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Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told: A Sociologist Shatters Myths From the Secular and Christian Media
According to the media, the church is rapidly shrinking, both in numbers and in effectiveness. But the good news is, much of the bad news is wrong. Sociologist Bradley R. E. Wright uncovers what's really happening in the church: evangelicals are more respected by secular culture now than they were ten years ago; divorce rates of Christians are lower than those who aren't affiliated with a religion; young evangelicals are active in the faith. Wright reveals to readers why and how statistics are distorted, and shows that God is still effectively working through his people today.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
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375 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 14, 2010
Really dull, obviously slanted, could have been summed up with the nifty charts I ended up just skimming and glancing at instead of finishing the book. I deducted an additional star from the rating for being yet ANOTHER book where "Christian" is defined as "a certain type of evangelical" to the exclusion of all other kinds of Christians and even in competition with them.
February 25, 2013
99.3% of all statistics are misused.
Okay, so I just made up that number.
“Numbers” are what Bradley Wright’s Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites …and Other Lies You’ve Been Told traffics in. To be more exact, it’s the misuse of numbers, particularly how they relate to Christians, that Wright is bent on exposing. And there’s plenty of exposing needing to be done.
Wright, who is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut, tackles several areas in which both the secular and the religious world misuse statistics in order to caricature Christians, demean the Church, or as scare tactics. Wright devotes individual chapters to specific “lies” we’ve been told about Christians and examines, in detail, how the statistical data was misused, or ignored, to reach a given end.
Is American Christianity on the brink of extinction?
Are we losing our young people?
Are Evangelicals all poor, uneducated, southern whites?
Do Christians love others?
What do non-Christians think of us?
Each of these questions contain a freight of statistical data, often conveniently framed and edited, which is then repeated ad nauseum through churches and media until it becomes “conventional wisdom.” Perhaps the best, most recent example of this, is the “nones.” This is the growing demographic of “religiously unaffiliated” that has invoked gloom and doom pronouncements (like Newsweek magazine’s The End of Christian America) and institutional gut-checks among many of the major denominations.
Wright takes a refreshingly deeper look at the statistics, while countering them with others. For instance,
“The percentage of Americans who believe in God has remained remarkably high — over 90% of Americans have believed and continue to believe in some form of God.” (p. 48)
So while there is a growing trend toward religious non-affiliation, it is NOT a significant trend toward agnosticism or atheism. Even more fascinating,
“…the increases in religious disaffiliation happened among political liberals and moderates who had relatively weak ties to the church.” (p. 33)
This is a very important piece of data, I think, that I haven’t seen explored elsewhere. Which, I guess, buttresses Wright’s point that we’re not getting the whole picture.
Then he cites controversial Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll as an example of how common sense examination of the data can lead to different conclusions.
“Driscoll distinguishes active, practicing Christians from those who simply profess Christianity without deeper engagement. Presumably, it is the second category of ‘cultural’ Christians who are redefining themselves as unaffiliated. If so, Driscoll argues, then there is little drop-off in active, committed Christians, and the church doesn’t suffer much from the loss of less-committed members. …Driscoll concludes that recent changes ‘are not discouraging, but rather clarifying.’ Driscoll’s argument makes a larger point: Numerical declines are not necessarily negative.” (p. 55)
So while this data is constantly interpreted as showing religion is in decline, it could mean an important cultural winnowing is occurring instead. Perhaps the trend toward religious unaffiliation says something other than that Christianity is doomed. Again, it all depends on what we’re looking at, or for.
Contrary to what we hear from the media, Christians are doing significantly better than they are commonly portrayed. The strength of our marriages, charitable giving, even our youth.
“…the percentage of young people who attend church or who think that religion is important has remained mostly stable.” (p. 66)
While many youth continue to follow the age-old pattern of leaving and returning to the church when they begin families of their own, they are not leaving in the droves often portrayed.
Of course, this isn’t to say that everything is rosy. In fact, at the end of the book Wright, like a good professor, gives out “grades” to the Christian Church, with some notable areas for improvement. Here’s a sampling:
Holding onto the young — B-
Retaining members — B
Gender equality — C
Racial integration — B-
Divorce and living together — B
Attitudes towards blacks — D
Attitudes towards gays — D
Our attitudes towards non-Christians — C-
So the book is not a puff piece for US.
Perhaps what’s most refreshing about Wright’s book is his encouragement for the average person to cultivate a healthy skepticism toward statistics.
“For reasons that I don’t fully understand, statistics hold a strange power over people. Someone who is otherwise a clear thinker will readily accept something not true when it is presented as a statistic. …If nothing else, I hope you realize the need to be more skeptical when it comes to statistics about Christianity.” (p. 218)
Two minor complaints:
1.) The book’s a bit wonky and academic. I mean, if you love graphs, and charts, and figures, you might disagree. But I found it dry in spots because of that.
2.) Is Wright guilty of his own charges? In other words, he’s using stats to prove a point. Or a counter-point. Make no mistake, I’m on board with his premise. I’m thrilled he’s giving us a bigger picture. But doesn’t that prove that people can make stats say what they want?
Which, maybe, brings us back to the real issue: Take all statistics with a grain of salt. Four out of five stars for a much-needed statistical counter-point.
Okay, so I just made up that number.
“Numbers” are what Bradley Wright’s Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites …and Other Lies You’ve Been Told traffics in. To be more exact, it’s the misuse of numbers, particularly how they relate to Christians, that Wright is bent on exposing. And there’s plenty of exposing needing to be done.
Wright, who is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut, tackles several areas in which both the secular and the religious world misuse statistics in order to caricature Christians, demean the Church, or as scare tactics. Wright devotes individual chapters to specific “lies” we’ve been told about Christians and examines, in detail, how the statistical data was misused, or ignored, to reach a given end.
Is American Christianity on the brink of extinction?
Are we losing our young people?
Are Evangelicals all poor, uneducated, southern whites?
Do Christians love others?
What do non-Christians think of us?
Each of these questions contain a freight of statistical data, often conveniently framed and edited, which is then repeated ad nauseum through churches and media until it becomes “conventional wisdom.” Perhaps the best, most recent example of this, is the “nones.” This is the growing demographic of “religiously unaffiliated” that has invoked gloom and doom pronouncements (like Newsweek magazine’s The End of Christian America) and institutional gut-checks among many of the major denominations.
Wright takes a refreshingly deeper look at the statistics, while countering them with others. For instance,
“The percentage of Americans who believe in God has remained remarkably high — over 90% of Americans have believed and continue to believe in some form of God.” (p. 48)
So while there is a growing trend toward religious non-affiliation, it is NOT a significant trend toward agnosticism or atheism. Even more fascinating,
“…the increases in religious disaffiliation happened among political liberals and moderates who had relatively weak ties to the church.” (p. 33)
This is a very important piece of data, I think, that I haven’t seen explored elsewhere. Which, I guess, buttresses Wright’s point that we’re not getting the whole picture.
Then he cites controversial Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll as an example of how common sense examination of the data can lead to different conclusions.
