In his Epistle, the Apostle Peter instructed us to give others good reason for the hope we have in Christ, but to do so with "gentleness and respect." Unfortunately, in the eyes of many non-Christians today, the church has done just the opposite. In Unchristian, David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, has complied startling research among the unchurched and learned that Christians are too often known for the issues they stand against, rather than the hope which they stand for. According to the research, believers are seen as too judgmental, too political, and often hypocritical. If you are a Pastor, lay person or youth leader you will not want to go without the details of this critical study. Uncover for yourself the latest research on the unchurched in Kinnaman's must-read book.
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"As a sociologist and a Christian, I loved this book. Loved the way it was organized-- each chapter is about a different way the church is perceived by non-Christians and involves stats, excerpts from interviews, and, my favorite part, several essays from a variety of church leaders on how we can respond to these perceptions, in ways that are in line with the calls to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind" and "Loving your neighbor as yourself." Really thought-provoking (and prayer-provoking)."
— Mieke (4 out of 5 stars)
“A wonderful thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence churches for years to come.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Anyone interested in Christianity in the US—believer or nonbeliever, Christian or non-Christian—will find much to ponder in this intriguing study.”
— Booklist“This is an engaging, challenging, and morally compelling study, and it deserves a wide readership.”
— Library Journal" Very interesting....an important book to read if you identify yourself as Christian "
— Amy, 2/13/2014" A must read for anyone hoping to be effective in ministry to this generation. Basically every Christian needs to read this. It's important to see ourselves how we are perceived through other's eyes. For many, it will probably be a huge wake-up. I really appreciated how Kinnaman didn't just deliver stats, but really got to the heart of the issues. He addressed the reader as a concerned friend who needed to tell us some difficult truths. I for one really appreciated that. "
— Jeremy, 2/5/2014" Some pretty amazing data that came out of this study - both convicting and challenging (in a good way) for the Christian faith. The authors obviously have a particular theological bent that rears its head, especially over the homosexuality issue (they push very hard the idea of loving homosexual persons, but maintain that it is wrong). Still, a good book to read. "
— Steve, 2/4/2014" Want to get to know the millenials and the reason why so many are disenfranchised with the church? read this book. whether you agree or not, this is a book church leaders must wrestle with. Great stuff. "
— James, 1/28/2014" This book took a LONG time to finish. Valuable information but he says in 100 words what could be said in 20. "
— Cary, 1/23/2014" Every Christian MUST read this. "
— Kassel, 1/19/2014" This books demands reevaluation of your christian walk. Who you thought you portrayed, for me at least, will most likely be challenged, and possible even take an immediate turn for the better. unChristian is full of hard, tangible facts from none other than the people who see us (christians) on a regular basis. Normal, everyday people. "
— Jordan, 1/17/2014" Holly lent this to me -- his foundings rang true to me. "
— Amy, 1/15/2014" Important book with solid statistics about what young people think of different aspects of Christianity. It makes the same point as Dan Kimball in "They Like Jesus, but Not the Church"--only with the statistics to back it up. "
— Karen, 1/10/2014" Love this book a lot! "
— Winrech, 12/11/2013" Very informative into how todays culture views the church. "
— Scott, 11/27/2013" Crazy good...challenging... heartbreaking. "
— Brian, 11/11/2013" great to merge research into Christianity writings. I like barna group alot. Suggest Christians and spiritual people to read, if this isn't you then I wouldn't suggest to read this. "
— Jory, 10/31/2013" A provocative look at the way American Christian culture has developed such a subculture that it is no longer hearing or speaking to the broader culture. "
— Rick, 10/12/2013" Amazing research and a lot to think about. Points out that changes are needed. "
— Jodi, 5/23/2013" Fascinating. Christians, especially, should read this. "
— Cary, 8/27/2012" The statistics and information from the actual surveys is outstanding. The various anecdotes and stories at the end of the chapters come from a variety of perspectives that I would not necessarily recommend. "
— Charles, 6/4/2012" It just repeated issues and things that I already knew. "
— Christine, 6/4/2012" A must-read for anyone who has been a believer for a long time and still cares about those who are not yet.... "
— Patti, 5/27/2012" Love the research that was done for this. Very informative. "
— Nikki, 4/6/2012" Interesting read. I think it is a good perspective for Christians to understand, although not that surprising. You can gather the same information from watching prime time TV. "
— Marshall, 7/25/2011" Loved this book. A big eye opener for any follower of God. "
— Doreen, 6/11/2011" It was okay.<br/><br/>Really love hearing Winkie Pratney on YouTube talking about how God wants to use our generation. Much more exciting and encouraging for me. "
— Mark, 6/9/2011" great research, not always great application "
— Tyler, 3/3/2011" This was an excellent book for our church's book club discussion. Opened up many different opinions of how we, as Christians, see ourselves and how others see us. When seen through others eyes, it's not very flattering. "
— Laurie, 2/10/2011" I skimmed this book for the main points. Not much was surprising for me. There are a number of helpful tidbits here and there, including a short and characteristically thoughtful essay from Andy Crouch at the end that's worth the price of the book. "
— David, 2/9/2011" This was an awesome awesome book. A must read for Christians "
— Toothpic, 1/20/2011" Very interesting....an important book to read if you identify yourself as Christian "
— Amy, 12/23/2010" I think every Christian MUST read this book. It identifies some of the very real realities of the church and the hypocrisy of this world we live in. Our actions are speaking louder than our words and the rest of the world is beginning to notice. It's a bit researchy, but its an important read. "
— Lindi, 12/20/2010" A wake up call for the Church!! "
— Jerry, 12/4/2010" This,citing much Barna Group research, is a must-read for American Christians and Christian leaders. "
— Nancy, 11/21/2010" I resonated with much of this book, and the research was impressive and informative, but I think that I'm looking for some answers to some follow up questions that I have to the research. "
— Carrie, 10/21/2010" All Christians should read this book, if for nothing else than to see what a bad job at representing Jesus we've done. "
— Sarah, 10/9/2010" Helpful and challenging data, but the author's own biases color his recommendations to the church. I found myself skimming over his opinions and anxious to get on the next set of data. "
— James, 9/15/2010David Kinnaman is the coauthor of the bestselling unChristian and is the president of the Barna Group, which provides research and resources that facilitate spiritual transformation in people’s lives. Since joining Barna in 1995, he has designed and analyzed nearly 500 studies for a variety of churches, nonprofits, and corporations. He lives with his wife and children in California.
Gabe Lyons is author of The Next Christians: The Good News about the End of Christian America and founder of Q, a learning community that seeks to promote the common good. He is also coauthor of Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity and Why It Matters, a bestselling book based on original research that revealed the pervasiveness of pop culture’s negative perceptions of Christians. As a respected voice for a new generation of Christians, he has been interviewed by CNN, the New York Times, Newsweek, Fox News, USA Today, and countless other media outlets.
Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been a working professional actor in theater, film, television, and voice-overs for more than thirty years. He has narrated over one thousand audiobooks and won numerous Earphones Awards and nominations for the Audie Award and the Voice Arts Award. He holds a BFA degree in acting from Santa Fe University, New Mexico.