Quite a while ago, I picked up a copy of unChristian, pulled in by its strange shrink-wrapped packaging .  I promised to read the book and report back on whether or not the marketing-induced purchase paid off.  (While the book is laced with anecdotes from interviews and reflections from Christian thinkers, the statistics-heavy portions were what I found fascinating.  On Wednesday, I’ll be posting some of my own reflections on the research.

Today, we’re pleased to bring readers this interview with author David Kinnaman, who completed the three year study of how Christians are perceived in American culture and then co-authored UnChristian: What a new generation really thinks about Christianity . . . and why it matters. 

The Research Study:

Relief: The first line of the book is, “Christianity has an image problem.”  What led you to this conclusion? 

David Kinnaman:  It started when my friend, Gabe Lyons, asked me to conduct this research to help confirm a gut-level suspicion that people’s emotional and perceptual barriers to Christ were higher than ever.  And that’s exactly what our research ended up bearing out:  we have an image problem, but part of the reason for that is because we fail to understand or empathize with the skepticism and disillusionment that people have with us as Christians.  It’s nothing new that Christianity has an image problem.  Jesus himself promised that we would be misunderstood for our faith.  But it is worse than ever; it is harder to be a Christian these days—at least it is here in our American context.  We’ve been so busy trying to be a Christian nation, we’ve forgotten what it means to follow Christ. 

Relief: For our readers who may be unfamiliar with the book, can you give a quick overview of the goals and methods of the research study?

DK:  Well, the original goal of the research wasn’t supposed to be a book.  But the information started to “work” on us, changing us and altering the way we saw our faith.  It was as if the research was a mirror, helping us see ourselves as an outsider would.  So we decided to put it into a book form.  The method of the research was a scientific sample of young people ages 16 to 29.  Most of the people we interviewed were non-Christians, but we also talked with young Christians as well.  It didn’t start out as a book, but it ended up being a roadmap to understanding how to reach and catalyze the next generation, how to engage a skeptical culture.

Relief: The premise of the book is that many Christians participate in an “unChristian faith” that is at odds with what Christ really expects from his followers.  How do you think Christian culture sometimes creates a barrier between outsiders and Christ?

DK:  All of us are “unChristian” more often than we realize.  We fail to represent Christ effectively.  Of course, we make mistakes like any one else, but we are often pretentious and phony.  In my view, the best picture of unChristian faith is the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son.  Instead of being like the loving father, those of us in the church end up engaging the world as did the older brother.  We get resentful, conceited, pietistic, and removed from the world as it is.  We’d rather look the part than help people who are affected by sin.  Self-righteousness—all talk and no action—is killing us as Christians in this country.

Relief: The book focuses on six key areas in which Christians fall short of a Christ-like persona.  The research shows that Christians are perceived as hypocritical, conversion-centric, anti-homosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental.  Were any of these findings surprising to you and Gabe?  Did any of them strike a chord with you?

DK:  I found myself resonating with all of the negative perceptions, because I began to realize that I have fueled all of those negative stereotypes.  In a very real way, I am a recovering Pharisee.  It’s a strange phrase, but I mean everything that idea entails.  It’s important for each of us to admit that frequently and honestly.  We’re judgmental . . . and Jesus is always there to forgive those we’re judging and forgive us for being judgmental.

One surprise was the intensity of the anti-homosexual perception.  Christians are seen to elevate that sin above other sins and to be contemptuous toward gays and lesbians.  Certainly this is a complex subject, and the Bible is clear that homosexuality is not consistent with Christian discipleship.  Yet, anytime we stray toward treating homosexuals in the “older brother” mindset—feisty, arrogant, non-relational, and condescending—it contributes little or nothing to restoring people to God’s purposes.

Some Content Questions:

Relief: You stated that your research found that “part of the problem” was the use of derogatory labels used to refer to those who aren’t Christian, like “pagans” or “the lost,” which seem insulting, or even “non-Christians” or “nonbelievers,” which defined people by what they were not.  So you settled on “outsiders” to define people outside the church—atheists, agnostics, and those affiliated with a faith other than born-again Christianity.  Has there been any negative response to the use of the term outsiders?

DK:  A little, but not much.  I think people appreciate how gracious we are in using the term.  Really, the only point is that we wanted to say this is what Christianity looks like from an outsider’s viewpoint.  There is no good term, and I hate putting people into boxes.  But it worked.  Ironically, it’s a term that is not just Christian “insider” language.  You also see the term used in journalism, business, and arts and entertainment. 

Relief: Early in the book, you state that Christians have “become famous for what we oppose rather than who we are for.”  How do you hope the book will help Christians in changing these perceptions?

DK: One of the great challenges of living in a media culture is that we are exposed to lots of information.  And lots of problems.  Sometimes I think it’s a natural response that Christians are so quick to define everything they are against.  But the Christian view of things is that we are salt and light, culture preservers and cultivators.  Our hope is that people stop thinking of Christianity as a fortress and more as a mustard seed.  You can’t solve all the world’s problems; and you were not meant to.  But each of us has the ability to do something tangible and specific that rescues and restores the broken parts of creation.  We plant mustard seeds.

Relief: One truth presented in the book is that many younger Christians are hesitant to admit to being Christian when meeting new people, not because they fear being unpopular, but because they fear being ineffective.  “They feel that raising the Christian flag would actually undermine their ability to connect to people and to maintain credibility with them.”  I’ve often experienced this in my life.  It’s sometimes months before a new friend or colleague admits to me that I’m not “like other Christians,” a statement that is always meant as a compliment.  How should young Christians deal with what you refer to as a negative “branding” of Christianity?

DK: The first thing is not to try too hard.  There are a lot of young Christians (and even some older ones) who are trying too hard to be “cool,” “hip,” or “relevant.”  These are not inherently bad things, but people recognize posers.  A lack of transparency and lack of authenticity rob us of deep relationships with people.  The second is to be truly great at what you do and radical in the way you do it.  Excellence coupled with integrity wrapped in a humble person is pretty irresistible.  And, by the way, I am trying to be like you!  I want to be one of the “exception” Christians—the kind of person that people notice is different from the other Christians.  I think that’s a great compliment.

Hit the Read More link to unwrap more!