“Driscoll distinguishes active, practicing Christians from those who simply profess Christianity without deeper engagement. Presumably, it is the second category of ‘cultural’ Christians who are redefining themselves as unaffiliated. If so, Driscoll argues, then there is little drop-off in active, committed Christians, and the church doesn’t suffer much from the loss of less-committed members. …Driscoll concludes that recent changes ‘are not discouraging, but rather clarifying.’ Driscoll’s argument makes a larger point: Numerical declines are not necessarily negative.” (p. 55)
So while this data is constantly interpreted as showing religion is in decline, it could mean an important cultural winnowing is occurring instead. Perhaps the trend toward religious unaffiliation says something other than that Christianity is doomed. Again, it all depends on what we’re looking at, or for.
Contrary to what we hear from the media, Christians are doing significantly better than they are commonly portrayed. The strength of our marriages, charitable giving, even our youth.
“…the percentage of young people who attend church or who think that religion is important has remained mostly stable.” (p. 66)
While many youth continue to follow the age-old pattern of leaving and returning to the church when they begin families of their own, they are not leaving in the droves often portrayed.
Of course, this isn’t to say that everything is rosy. In fact, at the end of the book Wright, like a good professor, gives out “grades” to the Christian Church, with some notable areas for improvement. Here’s a sampling:
Holding onto the young — B-
Retaining members — B
Gender equality — C
Racial integration — B-
Divorce and living together — B
Attitudes towards blacks — D
Attitudes towards gays — D
Our attitudes towards non-Christians — C-
So the book is not a puff piece for US.
Perhaps what’s most refreshing about Wright’s book is his encouragement for the average person to cultivate a healthy skepticism toward statistics.
“For reasons that I don’t fully understand, statistics hold a strange power over people. Someone who is otherwise a clear thinker will readily accept something not true when it is presented as a statistic. …If nothing else, I hope you realize the need to be more skeptical when it comes to statistics about Christianity.” (p. 218)
Two minor complaints:
1.) The book’s a bit wonky and academic. I mean, if you love graphs, and charts, and figures, you might disagree. But I found it dry in spots because of that.
2.) Is Wright guilty of his own charges? In other words, he’s using stats to prove a point. Or a counter-point. Make no mistake, I’m on board with his premise. I’m thrilled he’s giving us a bigger picture. But doesn’t that prove that people can make stats say what they want?
Which, maybe, brings us back to the real issue: Take all statistics with a grain of salt. Four out of five stars for a much-needed statistical counter-point.
July 30, 2010
Sociological data, charts galore, and religion. All of these components put together make me just giddy. For reasons completely unknown to me even now, I found myself in sociology classes with people that can only be described as "the granola." Discussing survey questions, statistically significance, aggregating and disaggregating data, standard deviations, and best of all, a little book called "How to Lie with Statistics." The experience left me with an affinity for picking apart statistics and a 20 year old sociology degree. The bachelor kind. That gets you hired at JCPenney, doing the same thing the high school graduate does, muttering, "I hate my life."
Filled with charts, engaging explanation, and elbow-patch college professor humor, this book sets out to debunk commonly quoted myths regarding religion, focusing on Christianity and, more specifically, Evangelical Christianity.
Statistics are fascinating things. People tend to believe them when quoted. A few things to keep in mind when seeing a statistic. What is the thesis question, who is gathering the data and for what purpose, what is the N or population for data (the smaller the study size, the less reliable the data and does it represent a fair amount of different groups), and is it statistically significant?
The author addresses, through statistics and surveys, how Christians, and more specifically, evangelical Christians, are doing in regard to Christian lifestyle. For instance, why do we hear so much bad news about Christianity? (It sells stories) Is Christianity on the Brink of Extinction? Are we losing our youth? Are evangelical Christians all poor, uneducated, southern whites? Do Christians think and do Christian things? Do Christians love others? What do non-Christians think of us? What do Christians think of themselves? The author is not attempting to attribute causality but simply report the differences between groups with available statistical data.
I loved it. I really, really did. It was fascinating and read very much like a college lecture series. In order to keep the book spicy, the author included a photo of "the future"; a sullen teenager with disco shirt open to his belly button and gold chains (slightly exaggerating) and big disco hair. In 1980, this was the future. In 2010, he's the author of a book describing statistical data in terms anybody can understand. He gave up the disco shirt, I hope.
The book is easy to read. The graphs are self-explanatory but the commentary is nothing less than engaging. For instance, the author discusses sexual behavior and extramarital sex. He says, "At this point, allow me to interject that there is a crucial distinction between extramarital sex and extra marital sex. One is committing adultery, the other represents a better than average week, and they have very different consequences."
Regarding drug use: "What does this mean? Well, the white powder on the church pew is probably just baby formula."
The book is riddled with this kind of humor and it tickles my funny bone. Because I am a nerd. I know it. I embrace it.
My one complaint is definitions. I happen to be a member of a church the author did not define as necessarily Christian, and this niggled me throughout the book. Not until page 224 does the author explain that he used the word "Christian" to describe Protestants and Catholics. This leaves out the members of a 14 million strong religion, mostly found in Utah, called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These members were clumped together with Jehovah's Witnesses (who, although I know little about the religion, probably claim Christianity, as well) Muslims, Jewish, and Hindus.
Is it statistically significant to leave out these people? No. It would increase the number of Christians by just under 2%. It simply matters to me, a Mormon and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
But before I could properly get my panties all in a wad, I had to admit that even using statistics regarding Mormons was validating. So the half star I planned taking off from my review for my own tantrum, I will grudgingly return half of the half back.
Completely enjoyable read. Easy to understand charts and statistics, not dry at all. Funny and a little sad. The man spent his 47th birthday working on his book. A far cry from the scowling, disco-shirt-too-cool-to-care attitude.
Filled with charts, engaging explanation, and elbow-patch college professor humor, this book sets out to debunk commonly quoted myths regarding religion, focusing on Christianity and, more specifically, Evangelical Christianity.
Statistics are fascinating things. People tend to believe them when quoted. A few things to keep in mind when seeing a statistic. What is the thesis question, who is gathering the data and for what purpose, what is the N or population for data (the smaller the study size, the less reliable the data and does it represent a fair amount of different groups), and is it statistically significant?
The author addresses, through statistics and surveys, how Christians, and more specifically, evangelical Christians, are doing in regard to Christian lifestyle. For instance, why do we hear so much bad news about Christianity? (It sells stories) Is Christianity on the Brink of Extinction? Are we losing our youth? Are evangelical Christians all poor, uneducated, southern whites? Do Christians think and do Christian things? Do Christians love others? What do non-Christians think of us? What do Christians think of themselves? The author is not attempting to attribute causality but simply report the differences between groups with available statistical data.
I loved it. I really, really did. It was fascinating and read very much like a college lecture series. In order to keep the book spicy, the author included a photo of "the future"; a sullen teenager with disco shirt open to his belly button and gold chains (slightly exaggerating) and big disco hair. In 1980, this was the future. In 2010, he's the author of a book describing statistical data in terms anybody can understand. He gave up the disco shirt, I hope.
