This is a very important book, the research backed insights it provides are essential to changing the way Christians are perceived in our modern culture. Those outside the faith, and a good section of those inside have come to see the Church as hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political/partisan, and judgemental. This book details why they have these perceptions, where they are accurate and what Christians do to warrant them, and lastly and most importantly how to change these perceptions.
The Chapters on the perceptions of hypocrisy and being anti-homosexual were very enlightening and affirmed that we should neither capitulate on clear biblical teaching, nor continue in some of the very Unchristian ways in which we deal with what they term "outsiders". They chart a clear path by which we can hold to biblical truth, but call us to be gracious, to befriend those not like us rather than try to modify their behavior, to give them the gospel rather than our personal list of moral proscriptions.
The chapter on being too political/ partisan is very helpful as well, Christians have become far too entangled with the Republican party, but the solution is not to become more liberal, it's to acknowledge that neither party can account for the whole of biblical truth and that both have points of fidelity with scripture and denials of it. We need to "Test everything; hold fast what is good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Lastly the Chapter on being judgemental I think was a little wrongheaded. Everyone is judgemental, to say "you shouldn't judge" is itself to judge someone for being judgemental. Further while some verses are shoehorned to speak against judging others none of the verses that tell us to judge are considered such as John 7:24. Further Matthew 7:1-3 where Jesus tells us " “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" Is considered, but they conveniently leave out verses 4 and 5 where Jesus tells us to still take the speck out of our brothers eye (judge): "Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
They also bring up the women caught in adultery but conveniently leave out the "go forth and sin no more" at the end. Honestly the whole chapter just reminds me of speaking to people who bring up "thou shalt not judge" in order to shut down any Christian they disagree with. We are commanded by scripture to judge, the great commission requires it: "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
you can't command people to observe all that Jesus has commanded us without judging that the are not currently observing his command. We are required to judge, but we are not required to condemn, and we should not. The only thing of worth I got from this chapter was that we should have more grace. Our judgement without grace and understanding is in essence just to accuse them and we already have an accuser, his name is Satan. We are all guilty of sin and so we all need grace, so that is something emphasized in this chapter that is very helpful.
Overall this book is chalk full of important information for Christians, we need to realize how those outside of the faith see us, why they see us that way, and we need to change the way we live. The overall thrust of the book is to become more Christlike as that is the only thing that will change these perceptions. That means befriending those outside the faith (not for the purpose of converting them or doing PR but just to be their friend) and showing them grace. Being in the world but not of it, and helping our fellow man more than pointing out their faults. This book is a wake up call, that how we are perceived effects our ability to reach individuals and the culture at large for Christ. We need to tear down these barriers and become what Christ intended us to be. Not sheltered and hypocritical, hyperfocused on morality like modern day Pharisees, but present and loving, broken sinners pointing to the great physician, not Unchristian, but little Christ's.
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Reviewed in Canada on July 25, 2009