Letters to a Young Evangelical

by Tony Campolo

A best-selling minister and social activist offers an uplifting vision of what it means to be an evangelical and offers loving guidance to all of those who wish to lead a genuinely Christian life in a confusing world

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality, Theology, Christian Non Fiction, Christian

289 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Anthony Campolo was an American sociologist, Baptist pastor, author, public speaker, and spiritual advisor to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Campolo was known as one of the most influential leaders in the evangelical left and was a major proponent of progressive thought and reform within the evangelical community. He also became a leader of the Red-Letter Christian movement, which aims to put emphasis on the teachings of Jesus. Campolo was a popular commentator on religious, political, and social issues, and had been a guest on programs such as The Colbert Report, The Charlie Rose Show, Larry King Live, Nightline, Crossfire, Politically Incorrect and The Hour.

Reviews

[Annalise Kraines · Rating 4 out of 5]

With everything that's happening in the world and the church, this book provided an excellent overview of the history of evangelicalism and what Evangelicals (are supposed to) value. Campolo puts a heavy and important emphasis on social justice and love, and warns against wedding evangelicalism with a political party. Oops, sorry, Tony. This was a helpful reset for me, even though I think I was looking for something totally new, like a magic potion to fix my thinking or mindset. Once I let go of that desire, I was able to enjoy this book for what it is and glean wisdom from it.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think my life would have been a little easier (psychologically at least) if I had discovered Tony Campolo in high school. After reading him, I have to say that I agree with just about everything he says. What's funny to me is that there's a low-level fundamentalist outcry that Campolo is 'liberal' (Stay away, kids, he might make you think) but really he has some pretty conservative views toward homosexuality and abortion. He isn't so much 'liberal' as 'moderate' but I guess the Religious Right thinks anyone slightly to the left of them is shockingly liberal. The difference between him and many Evangelicals is that he refuses to condemn gay people (though he does classify their behavior as 'sin' he also advocates for equal rights for gay people) and instead condemns the rampant homophobia in fundamentalist Evangelical circles. As for abortion, he actually has ideas about how to decrease the rate of abortion instead of just making abortion illegal. Some of the ideas he mentions: government-funded medical coverage for pregnant women, daycare programs for single moms, programs for young moms to stay in school and complete their education, and becoming adoptive parents, as well as teaching sex ed. Campolo cites a study that suggests that 200,000 abortions would be prevented simply by teaching and providing contraception to low-income women. You know, I don't know how feasible these things are, but I certainly applaud Campolo for highlighting the fact that there are ways that pro-life Evangelicals can tangibly make a difference without lobbying to overturn Roe v. Wade. He also points out that there were a shocking number of abortions done in 1950 (pre Roe v. Wade) so making it illegal won't keep anyone from doing it (watch out, kids, he uses logic and fact-based arguments!). Though pro-life, Campolo rejects the Republican/fundamentalist position that politicizes one issue to make it a hot-button that is sure to rouse the party base and get them out to vote based on one issue. Campolo also points out that the 'gay-marriage ban' amendment of 2004 was what won Bush the election (or at least heavily swayed the swing state vote). Rove didn't actually care about gay marriage one way or the other, but introducing the amendment measure in swing states was a surefire way to get the base mobilized to the polls, but that's an aside.

Overall, I thought Campolo didn't sacrifice a single Evangelical conviction but at the same time rejected a lot of the garbage creeping into Evangelical Christianity due to its unholy marriage with partisan politics. I have to say that being a liberal leaning Christian I wasn't ever sure I could call myself Evangelical without being anti-science, anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-etc. I wasn't any of those things, so I decided I couldn't be Evangelical. And it seemed that Evangelicals were more about being against things than telling you about their faith and living the words of Christ as represented in the Gospels. And I realized that there were some pretty convincing things in there about caring for the poor, loving everyone, fighting for justice, being humble, etc. And I appreciate that Campolo gets that too.

"A religion of rules is not to be compared with a religion of love."

"...those who neglect the social teaching of Jesus preach only half the Gospel."