The book is easy to read. The graphs are self-explanatory but the commentary is nothing less than engaging. For instance, the author discusses sexual behavior and extramarital sex. He says, "At this point, allow me to interject that there is a crucial distinction between extramarital sex and extra marital sex. One is committing adultery, the other represents a better than average week, and they have very different consequences."
Regarding drug use: "What does this mean? Well, the white powder on the church pew is probably just baby formula."
The book is riddled with this kind of humor and it tickles my funny bone. Because I am a nerd. I know it. I embrace it.
My one complaint is definitions. I happen to be a member of a church the author did not define as necessarily Christian, and this niggled me throughout the book. Not until page 224 does the author explain that he used the word "Christian" to describe Protestants and Catholics. This leaves out the members of a 14 million strong religion, mostly found in Utah, called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These members were clumped together with Jehovah's Witnesses (who, although I know little about the religion, probably claim Christianity, as well) Muslims, Jewish, and Hindus.
Is it statistically significant to leave out these people? No. It would increase the number of Christians by just under 2%. It simply matters to me, a Mormon and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ.
But before I could properly get my panties all in a wad, I had to admit that even using statistics regarding Mormons was validating. So the half star I planned taking off from my review for my own tantrum, I will grudgingly return half of the half back.
Completely enjoyable read. Easy to understand charts and statistics, not dry at all. Funny and a little sad. The man spent his 47th birthday working on his book. A far cry from the scowling, disco-shirt-too-cool-to-care attitude.
December 29, 2022
It's interesting that negative views of Christendom come from both Christian and secular sources, and generally we hear a lot of blanket statements used to describe what are much more nuanced, complex topics, if we're willing to drill down. Wright tackles some of these claims, such as "Christianity is watered down," or "Christianity will die with this generation."
Main takeaway - statistics presented in news articles are used for clickbait rather than accurate reporting. Often these statistics and projections use invalid assumptions, or use problematic survey results. Overall, pretty valuable, and I learned to read statistics with a grain of salt.
My biggest difficulty with the book, however, is that I don't think Wright did a great job of refuting certain claims or impressions that people may have about Christianity. Some things are just not easily measurable with survey data, (e.g. the strength of one's relationship with God), but we approximate it with certain things like how strongly people hold to doctrinal convictions, as an example. He also does not seem to account for the possibility of social desirability bias, which could make some of his arguments problematic. So it would be quite reasonable to take Wright's conclusions with a grain of salt as well.
Main takeaway - statistics presented in news articles are used for clickbait rather than accurate reporting. Often these statistics and projections use invalid assumptions, or use problematic survey results. Overall, pretty valuable, and I learned to read statistics with a grain of salt.
My biggest difficulty with the book, however, is that I don't think Wright did a great job of refuting certain claims or impressions that people may have about Christianity. Some things are just not easily measurable with survey data, (e.g. the strength of one's relationship with God), but we approximate it with certain things like how strongly people hold to doctrinal convictions, as an example. He also does not seem to account for the possibility of social desirability bias, which could make some of his arguments problematic. So it would be quite reasonable to take Wright's conclusions with a grain of salt as well.
September 4, 2010
To me, this book came across as having two goals: first, to disprove the stereotypes about Evangelical Christians, second, to measure the "success" of Evangelical Christians (ECs). The audience for the first goal is non-ECs, for the second goal it is ECs. I'm not convinced that Wright fully met either of his two goals completely, and I think his audience/readers will be a smaller group than he'd like.
Yes, some of the stereotypes about ECs are disproved, mainly because those stereotypes grew out of conflated statistics or a few sensational news items. The message "don't believe everything you hear/read" is well supported in this book. Other stereotypes are not disproved, but they are not solidly proven, either. The weakest "disproof" is that of the poor, uneducated ECs. The stats do support this stereotype, and Wright redirects the reader's attention to a tangential matter in the hopes the reader won't notice.
The introduction to the book explains that Wright's goal is to present data, not explain the causes. He does seem to explain or at least suggest explanations for many stats. Sometimes I agree with his rationale, but often it's just speculation or hypotheses. Given his "authoritative" position, these speculations could be misused or misunderstood to be more factual than they are intended: a difficult position to avoid in this type of writing.
There is nothing overly profound in the book, but there are a few matters presented that are interesting to note. Overall, the strongest lie that is debunked is that the church is losing its youth. Wright's data suggests that youths are always "lost" in each generation, but as the individuals mature and settle down with families, they return. It's the single people the church loses.
Yes, some of the stereotypes about ECs are disproved, mainly because those stereotypes grew out of conflated statistics or a few sensational news items. The message "don't believe everything you hear/read" is well supported in this book. Other stereotypes are not disproved, but they are not solidly proven, either. The weakest "disproof" is that of the poor, uneducated ECs. The stats do support this stereotype, and Wright redirects the reader's attention to a tangential matter in the hopes the reader won't notice.
The introduction to the book explains that Wright's goal is to present data, not explain the causes. He does seem to explain or at least suggest explanations for many stats. Sometimes I agree with his rationale, but often it's just speculation or hypotheses. Given his "authoritative" position, these speculations could be misused or misunderstood to be more factual than they are intended: a difficult position to avoid in this type of writing.
There is nothing overly profound in the book, but there are a few matters presented that are interesting to note. Overall, the strongest lie that is debunked is that the church is losing its youth. Wright's data suggests that youths are always "lost" in each generation, but as the individuals mature and settle down with families, they return. It's the single people the church loses.
December 13, 2015
By who's definition
Brad does his best to examine quantitative data to point or the lies told about Christians and o ur misconceptions. His stated goal at the being of the book isn't too discuss solutions, but just present the data with accurate methodology. To this goal I think he did a fine job. However, with any data especially with no absolute data such as numbers your assumptions about the data can effect the interpretation. The first flaw in this sociological approach to the data is the mistake that religion is just a social group you belong to, and got some and some faiths that is true. But for others especially theistic religions such as Bible believing evangelical Christians, it is not a religion of historical traditions, but instead a life style. The second mistake is by comparing Christianity to other religions based on the world's values. For an evangelical Bible believing Christian the Bible is the standard to be measured against not the values of the sociologist and society. To this end, my thought it's so what? Who cares if you are liked and accepted by society. We are living to please our God Christ Jesus not the world. In fact, we were told by Jesus we would be despised and rejected by the world. If we are living to be liked by the world then we are not following our God because to be liked you generally have to do what others like, and that is usually counter to the word of God. A final thought is one that Brad acknowledged as a difficulty, but didn't stop him from doing the analyses, was the like of data for some topics or a lack of God questions. Instead he worked with what he had which is understandable, but it often missed the point of the topic as it relates to Christianity not sociology.
