Place.  One faith-free dad’s struggle to understand what it means to be religious (or not).  Penguin Group, 2010.

Comment.  Henry

The author, a former correspondent for Business Week, shares his frustrating experience when confronted with giving answers to his young children about God.  In a response to any survey about church affiliation or religious status Andrew and his family would choose the ‘None’ category.  This would be a helpful read for anyone wanting to get a better understanding and/or appreciation for non-religious people in their life.

The author’s research into religion and more specifically church was motivated by a desire to be a responsible parent in matters of religion as they impacted his children.

Andrew takes a careful look at the process whereby a large part of the population (US) has rejected religion as an important part of life.  As stated earlier Andrew would consider himself a “None” (42).  There are two types of ‘Nones’- those who have never gone to church and those who have gone and no longer go.  Sometimes terms ‘unchurched’ and ‘dechurched’ are also used.

Belief (faith) is described as “this act of mind” (85) and is rejected because it is so hard to explain and addresses things that can “neither be seen or be proven.”  This seems to me to be central issue of this whole presentation.  

In his search for answers Andrew goes back to Falcon to explore his family roots which were very much the roots of the Holiness movement and all that was associated with that organization.  This heritage has been completely rejected by Andrew’s family and his parents.

His brother is a “Jesus- loving, Bible-believing, home-schooling, Evangelical Christian.” (131)

Churches are classic sources of social capital.” Harold Koenig.  There are researched “links between religion and physical health.” (161) 

It seems to me that although this book is focused on the search to understand religion it does not come to any conclusion how that search translated in a resolution about what to answer a young child about a question about God.  

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