UNChristian

Book Review.
Kinnaman, David. Lyons, Gabe. UNChristian. What a new generation really thinks about Christianity... and why it matters. Baker Books 2007.
Comment. Henry.
This book is the result of a Barna research project that took place over a period of three years. Research is a way of discovering information through surveys made up of specific questions about specific topics. The results of these surveys become statistics that are then interpreted to come to some conclusions. It seems to me that the challenge with this kind of method of information gathering is how you use statistics, i.e. for support or for illumination.
There is much information here to help us with being relevant to young adults of our culture. Negativeness seems to be typical of this kind of information gathering and we need to try hard to not respond defensively.

The ‘new generation’ that is targeted in this research are between sixteen and twenty-nine years of age. They represent Mosaics and Busters and are referred to as ‘outsiders’.
Christians (Christianity) are often considered ‘unchristian’ by outsiders for the following reasons; they are “hypocritical, too focused on getting converts, anti-homosexual, sheltered, too political and judgmental”. (30-31) Unpacking these criticisms takes up the major part of this book. Some suggestions are made about how best to respond these Un-Christian attitudes.
Hypocrisy, saying one thing but doing something else, is accepted as a part of life by outsiders but it gives them a distorted view of Christianity. “We must stop presenting ourselves as the message and begin presenting Jesus as the message.” Jim White.
Some myths of evangelism are explored. Evangelism that does not go beyond conversions to spiritual transformation is not acceptable evangelism.
Christians are viewed by outsiders as being very much opposed to homosexuals and this is unacceptaWhen Christians talk about hating the sin but loving the sinner, outsiders find no proof of that actually happening. “Nothing that we despise in the other man is entirely absent from ourselves.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
It is perceived irrelevance and intolerance that gives rise to the accusation that Christians are living sheltered, out of touch lives. What is needed is incarnational and missional living.
Outsiders have great difficulty with the confrontational politics of Christians. Research is quite conclusive supporting the accusation that Christians are indeed judgmental.
Very simply put, we must become more Christ-like as Christians in order to shed the accusation of being UNChristian.