Brad does his best to examine quantitative data to point or the lies told about Christians and o ur misconceptions. His stated goal at the being of the book isn't too discuss solutions, but just present the data with accurate methodology. To this goal I think he did a fine job. However, with any data especially with no absolute data such as numbers your assumptions about the data can effect the interpretation. The first flaw in this sociological approach to the data is the mistake that religion is just a social group you belong to, and got some and some faiths that is true. But for others especially theistic religions such as Bible believing evangelical Christians, it is not a religion of historical traditions, but instead a life style. The second mistake is by comparing Christianity to other religions based on the world's values. For an evangelical Bible believing Christian the Bible is the standard to be measured against not the values of the sociologist and society. To this end, my thought it's so what? Who cares if you are liked and accepted by society. We are living to please our God Christ Jesus not the world. In fact, we were told by Jesus we would be despised and rejected by the world. If we are living to be liked by the world then we are not following our God because to be liked you generally have to do what others like, and that is usually counter to the word of God. A final thought is one that Brad acknowledged as a difficulty, but didn't stop him from doing the analyses, was the like of data for some topics or a lack of God questions. Instead he worked with what he had which is understandable, but it often missed the point of the topic as it relates to Christianity not sociology.
May 6, 2011
For a book filled with sociological data, statistics, and charts on nearly every other page, I found this book to be surprisingly engrossing. To be sure, this book is by no means an easy read, and requires a certain amount of intellect to understand the plethora of data that Wright provides on every conceivable topic related to the image of Christianity - whether it be from the perspective of Christians or non-Christians.
Wright also uses the book to teach the reader not only the correct data about many of the misconceptions of the image of Christianity, but also how to respond to the blind faith that many have when quoting others' seemingly statistically-based beliefs. He gives examples of this in conversation and how to enlighten others all throughout the book. He describes how many people, when addressing topics in Christianity, will use embellished or misinterpreted statistics to draw attention to themselves as an author or preacher just like the fear-mongering of the news on television or newspaper. He also discusses how the power of personal prejudices and stereotypes can override the blatant evidence to the contrary for many people.
Without getting into all of the detailed statistical findings that Wright reveals, I can easily say that most claims about the image of Christianity are exaggerated or completely false. But don't take my word for it - read it for yourself.
Wright also uses the book to teach the reader not only the correct data about many of the misconceptions of the image of Christianity, but also how to respond to the blind faith that many have when quoting others' seemingly statistically-based beliefs. He gives examples of this in conversation and how to enlighten others all throughout the book. He describes how many people, when addressing topics in Christianity, will use embellished or misinterpreted statistics to draw attention to themselves as an author or preacher just like the fear-mongering of the news on television or newspaper. He also discusses how the power of personal prejudices and stereotypes can override the blatant evidence to the contrary for many people.
Without getting into all of the detailed statistical findings that Wright reveals, I can easily say that most claims about the image of Christianity are exaggerated or completely false. But don't take my word for it - read it for yourself.
November 2, 2012
I want to like this book. Because if the book is true, then the American church is doing much better than we have been told that she is.
I really want to like this book.
The problem is that I think the author is wrong.
While I agree that we need to look at statistics with a grain of salt, while I can agree that things concerning the American church may not be as bad as some of the statistics make them seem, I think it's really simplistic to say that church attendance fixes everything.
The reality of most American churches is that we have declining.
I do not think the author takes seriously the changes brought on by a post-denominational, post-Christian, postmodern, global village enough. Pluralism, secularism, and a disregard for authority and institutions is a threat to the modern church that must be dealt with.
How did the churches in Europe get to be where they are today?
Unless American churches do a better job of figuring out how to be church and do church in this emerging reality, we too will continue to age and die.
I really want to like this book.
The problem is that I think the author is wrong.
While I agree that we need to look at statistics with a grain of salt, while I can agree that things concerning the American church may not be as bad as some of the statistics make them seem, I think it's really simplistic to say that church attendance fixes everything.
The reality of most American churches is that we have declining.
I do not think the author takes seriously the changes brought on by a post-denominational, post-Christian, postmodern, global village enough. Pluralism, secularism, and a disregard for authority and institutions is a threat to the modern church that must be dealt with.
How did the churches in Europe get to be where they are today?
Unless American churches do a better job of figuring out how to be church and do church in this emerging reality, we too will continue to age and die.
August 10, 2016
Loaded with (effectively explained) data and helpful explanations, this is an interesting, educational read. It often presents a reality that is different from "the sky is falling" headlines (which are frequently drawn from bad data / bad surveys / bad readings of survey data and/or some combination of all of these) that one can often find in media (and Christian media in particular: the Barna Group is highlighted as a frequent offender).
August 23, 2021
Being the victim of a hate-crime by Christians just coming out of church it isn't about what I've been told it's about what I've experienced and this book just read like propaganda to me.
July 9, 2017
This was a tough one to rate. The book wasn't quite what I expected. But I can't really articulate what I expected, so I'm not sure that is fair.
At the end of the day, the book is a simply a list of questions that Wright attempts to answer through reporting and analyzing a wealth of research, surveys, and questionnaires. Questions such as, "What do others think of Christians?" to "Do Christians always do the right thing?" provide excellent discussion opportunities with those around you. I think his cause is noble. And I think there is a lot of good information buried here in the pages. But for me, the format was identical chapter to chapter, and everything just began to run together.
I guess I was wanting more nuance, and perhaps more application. Wright is strongest when he is adding personal anecdotes, or contributing to the statistics with his opinions. But this is rare, and he often goes in the opposite direction. For instance, while on the subject of the less-than-favorable light with which Christians often view others, Wright offers this: "So how should we change things? Beats me - I'm just a sociologist, and if you have to depend on sociology for moral guidance, you are in deep trouble."
I would hope and think as a Christian, regardless of profession, some simply moral advise wouldn't be too hard to come by, let alone the wisdom that should accompany decades of research into social issues (with a Christian foundation, no less).
But, I don't want to come down too hard on Wright. In fact, I want to recommend the book - I still think it is worth your time, especially if you understand what you're getting. There are some eye-opening statistics presented here, along with the radical proposition that things aren't nearly as bad as the wise men of the tribe would have us believe.
---------------
I noticed Amazon and Goodreads have a slightly different meanings to their 5-point scale. I thought it was odd to have a different rating for the same book on two different sites, so I came up with my own scale below. For the record, it is fairly close to Amazon's scale, but allows me to be consistent between the two sites.
5 - Fantastic. Life-altering. Maybe only 25 in a lifetime.
4 - Very good.
3 - Worth your time.
2 - Not very good.
1 - Atrocious
At the end of the day, the book is a simply a list of questions that Wright attempts to answer through reporting and analyzing a wealth of research, surveys, and questionnaires. Questions such as, "What do others think of Christians?" to "Do Christians always do the right thing?" provide excellent discussion opportunities with those around you. I think his cause is noble. And I think there is a lot of good information buried here in the pages. But for me, the format was identical chapter to chapter, and everything just began to run together.
I guess I was wanting more nuance, and perhaps more application. Wright is strongest when he is adding personal anecdotes, or contributing to the statistics with his opinions. But this is rare, and he often goes in the opposite direction. For instance, while on the subject of the less-than-favorable light with which Christians often view others, Wright offers this: "So how should we change things? Beats me - I'm just a sociologist, and if you have to depend on sociology for moral guidance, you are in deep trouble."