"If killing is wrong, they argue, then Christians should oppose all forms of killing."

"Whenever Christianity becomes identified with any political party, it tends to take on the values of that party, rather than remaining loyal to the principles of Scripture."

"Too many of us make God into a deity who looks just like us and incarnates our values."

"We will be doomed by our relentless consumerism."

"Deliverance from social and economic oppression must also be part of the Gospel story."

[Josie Lahm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit hesitant to read this book at first, since I had never heard of it before and I found it at a “free books” bookshelf outside of a small thrift store. However, I’m so glad I decided to pick this book up and give it a shot!

The points Campolo brings up in the book answered almost all of the questions I had about modern day Christianity, specifically the world of American Evangelical Christians. Campolo discusses topics ranging from the political idolatry of the “Religious Right” to the significant growth in Fundamentalists as a result of social disintegration.

“If Evangelicalism re-converges with Fundamentalism, our congregations may continue to grow, but we will have lost our heart and soul. And what does organizational success matter if the Spirit of Christ, which is marked by freedom and creative thinking, dies within us?” - Tony Campolo

All in all, a well-written and thought provoking book. I highly recommend it to anyone who has also struggled with questions about the authenticity and integrity of Christianity in modern America.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wavered between rating this three or four stars. Tony Campolo does a great job explaining the origins and values of the evangelical movement in the USA. He admits he is not a huge fan of worship music, as opposed to singing from a hymnal.
Campolo calls himself a Red Letter Christian, living by the quoted words of Jesus, set off in red letters in the KJV version of the Bible. As a sociologist, he asserts that Jesus preached a social gospel. Written in letters to two young converts, Letters to a Young Evangelical is a good introduction to present day evangelicalism, written a decade prior to Donald Trump's presidency.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Compolo gives us a general history of the Evangelical movement and talks about some of the issues in the church. While his book is dated by the situations he speaks about you can envision how things got to be what they are today. I think it is a good background book.

[Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was kind of ruined for me. Campolo is totally repetitive. I've heard most of this stuff from his mouth almost verbatim on his podcast. I skipped a few chapters in this book. I recommend you do the same if you read it. The problem is that Campolo tries to have clever titles for each chapter, so I had a read a bit to figure out if it was worthwhile. The best chapter is 8, about the rapture, which is the only one that brought totally new information to me, and I thought it was really good. This book is for people who are searching and want new info, especially on abortion, gay marriage and rights, islam, witnessing, fundamentalism, war, and global warming. I consider myself pretty informed on a lot of these issues, so I didn't really need Dr. Campolo's input. Easily the worst part of the book he statement "prohibitions against homosexual eroticism were so prevalent in his time that Jesus saw no need to talk about the obvious" (163). It seems to me that it is and was pretty clear on how to treat the poor, but that didn't stop Jesus from telling us about it all of the time. In the end, I believe Campolo tells us to ignore most of the things that he's writing about and just focus on loving others and follow Jesus. And even if that's not what he's trying to convey, it's my personal advice.

[Lisa Greer · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this unusual book for Campolo, he really tries to draw a disparate group together (evangelicals and fundamentalists who call themselves evangelicals) and then reason with them, I think. I like the book, but it's a softer approach than his usual. That's not a bad thing.

****

Read the chapter on abortion last night and it was only so-so. He could have done and said so much more about the politicizing of this issue by people who really have done nothing about it and who don't protect life at any other level. Okay, rant over. :)

***
We continue through this book. I was disappointed in the gay marriage chapter and the one about Islam as well. The one about Islam does not address what is special about Christianity and HOW it differs from Islam. Instead, it's very mushy and there's not much to take away from it if you did want to talk with your Muslim friend about your respective faiths.

***
We are done. Ultimately, this is a disappointing book by Campolo. It is not his usual mix of truth and grace with hard hitting prose. :)

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first Campolo book I've read, after coming across a cheap used copy and buying it on a whim. Generally when I've heard about Campolo, it was from conservative friends (who I don't think had actually read him) who painted him as a raging liberal heretic.

