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The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University Audiobook
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The hilarious and heartwarming, respectful and thought-provoking memoir of a college student's semester at Liberty University, the "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, that will inspire believers and nonbelievers alike.
No drinking.
No smoking.
No cursing.
No dancing.
No R-rated movies.
Kevin Roose wasn't used to rules like these. As a sophomore at Brown University, he spent his days fitting right in with Brown's free-spirited, ultra-liberal student body. But when Roose leaves his Ivy League confines to spend a semester at Liberty University, a conservative Baptist school in Lynchburg, Virginia, obedience is no longer optional.
Liberty is the late Reverend Jerry Falwell's "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals, his training ground for the next generation of America's Religious Right. Liberty's ten thousand undergraduates take courses like Evangelism 101 and follow a forty-six-page code of conduct that regulates every aspect of their social lives. Hoping to connect with his evangelical peers, Roose decides to enroll at Liberty as a new transfer student, chronicling his adventures in this daring report from the front lines of America's culture war.
His journey takes him from an evangelical hip-hop concert to a spring break mission trip to Daytona Beach (where he learns to preach the gospel to partying coeds). He meets pastors' kids, closet doubters, Christian rebels, and conducts what would be the last print interview of Rev. Falwell's life.
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"I liked that the writer of this book was so open-minded as he transferred from Brown to Liberty University and documented the experience. By doing so, he was able to illustrate both the differences and similarities between the secular college world and the life of an evangelical college student. He was also appropriately critical of the limitations of a highly religious college education. Overall, this book was a page turner and highly enjoyable."
— Elyssa (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Hallelujah for Kevin Roose. This is a remarkable book. He takes us on a fascinating, funny, nuanced journey that doesn’t condescend or make glib judgments. It’s just what the culture wars need. If I didn’t already have kids, I’d adopt Kevin.”
— A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year Of Living Biblically -
“What happens when a Brown undergrad goes undercover at Liberty University? If he’s a writer as insightful and open-minded as Kevin Roose, he ends up learning as much about himself as he does about the evangelical Christians he lives with. The Unlikely Disciple provides a funny, compassionate, and revealing look at Jerry Falwell’s ‘Bible Boot Camp,’ and the surprisingly diverse band of true believers who make it their home.”
— Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of Little Children and The Abstinence Teacher -
“Kevin Roose has produced a textured, intelligent, even sympathetic, account of his semester at Liberty University. He eschews caricature and the cheap shot in favor of keen observation and trenchant analysis. The Unlikely Disciple is a book of uncommon wisdom and insight. I recommend it with enthusiasm.”
— The Rev. Dr. Randall Balmer, Episcopal Priest and Professor of American Religious History at Barnard College, Columbia University -
“Kevin Roose is a delightful writer, and this is a humane book. Read it and I predict you’ll have less paranoia, more exposure to ‘the other,’ and a larger dose of Roose’s generous and hopeful faith.”
— Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, and Everything Must Change -
“Keenly observed, funny, and compassionate. Kevin Roose parachutes us into a seldom-glimpsed and little understood pocket of America, then guides us through a story of religion and country more resonant than any of us could have imagined.”
— Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers and Crashing Through -
“This is a brilliant book. Absolutely brilliant. Roose’s wisdom, humanity, and love kept me going. And I laughed. A lot.”
— Rob Bell, founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and bestselling author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God -
“[Kevin] tells his story entertainingly…level-headed, nuanced, keenly observant.”