I would hope and think as a Christian, regardless of profession, some simply moral advise wouldn't be too hard to come by, let alone the wisdom that should accompany decades of research into social issues (with a Christian foundation, no less).
But, I don't want to come down too hard on Wright. In fact, I want to recommend the book - I still think it is worth your time, especially if you understand what you're getting. There are some eye-opening statistics presented here, along with the radical proposition that things aren't nearly as bad as the wise men of the tribe would have us believe.
---------------
I noticed Amazon and Goodreads have a slightly different meanings to their 5-point scale. I thought it was odd to have a different rating for the same book on two different sites, so I came up with my own scale below. For the record, it is fairly close to Amazon's scale, but allows me to be consistent between the two sites.
5 - Fantastic. Life-altering. Maybe only 25 in a lifetime.
4 - Very good.
3 - Worth your time.
2 - Not very good.
1 - Atrocious
December 17, 2017
My Statistics for Sociology professor had us read this book while working through a semester of statistics. It was a great way to see how the skills we were learning apply to life, and the different ways that people abuse the power of statistics. An interesting look at Christians (specifically Evangelicals) from a statistical perspective.
March 19, 2019
The title isn’t what this book is about. Only a small part discusses the premise of the title. The rest is all statistics. This was very interesting to me who are rather mathematically minded. But some people may find all the statistics just a little too much.
And I really would have liked a more detailed discussion of the title.
And I really would have liked a more detailed discussion of the title.
November 28, 2018
Disappointing. This book is almost all statistics and percentages and I thought the title was misleading.
March 22, 2024
A little dated now, but one of the most encouraging books I have read in a long time!
December 3, 2025
It was like 3.5 but quickly became 2 with the last three chapters.
August 17, 2023
This book is very out of date, slanted (published by a Christian publishing house) and does not hold with the political leanings of Evangelicals in 2023.
It went right into the trash when I finished it.
It went right into the trash when I finished it.
February 3, 2014
What do most Americans think about Christians? Are Christians just as immoral as unbelievers? To most people, the answers are an obvious negative opinion to the first, and yes and worse to the second. The thing is that these answers would be wrong. There are a lot of misconceptions about Christians in America, and sociologist Bradley R. E. Wright has decided to correct many of them in his brilliant new book, *Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites… and Other Lies You’ve Been Told*.
Dr. Wright introduces the book by giving a summary of what started him on this research path. He kept hearing and reading dire statistics about the state of Christianity in the United States. He wondered at how these statistics come from both Christians and secular sources, and he wondered if the universality of the predictions was because of a true statistic, or a myth that people repeated without examination.
The professor began by looking at various social science surveys, including from the Gallup organization, the Barna group, and out of academia. He looked at the wording of the questions, and the respondents’ answers. He found something unique, that Christians in general are highly respected, and that most denominations that make up “Evangelical Christianity” are also highly respected, as are “Christians” in general, and “Born-Again” Christians. Only “Evangelicals” are not highly respected, as a name-group, and that probably lends itself to the idea that people misunderstand the term, and actually *respect Christians*.
The professor goes on to show how in research, Christians are not just viewed favorably by the general public, but are also doing well on almost every social and political level. Whether marital fidelity, spousal treatment, religious observances, love for others, prayer, belief in the fundamentals of the faith, and so forth, Christians are doing as well as, or better than, any other time in history other than perhaps the 1950’s.
The only caveat to this is the increased number of “religiously unaffiliated”. Many point to a culture that is less Christian and more secular. The question is whether one wants a culture of large churches with many non-Christians, or churches where the Christians are more likely than in previous eras to be sincere Christians, and not just going to church for fear of social stigma. Which one is better? It’s up to the reader and Christians in general to decide.
The only real problem I had with the book was the way that the areas of race relations and attitudes towards gays were covered, the author gets into his politics. At least, I presume that he does, since he looks hard at every question, except those that relate to these two areas. I am not saying that there is no issue of negative feeling in these areas, but think carefully here. If a person thinks someone is a liberal, as most blacks are, and the respondent is a conservative, then they might not like them for supporting ideas they don’t support. It doesn’t mean it’s an actual lack of love, but an unfavorable feeling. This is NOT racism, but logical, just as many blacks do not view white conservatives favorably.
On the issue of homosexuality, unfavorability is not the same as hate. If you ask Christians if they have favorable opinions about adulterers, those cohabitating outside of marriage, and so forth, they will likely not feel very favorable. This does not mean a lack of love. It can, and in some cases, likely does. In most cases, probably not.
Despite these criticisms, this book is invaluable for its exposing myths and correcting the record on the state of Christianity in America. I recommend it for those wanting to gain a better idea of where we really are in this country as Christians, and how to progress even further.
--------------------
I received this book from Bethany House for the purposes of review. I am obligated to post the review on a commercial web site such as Amazon.com. I want to emphasize that the opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Thomas Nelson for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this.
Dr. Wright introduces the book by giving a summary of what started him on this research path. He kept hearing and reading dire statistics about the state of Christianity in the United States. He wondered at how these statistics come from both Christians and secular sources, and he wondered if the universality of the predictions was because of a true statistic, or a myth that people repeated without examination.
The professor began by looking at various social science surveys, including from the Gallup organization, the Barna group, and out of academia. He looked at the wording of the questions, and the respondents’ answers. He found something unique, that Christians in general are highly respected, and that most denominations that make up “Evangelical Christianity” are also highly respected, as are “Christians” in general, and “Born-Again” Christians. Only “Evangelicals” are not highly respected, as a name-group, and that probably lends itself to the idea that people misunderstand the term, and actually *respect Christians*.
The professor goes on to show how in research, Christians are not just viewed favorably by the general public, but are also doing well on almost every social and political level. Whether marital fidelity, spousal treatment, religious observances, love for others, prayer, belief in the fundamentals of the faith, and so forth, Christians are doing as well as, or better than, any other time in history other than perhaps the 1950’s.
The only caveat to this is the increased number of “religiously unaffiliated”. Many point to a culture that is less Christian and more secular. The question is whether one wants a culture of large churches with many non-Christians, or churches where the Christians are more likely than in previous eras to be sincere Christians, and not just going to church for fear of social stigma. Which one is better? It’s up to the reader and Christians in general to decide.
The only real problem I had with the book was the way that the areas of race relations and attitudes towards gays were covered, the author gets into his politics. At least, I presume that he does, since he looks hard at every question, except those that relate to these two areas. I am not saying that there is no issue of negative feeling in these areas, but think carefully here. If a person thinks someone is a liberal, as most blacks are, and the respondent is a conservative, then they might not like them for supporting ideas they don’t support. It doesn’t mean it’s an actual lack of love, but an unfavorable feeling. This is NOT racism, but logical, just as many blacks do not view white conservatives favorably.
