Christians are...Book Review by Drew Muly

I am so excited to introduce you all to my son, Drew!!  He is 19 and a Sophomore at Oral Roberts University.  Several weeks ago I was notified of this book and given the opportunity to review it.  I was going to pass, but my he thought it was something he would like to read and review, Yay!!  It’s so exciting when my kids want to read!!  So without further ado, here it is!!

About the author: 

Bradley R.E. Wright, PhD is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. After receiving tenure, he switched his academic focus from crime to religion in order to research American Christianity. Brad received his PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, the top-ranked sociology graduate program in the United States. He has a popular blog (brewight.com) based on his research. Brad is married with two children and lives in Storrs, Connecticut.

Back Cover:

What if all the bad news you've been hearing about Christians isn't true?

Here are some facts that may surprise you:

Evangelicals are more respected by society today than they were twenty years ago.

Divorce rates of Christian couples are lower than those of nonbelievers.

The percentage of young people who attend church has held steady over the past twenty years.

All these statements are true, yet we've been told the opposite time and time again. Why is the church being misled? And what is the true state of Christianity in America today?

Sociologist Brad Wright shatters popular myths by sifting through the best available data. He reveals how Christians are doing when it comes to everything from marriage and morality to church growth and public perception. While not all the news is good, it turns out there is a wealth of encouraging information that we're not being told.

Get the truth behind the statistics you've been hearing and how the numbers are being manipulated, and discover what is really happening in American Christianity.

My Review:

Throughout our lives, we are told time and time again all the negative things Christians are doing.  Over time, being a Christian, and hearing all the terrible things, such as, Christians have a higher divorce rate than non-Christians, and young people are leaving the church at a rapid pace can be extremely discouraging.  However, Bradley R.E. Wright became very curious about where all of these statistics were coming from, and whether or not they were all true.  As an experienced sociologist, he knew how to find out the truth about these awful statistics.  In his book, he shines a new, and very encouraging light on the Christian religion as a whole.  He becomes somewhat of a Christian rumors mythbuster. 

Throughout the book, Wright presents the initial rumors we have heard, and then he shows the actual facts, and makes an overall conclusion as to whether or not the things we have heard are true.  This book is very well researched, and Wright explains the facts in a way anyone can understand.  If you are discouraged about Christianity, or just sick of hearing the negative rumors, this is a book you should read.  I actually believe this would be a great book for anyone to read because sometimes we just need a reminder that not everything you here is true, not even some statistics you hear from pastors.  The thing with statistics is, they can be skewed in many ways, and become more and more exaggerated with each retelling.  Other times they are used to motivate Christians to be better, and begin acting on our feelings.  Wright explains how many times these statistics discourage people, and make them feel hopeless, like Christianity is on a downward spiral, destined for destruction. In the last chapter, he summarizes the book in a very simple, yet powerful way. 

In the end, this is a very encouraging, and well-researched book, which I believe many people need to read.  However, if you are not a numbers, graphs, and statistics kind of person, this may not be the fastest, most enjoyable read for you.  I would like to encourage you, though, to venture out, and read through this book and learn some truths about Christianity.

Thank you Bethany House for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!!

Thank you for reading his review!!

Counting it all Joy!!