— Booklist -
Kevin Roose has produced a textured, intelligent, even sympathetic, account of his semester at Liberty University. He eschews caricature and the cheap shot in favor of keen observation and trenchant analysis. THE UNLIKELY DISCIPLE is a book of uncommon wisdom and insight. I recommend it with enthusiasm."--The Rev. Dr. Randall Balmer, Episcopal Priest and Professor of American Religious History at Barnard College, Columbia University
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Kevin Roose is a delightful writer, and this is a humane book. Read it and I predict you'll have less paranoia, more exposure to 'the other,' and a larger dose of Roose's generous and hopeful faith."--Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, and Everything Must Change
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Keenly observed, funny, and compassionate. Kevin Roose parachutes us into a seldom-glimpsed and little understood pocket of America, then guides us through a story of religion and country more resonant than any of us could have imagined."--Robert Kurson, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers and Crashing Through
-
This is a brilliant book. Absolutely brilliant. Roose's wisdom, humanity, and love kept me going. And I laughed. A lot."-- Rob Bell, founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and bestselling author of Velvet Elvis and Sex God
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What happens when a Brown undergrad goes undercover at Liberty University? If he's a writer as insightful and open-minded as Kevin Roose, he ends up learning as much about himself as he does about the evangelical Christians he lives with. The Unlikely Disciple provides a funny, compassionate, and revealing look at Jerry Falwell's 'Bible Boot Camp,' and the surprisingly diverse band of true believers who make it their home."--Tom Perrotta, New York Times bestselling author of Little Children and The Abstinence Teacher
-
Hallelujah for Kevin Roose. This is a remarkable book. He takes us on a fascinating, funny, nuanced journey that doesn't condescend or make glib judgments. It's just what the culture wars need. If I didn't already have kids, I'd adopt Kevin."--A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year Of Living Biblically
The Unlikely Disciple Listener Reviews
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" Wow this book brings you into the world of evangelism. The author is at once reporting and begins to feel the spirit himself up to a point. I would recommend this book. "
— Leeann, 2/2/2014 -
" This is a great book! "
— Kelsey, 1/15/2014 -
" He's so much more compassionate than I would have been. "
— Abby, 1/8/2014 -
" I'm a Baptist, who has heard all sorts of good and bad things about Liberty University. Roose here went out of his way to find the rebels on campus, didn't really get anything out of his experience other than maybe a prayer life, but he lied to everyone who he came across. Then he went into hiding when Falwell died because Roose was the last print journalist to interview Dr Falwell, and in my opinion Roose didn't want to be shown to be a fraud. Overall, an entertaining read, isn't worth reading again though. "
— Cliff, 1/3/2014 -
" I really enjoyed reading this book and could relate to the evangelicals since I'm a Christian but also the narrator since I'm liberal. Interesting ethnography. "
— Jenn, 1/2/2014 -
" Couldn't help but think of BYU in comparison. Very much enjoyed this. "
— Misty, 11/17/2013 -
" An interesting premise, it was both entertaining and thought provoking. "
— Sarah, 11/16/2013 -
" I really liked the premise of the book but it was a little slow to me. "
— Sarah, 8/2/2013 -
" Simple clear style creates a fast read. Should provoke some thoughtful consideration of content. "
— Cyndie, 6/18/2013 -
" Enjoyed the outsider's view of evangelical Christianity! "
— Colleen, 6/18/2013 -
" Great book!!! Makes you think about your faith, and does a even-handed job of representing both believer and unbeliever points of view. "
— Jon, 5/18/2013 -
" Lots of interesting thoughts - will post full review once I've digested this one a bit! "
— Jac, 4/26/2013 -
" Very witty writing. Fascinating story. "
— Bethany, 4/3/2013 -
" Very readable, entertaining, and insightful. I learned a lot about how a non christian views the world of evangelical fundamentalism - a world to which I used to belong. At times it made me laugh out loud and at others, I was cringing because I had been exactly where the author found himself. "
— Jenny, 3/20/2012 -
" I picked this book up at my mother-in-laws and it kept my attention. I learned about Liberty University, the kind of person Jerry Fawell was and how we often stereotype others even when we don't want to be put in a box. "
— M, 2/7/2012 -
" one of the scariest books I've ever read. "
— Stacey, 4/23/2011 -
" A true story written by a student attending Liberty University for a semester ... transferring from Brown University ... well written and a fun read. He discovered students were not that different from one type of school to another ... life is all a matter of choices. "
— Karen, 4/19/2011 -
" Any book that can make me feel, even for a brief millisecond, sorry for Jerry Falwell and his supporters, has to be written pretty well, right? "
— Justin, 4/6/2011 -
" Started reading this last night and I am enjoying it. I'll offer a more in-depth review after I finish this. "
— Autumn, 3/30/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book and I was expecting that there would be a lot of rolling of my eyes liberal pap in it, but it was fair and well done. He is a very good writer for as young as he is. "
— Janelle, 3/30/2011 -
" boring in some places. Finding it hard to finish this one. "
— Diekevin, 3/29/2011
About Kevin Roose
Kevin Roose’s first book, The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University, was chosen for Barnes & Noble’s prestigious Discover Great New Writers series, featured by Newsweek, Time, USA Today, Marie Claire, Psychology Today, and Details. It received praise from the New York Times Book Review, Christianity Today, Publishers Weekly, and many others. Roose is a writer for publications like Esquire, SPIN, and the Huffington Post. He is also coordinating The Jonah Project, an online social campaign aimed at bringing Americans from opposite sides of the political/religious spectrum together for honest, respectful conversations about culture wars. He lives in Brooklyn.