On the issue of homosexuality, unfavorability is not the same as hate. If you ask Christians if they have favorable opinions about adulterers, those cohabitating outside of marriage, and so forth, they will likely not feel very favorable. This does not mean a lack of love. It can, and in some cases, likely does. In most cases, probably not.
Despite these criticisms, this book is invaluable for its exposing myths and correcting the record on the state of Christianity in America. I recommend it for those wanting to gain a better idea of where we really are in this country as Christians, and how to progress even further.
--------------------
I received this book from Bethany House for the purposes of review. I am obligated to post the review on a commercial web site such as Amazon.com. I want to emphasize that the opinions above are my honest viewpoint. I want to thank Thomas Nelson for allowing me to review this book, and thank you all for reading this.
February 18, 2018
An old and well-worn saying, attributed to British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli via Mark Twain, suggests that the three kinds of lies are "lies, damned lies and statistics." University of Connecticut sociology professor Bradley Wright takes a look at what we supposedly know based on news stories and other reports of surveys, opinion polls and the statistics they produce in his book Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites...and Other Lies You've Been Told.
For example, many people inside and outside the church believe that the percentage of younger people attending church has diminished over time, and that the church is "losing young people." He notes a widely-quoted statistic that suggests only four percent of today's teens will be evangelical Christians by the time they reach adulthood, but then points out that this statistic comes from a study that's not very reliable because of limited sample size and confusingly-worded questions.
Surveyors prefer larger sample sizes because they have a wider variety of respondents. In the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Calvin used to poll himself and suggest to his dad that parenting techniques change based on the poll results, which favored the commencement of driving lessons and the abolition of bedtimes. His small sample size skewed the results his way.
Survey takers also prefer questions to be as clear and specific as possible. "What's the best color for a vehicle?" seems like a simple question, but the answers may differ if people have different pictures of what a "vehicle" is. Asking, "What's the best color for a pickup truck?" for example, would offer clearer results.
So, Wright says, the particular survey that produced the 4 percent number has a lot of problems and shouldn't be counted on without references to other statistics that would back it up. When he analyzes data from a couple of better-conducted surveys, the General Social Survey and the Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, he finds that there is a dropoff in numbers of young people attending church over the last half-century or so. But it's not nearly what the much doomier forecast says it is and it tracks pretty well with the percentage of all people who've stopped attending church.
Wright also points out that surveys like this may provide some good information about what things are like when it was done, but they're not nearly as useful in extrapolating future events. Since the future hasn't happened, we have no way of knowing what factors may affect things like religious participation. Wright notes that in 1822, Thomas Jefferson predicted that "there is not a young man now living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian." He based it on the increase in Unitarianism in the U.S. in the early 19th century, but that increase didn't continue and today's Unitarians number .5% of the U.S. population. He also cites an xkcd webcomic which uses the trending increase in the number of a woman's husbands (day before yesterday she had none, but as of yesterday she had one) to predict that by next month she'll have four dozen husbands and thus she needs to invest in bulk wedding cake.
The first chapters of the book, which take apart the methodology of surveys and point out why people should question survey-based information just as thoroughly as they question any other information, are the most interesting. The later ones, in which Wright takes on some of the myths about Christians that are supposedly "common knowledge," are also interesting at first, but begin to repeat themselves after awhile.
On the whole, though, Wright has written a clever brief introduction to the ins and outs of surveying and its good and not-so-good uses, as well as providing some reasons to re-think some of the things we Christian folk might believe about ourselves -- as well as what we believe others think about us.
Original available here.
For example, many people inside and outside the church believe that the percentage of younger people attending church has diminished over time, and that the church is "losing young people." He notes a widely-quoted statistic that suggests only four percent of today's teens will be evangelical Christians by the time they reach adulthood, but then points out that this statistic comes from a study that's not very reliable because of limited sample size and confusingly-worded questions.
Surveyors prefer larger sample sizes because they have a wider variety of respondents. In the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, Calvin used to poll himself and suggest to his dad that parenting techniques change based on the poll results, which favored the commencement of driving lessons and the abolition of bedtimes. His small sample size skewed the results his way.
Survey takers also prefer questions to be as clear and specific as possible. "What's the best color for a vehicle?" seems like a simple question, but the answers may differ if people have different pictures of what a "vehicle" is. Asking, "What's the best color for a pickup truck?" for example, would offer clearer results.
So, Wright says, the particular survey that produced the 4 percent number has a lot of problems and shouldn't be counted on without references to other statistics that would back it up. When he analyzes data from a couple of better-conducted surveys, the General Social Survey and the Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, he finds that there is a dropoff in numbers of young people attending church over the last half-century or so. But it's not nearly what the much doomier forecast says it is and it tracks pretty well with the percentage of all people who've stopped attending church.
Wright also points out that surveys like this may provide some good information about what things are like when it was done, but they're not nearly as useful in extrapolating future events. Since the future hasn't happened, we have no way of knowing what factors may affect things like religious participation. Wright notes that in 1822, Thomas Jefferson predicted that "there is not a young man now living in the United States who will not die a Unitarian." He based it on the increase in Unitarianism in the U.S. in the early 19th century, but that increase didn't continue and today's Unitarians number .5% of the U.S. population. He also cites an xkcd webcomic which uses the trending increase in the number of a woman's husbands (day before yesterday she had none, but as of yesterday she had one) to predict that by next month she'll have four dozen husbands and thus she needs to invest in bulk wedding cake.
The first chapters of the book, which take apart the methodology of surveys and point out why people should question survey-based information just as thoroughly as they question any other information, are the most interesting. The later ones, in which Wright takes on some of the myths about Christians that are supposedly "common knowledge," are also interesting at first, but begin to repeat themselves after awhile.
On the whole, though, Wright has written a clever brief introduction to the ins and outs of surveying and its good and not-so-good uses, as well as providing some reasons to re-think some of the things we Christian folk might believe about ourselves -- as well as what we believe others think about us.
Original available here.
April 23, 2013
A provocative title sells books. This title is one to make Christians sit up and notice. For neutrals, some questions come to mind: With so many permutations, who are Christians? Where is the line drawn on a graph indicating where, mild dislike graduates to intense hate? How can faith-based hypocrisy be measured? Here we have statistical rapture.
Much of the data presented here is based on self-evaluated subjective answers to potentially self-disparaging questions. So, how valid is it? There is no way to measure respondent's honesty about how he/she evaluates his/her own actions and attitudes. And, since most of the material separates participants into groups how much influence does loyalty to group-think effect each individual's reply?
The book was written for so-called Evangelical Christians. (There are three or more methods of determining who is an Evangelical according to Appendix 1.) It is filled with figures, percentages and graphs. Most curious readers would probably be satisfied with just reading chapter nine, titled "What Do We Make of It All?" But Wright does come up with interesting, credible conclusions which generally will please people of faith, including Evangelicals. The contrasting results between different religions or denominations, and the unaffiliated, would be of interest to any student of social trends.
