Lost in an Un-Christian World

Don Davis, Library Science,
University of Texas,  Review of —–

“Unchristian:  What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity . . . and Why it Matters, “by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons.  Grand Rapids, Mich.:  Baker Books, 2007.

I Once Was Lost:  What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us about Their Path to Jesus, by Don Everts and Doug Schaupp.  Downers Grove, Ill.:  InterVarsity Press, 2008.

Within the past few years two books have appeared that deal squarely with the issues involved in the proclamation and reception of the Christian gospel to the young generation reaching maturity in the twenty-first century.  They have different objectives, utilize different data, and perhaps aim at different audiences.  Yet their essential conclusions fit together very conveniently, providing some solid information on which new strategies might be developed to implement the Great Commandments and the Great Commission.  They both agree that many in the current generation, those in their late teens and early twenties, are skeptical and wary of evangelical Christians

Kinnaman and Lyons condense the findings of a number of surveys conducted over several years by The Barna Group and the Fermi Project.  These sought to isolate the issues that Outsiders, defined as those who do not identify themselves with a church or the Christian faith, consistently raise as unpleasant and unattractive perceptions of Christians.  The book devotes one chapter to each of six such themes—describing the data for the finding, suggesting reasons and giving examples of the trait, and pointing to some ways in which the situation might turn around.  In all, the book synthesizes some 14 studies, conducted between 1995 and 2007 with a combined sample size of more than 60,000 persons.

Everts and Schaupp in recent years interviewed some 2,000 college-age people, asking them about the particulars of their journey in Christian faith to become followers of Jesus.  They found that most persons had passed through five milestones, or crossed five thresholds, along that pathway.  Knowing and recognizing where any person is on this continuum or spectrum enables one to see how to relate meaningfully at a given state in initial faith development and to perceive the next steps to take or thresholds to cross.

This short essay does not allow for elaboration of the themes of these books, which must be read in their entirety, fully digested, and deliberately implemented to have their full value.  But the major points are worth underscoring—and provide a summary that may stimulate further reading.

The Barna Group volume reveals that Outsiders have a negative impression of Christians as a whole.  This appears in six broad themes:

(1) Hypocritical.  “Outsiders consider us hypocritical—saying one thing and doing

another—and they are skeptical of our morally superior attitudes.”

(2) Too Focused on Getting Converts.  “Outsiders wonder if we genuinely care about

them.”

(3) Antihomosexual.  “Outsiders say that Christians are bigoted and show disdain for

gays and lesbians.”

(4) Sheltered.  “Christians are thought of as old-fashioned, boring, and out of touch with

reality.”

(5) Too Political Outsiders perceive Christians as being “overly motivated by a political

agenda, that we promote and represent conservative interests and issues.”

(6) Judgmental.  “Outsiders think of Christians as quick to judge others.”  (29-30)

The study of college students who became Christians reveals that a process is normally involved—a process that proceeds progressively through five thresholds:

(1) Move from distrust to trust.  “Somewhere along the line, they learned to trust a

Christian.”

(2) Move from complacent to curious.  “The fact that our friends actually came to trust a

Christian didn’t necessarily mean that they were at all curious about Jesus.  . . .

“then something wonderful and mysterious happened.”

(3) Move from being closed to change to being open to change in their life.  “This

always seemed to be the hardest threshold to cross.”

(4) Move from meandering to seeking. “Even when our friends became curious about  Jesus and open to change in their life, it didn’t necessarily follow that they began actively, purposefully seeking God.  It was more natural for them to meander.”

(5) Move to cross the threshold of the kingdom itself.  “They needed to repent and believe and give their life to Jesus.” (23-24)

The issues that the Barna folks identified as barriers the Outsiders consider in dismissing Christians, along with the gospel they embrace, seem to mesh with what the student staff workers portray as steps to overcome that reluctance.  Learning to know and to trust a Christian seems to be the primary antidote to countering their negative caricatures.  This can lead to curiosity about Jesus and the Christian faith, openness to life change, purposeful seeking, and, finally, real belief.  Of course, the positive benefits of knowing well a single Christian, or several of them, assumes that that the believer is real—genuine, authentic transparent—in his or her life, including relationships.  The fact that self-identified Christians as a group communicate such negative stereotypes to those they would like to affect is just cause for considerable concern.

For evangelical, intentional Christians to dismiss the findings of the Barna authors as simply excuses or defensive maneuvers by Outsiders would be a serious misreading of the culture they claim to care about.  Getting seriously involved with Outsiders and allowing them to know us and vice-versa could well be the key to changing their perceptions.  Though this will not be easy for many, it would be worth a try.  In fact, it may be the only way, the Jesus way, even if it takes a long time.

©  2010 Donald G. Davis, Jr., Prof. Emeritus of Library History, University of Texas at Austin