It turns out that mass media and academia (as well as some alarmist Evangelicals) have been wrong in declaring Christianity and a belief in God to be facing critical declines. When measured as a percentage of the population, more and more people are definitely choosing to be unaffiliated but in terms of numbers of affiliated believers there is no impending crisis for most faith groups--mostly due to the increase in population. The exception applies to Mainline churches whose memberships have long been in decline and show no sign of levelling off. As a Canadian I found myself reading between the lines to guess at how different the U.S. faith landscape might be from that of its northern neighbour. I am quite sure there are significant differences which deserve to be explored.
Much of the data presented here is based on self-evaluated subjective answers to potentially self-disparaging questions. So, how valid is it? There is no way to measure respondent's honesty about how he/she evaluates his/her own actions and attitudes. And, since most of the material separates participants into groups how much influence does loyalty to group-think effect each individual's reply?
The book was written for so-called Evangelical Christians. (There are three or more methods of determining who is an Evangelical according to Appendix 1.) It is filled with figures, percentages and graphs. Most curious readers would probably be satisfied with just reading chapter nine, titled "What Do We Make of It All?" But Wright does come up with interesting, credible conclusions which generally will please people of faith, including Evangelicals. The contrasting results between different religions or denominations, and the unaffiliated, would be of interest to any student of social trends.
It turns out that mass media and academia (as well as some alarmist Evangelicals) have been wrong in declaring Christianity and a belief in God to be facing critical declines. When measured as a percentage of the population, more and more people are definitely choosing to be unaffiliated but in terms of numbers of affiliated believers there is no impending crisis for most faith groups--mostly due to the increase in population. The exception applies to Mainline churches whose memberships have long been in decline and show no sign of levelling off. As a Canadian I found myself reading between the lines to guess at how different the U.S. faith landscape might be from that of its northern neighbour. I am quite sure there are significant differences which deserve to be explored.
August 11, 2010
We all know that media tends stretch and exaggerate information and make “mountains out of mole hills”, much of the time. In his latest book, Bradley Wright, PhD, sets out to expose the lies of both secular and Christian media and shatter the hyped up myths about Christians in general.
Does this book accomplish his goal? I’m not sure, but I do sense that a book like this may stir the pot and cause controversy, based on Wright’s research and statements.
According to his research, Wright claims that statistics regarding Christians (Evangelicals) are distorted by the media. For example, according to Wright, the divorce rate amongst Christians is actually lower than those who don’t claim any religious affiliation. This of course goes against the information most of us have heard about the divorce rates being the same for believers and non-believers.
Some reports have even said that divorce rates were higher amongst Christians. Wright also hits the stereotype of Evangelicals being mostly poor, white, Southern and uneducated. In this book, Wright intends to show how bad news and tabloid sensationalism has pushed aside the Good News of the Gospel that Christians stand for. Being a sociologist, Wright really enjoys statistics and offers plenty of them to combat the information that has long presented Christians in a negative light.
I don’t know if those who already have a bad taste in their mouth toward evangelicals will be interested in this book, but Wright may find himself with a varied audience. If you are NOT a fan of charts, graphs, statistics, numbers, facts and sociological information, you may want to avoid this book.
December 16, 2012
I gotta admit, with a title like “Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites…and Other Lies You’ve Been Told” it was hard not to want to read this book. Christians are used to hearing bad news about Christianity. The Christian church is shrinking! All the youth have left Christianity! Everyone hates Christians! Christians hate everyone else! So I was intrigued about what this book would have to offer. Personally, I’ve grown tired of all the bad news…
I found this book to be a welcome change, and quite informative. The author takes a reasoned and, I think, unbiased look at many of the statistics that have been reported (and in some cases misreported) over the past few years. The book is divided into nine chapters, and seven of them examine specific statistical “facts” that all of us have heard, such as: “American Christianity is on the Brink of Extinction!”
I also appreciate the author’s opinions on why statistics so often seem anti-Christian, and his balanced interpretation of those statistics, even when what they show isn’t necessarily good news for Christians. (But much of it is, thankfully.) It gives the book a sense of legitimacy. The author isn’t trying to paint all sunshine and roses, he’s trying to boil out the facts as best he can.
The book is well written, and a very fast read. I recommend it to anyone else that finds the title even the least bit intriguing. Christian and non-Christian alike. And I thank the author for writing it.
I found this book to be a welcome change, and quite informative. The author takes a reasoned and, I think, unbiased look at many of the statistics that have been reported (and in some cases misreported) over the past few years. The book is divided into nine chapters, and seven of them examine specific statistical “facts” that all of us have heard, such as: “American Christianity is on the Brink of Extinction!”
I also appreciate the author’s opinions on why statistics so often seem anti-Christian, and his balanced interpretation of those statistics, even when what they show isn’t necessarily good news for Christians. (But much of it is, thankfully.) It gives the book a sense of legitimacy. The author isn’t trying to paint all sunshine and roses, he’s trying to boil out the facts as best he can.
The book is well written, and a very fast read. I recommend it to anyone else that finds the title even the least bit intriguing. Christian and non-Christian alike. And I thank the author for writing it.
August 11, 2011
Okay, I got an A in my Intro to Statistics class in college, but I've never been a big fan of anything that looks like math. But the title caught my eye, and the reviews I read made me buy the book. I read this book a lot faster than I'd expected. It was fascinating to see Wright dismantle a lot of commonly-held beliefs about how Christianity is going to hell in a handbasket. He is upfront about the fact that he identifies as an Evangelical, so he's not entirely disinterested in the results, but he also explains how to question statistics and come to your own conclusions. More than that, he cites his sources clearly, so anyone can see where his statistics came from--and presumably duplicate the experiment to get the same results.
He doesn't go easy on Christians, either. Though there are a lot of areas where the statistics show we are doing well, there are other areas with disappointing results. Wright points out that loving others is what Christianity is about, and his data show that Evangelicals in particular have a hard time loving people who aren't like us. It's a definitely problem in the church, and he doesn't brush that under the rug.
The writing style is concise, informative, but just a little playful. The graphs are clearly presented. And his footnote joke about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy won me over entirely.
He doesn't go easy on Christians, either. Though there are a lot of areas where the statistics show we are doing well, there are other areas with disappointing results. Wright points out that loving others is what Christianity is about, and his data show that Evangelicals in particular have a hard time loving people who aren't like us. It's a definitely problem in the church, and he doesn't brush that under the rug.
The writing style is concise, informative, but just a little playful. The graphs are clearly presented. And his footnote joke about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy won me over entirely.
August 25, 2010
I enjoyed this book. Dr. Wright has defiantly done his research and with so much data he has been able to consolidate it and make some great observations on the collected information. With so many statistics this could have become just one large term paper, but Dr. Wright adds the right amount of humor at the right time throughout the book to keep it light and enjoyable. Although a larger focus was on the Evangelical Christians (Dr. Wright being one of them) there was plenty that a Mainline Protestant such as myself could gain insight from.
I enjoyed the report card in chapter nine and wish that Dr. Wright had graded the other Christian groups in addition to the Evangelicals. Not that I want to see if one group was better than another, but to see that although there would be some differences with grades in certain areas my theory is that the final grade would come out the same for all Christian groups.
This book presents so many facts it would be a great book to read with a group of individuals and discuss the findings that Dr. Wright presents.
I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program. Thank you to Dr. Brad Wright for placing this in the giveaway program.
I enjoyed the report card in chapter nine and wish that Dr. Wright had graded the other Christian groups in addition to the Evangelicals. Not that I want to see if one group was better than another, but to see that although there would be some differences with grades in certain areas my theory is that the final grade would come out the same for all Christian groups.
This book presents so many facts it would be a great book to read with a group of individuals and discuss the findings that Dr. Wright presents.
I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway program. Thank you to Dr. Brad Wright for placing this in the giveaway program.
October 28, 2013
It's easy to fall into a doom-and-gloom, everyone-is-leaving-the-church mode of thinking. We see this panic in our media headlines, in the challenge portion of church sermons, and in the nervousness of youth leaders who are hoping students won't abandon the church.
The good news is that things are not as bad as they appear. In fact, this author uses extensive data to show that American Christianity is in pretty good shape. Have there been paradigm shifts in the last 20 years? Of course. But this book helps readers look at the bigger picture of these social changes.
I appreciate how the author doesn't put too much blame on the media. Headlines are headlines, after all, and a story about a plane crash will always get more attention than the story about thousands of safe landings. Instead, it seems, these myths are getting passed on by evangelical Christians themselves, who mean well but are perpetuating a distorted view of the statistical facts.
Every now and then I'll use Barna research in a sermon... this book encourages me to tread carefully with statistical studies. And perhaps it's best to pull back from the temptation to pass on scary statistics, and instead put the focus on the hope we have in Christ's redemptive, life-transforming, relational presence.
The good news is that things are not as bad as they appear. In fact, this author uses extensive data to show that American Christianity is in pretty good shape. Have there been paradigm shifts in the last 20 years? Of course. But this book helps readers look at the bigger picture of these social changes.
I appreciate how the author doesn't put too much blame on the media. Headlines are headlines, after all, and a story about a plane crash will always get more attention than the story about thousands of safe landings. Instead, it seems, these myths are getting passed on by evangelical Christians themselves, who mean well but are perpetuating a distorted view of the statistical facts.
Every now and then I'll use Barna research in a sermon... this book encourages me to tread carefully with statistical studies. And perhaps it's best to pull back from the temptation to pass on scary statistics, and instead put the focus on the hope we have in Christ's redemptive, life-transforming, relational presence.
December 29, 2015
I worked at a lecture Dr. Wright gave at Gordon College and many of his comments were intriguing to say the least, so I got this book to learn a bit more. I’m very glad I did. Dr. Wright is a sociologist who takes common perceptions of Christians (they’re hypocrites, they divorce more than non-Christians, the youth are leaving the church, etc.) and uses statistics to see what the evidence actually says. In many ways the book was encouraging by showing how many studies, particularly those by the Barna group (famous for the divorce and youth leaving the church studies), are sensationalized, inaccurate, biased, or just poorly done, which leads to a more negative picture of Christianity than is warranted. By taking a closer look at the data, Dr. Wright demonstrates more clearly where Christians have things right, and where we could use some work. It’s both encouraging, challenging, and one I think more people should read. In fact, it’s a book I wish I could give to every pastor and young pastor, especially in evangelical denominations, if only so that I no longer have to hear inaccurate and/or misleading statistics bandied about at church. Lastly, this book wins extra points for including a XKCD comic in the beginning. Genius! Read it. Be challenged.
November 11, 2010
I won a free copy of this audio cd which I find interesting given that I work in Christian publishing and that we actually published a book called nuChristian: Finding Faith in a New Generation (Russell Rathbun) which was a response to the Barna book unChristian. Bradley Wright actually references Barna and its skewed research in his book. I think the biggest message I got from Wright's book is that all research has to be taken with a grain of salt and with an eye toward the objective of the researcher or entity paying for the research. While Wright presented an infinitely more positive view of Christianity than most researchers do, his findings are also bound to be skewed by his Christian perspective.
I would note that I can't recommend this book in audio form as it references many tables and charts from the book, obviously not ideal when you're trying to listen to the cds in the car!
I would note that I can't recommend this book in audio form as it references many tables and charts from the book, obviously not ideal when you're trying to listen to the cds in the car!
August 19, 2011
Full review at http://bookwi.se/christians-are-hate-...
Short review: If you ever present statistics with your church based non-profit or from the pulpit, you need to read this book. It is part Freakenomics part Social Science instruction, part church reform book. What is good about the book is the it directly addresses the research of some of the popular Church social science books like UnChristian of the past decade. On the whole, Wright suggests the church is actually doing a lot better than many want to admit. But in other areas, like how Evangelicals think about people of different races, we are doing worse.
This is numbers book. Lots of studies are presented. But it is written for the lay person. It is not overly concerned with showing how the studies were done except when bad studies are talked about.
Short review: If you ever present statistics with your church based non-profit or from the pulpit, you need to read this book. It is part Freakenomics part Social Science instruction, part church reform book. What is good about the book is the it directly addresses the research of some of the popular Church social science books like UnChristian of the past decade. On the whole, Wright suggests the church is actually doing a lot better than many want to admit. But in other areas, like how Evangelicals think about people of different races, we are doing worse.
This is numbers book. Lots of studies are presented. But it is written for the lay person. It is not overly concerned with showing how the studies were done except when bad studies are talked about.
March 30, 2015
From the title of this book I expected it to be a refutation of Christian stereotypes often advanced by pop culture, academia, and the media. It sounded like something a Christian might read and recommend to a skeptical or misinformed acquaintance.
There's a little of that, but the book is in fact a considered refutation of many popular believes within the church itself about Christians, the way we are perceived, and the way we live. It is not an unblemished report card. I would actually challenge some of Mr. Wright's statistics on similar grounds that he uses to challenge others. However, the overall outlook is more positive than you may be used to hearing and the support seems strong.
So, albeit with reservations, which to some degree I think he might approve, I recommend reading this book and viewing all future statistical analyses with a healthy dose of suspicion.
There's a little of that, but the book is in fact a considered refutation of many popular believes within the church itself about Christians, the way we are perceived, and the way we live. It is not an unblemished report card. I would actually challenge some of Mr. Wright's statistics on similar grounds that he uses to challenge others. However, the overall outlook is more positive than you may be used to hearing and the support seems strong.
So, albeit with reservations, which to some degree I think he might approve, I recommend reading this book and viewing all future statistical analyses with a healthy dose of suspicion.
August 5, 2012
Wright sets out to use statistical data to disprove many widely-held beliefs about Christians, particularly Evangelicals, and to paint a (generally) rosier picture of the health of the church. He was very thorough in his research and explanations and included dozens of charts and graphs to spice things up. Toward the end of the book, however, I found myself skimming more and more; I found his methods and his speculations about the meaning of the data interesting, but it his quoting of statistics got to be too much for me. If you adore specifics, this book is for you; if you prefer narrative, skim it.
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