This is emphatically not the case. On the hot-button issues of abortion and homosexuality, he is decidedly conservative (while still arguing for a more practical approach to reduce abortion, and an embrace of love for all people, regardless of sexual orientation). On practically everything else, he is imminently reasonable, using common, moderate arguments for an expansion of pro-life belief to include capital punishment (and so on), a denial of the (unbiblical) doctrine of the rapture and tribulation, and good comments on war, women in the church, the environment, etc. He isn't half as liberal as Brian McLaren, and as a result makes a good call for the actual reformation of conservative Evangelicalism.

A simple but good book for those questioning the merits of the more fundamentalist side of Evangelicalism.

[C.w. Second · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly appreciate Tony's voice. Because this book is written in the style of many letters he comes across as an old mentor trying to challenge his young listeners. And that's just what he did. He laid a lot out there and it made me feel uneasy at times. And plainly speaking, that uneasiness was conviction.
There's still issues where I'm not quite sure where I stand. For the most part, I agreed with Campolo a lot. Maybe that's why I enjoyed the book. He isn't shy and addresses issues such as politics and the Republican right, fundamentalism, abortion, homosexuality, US relations with Islam, women in the church, and so much more.

So, if you want to be challenged in terms of application, read this book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say this is one of the best books I have ever read! Tony Campolo does an excellent job of writing about the core beliefs and practices of Evangelical Christians. He touches on a lot of controversial issues within the Christian community such as, abortion, gay rights, the Iraq war, etc. I mean how can you NOT love someone who in the first sentence on the chapter about women in the Church said "...Jesus was a radical feminist". Reading this book was like being in my own mind - I seriously agreed with almost everything he wrote! This is one of the most articulate and thoughtful Christian apologetics books I have ever read - I would highly, highly recommend this one!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Evangelical preacher comes across as intelligent, warm, compassionate, & NOT a card-carrying Republican. I found reading his book most interesting. Of course I disagree with him on some core concepts. But it's such a pleasure to see someone of this religious persuasion lay out even the difficult issues articulately & consistently. For example, re gay marriage, he advocates that the State get out of marriage entirely - that the State allow civil unions between any two people who want one, & that marriage fall in the purview of the churches & other religious institutions - exactly what some of us also advocate. An interesting & eye-opening book.

[Kimberly Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been warned away from Tony Campolo for the better part of my Christian life because he is (gasp!) somewhat liberal in his thinking and theology. How very sad that it is considered "liberal" to believe that Jesus is about social justice and equal rights. I'm just disappointed that it took me this long to finally pick up one of his books. I found "Letters" to be extremely challenging, not so much in my faith, but in the practice of it. It left me with a great deal to think and pray about. It also solidified for me a lot of things that I was thinking, but have not found voiced in the church at large. Read it, but only if you're ready to have some of your convictions shaken.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never heard Tony Campolo speak but have wanted to for quite a while now. It was interesting to read his own words having heard so many other people's perspective on his speaking topics. Based on what I'd heard, I suspected we would disagree on quite a few issues; however, I was pleasantly surprised to find we agree more than disagree. He provides a perspective necessary for balance on many of the hot-topics within the church of today. I think most evangelical Christians would be benefited by reading Campolo's thoughts.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our new pastor loaned me this book, when I picked it up in his office and said it looked interesting. It IS interesting! The author examines the evolution of the modern church and the spiritual, social, and political ramifications. That sounds lofty, but it is written in a very conversational style and was easy reading. I highly recommend it to all my Christian friends. While I can't say that I agree with everything the author asserts, I will certainly be thinking about it for awhile...and I love a book that makes me think...hmmm...

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of stuff Campolo has written about before, but presented in a pretty compelling, straightforward way. This book basically lays out the tenets of contemporary Evangelical theology/practice while suggesting some ways in which it is changing or may change. He's such a refreshing voice in the Evangelical community that I always enjoy reading him, even when he's repeating himself. Particularly challenging and worthwhile chapter on civil rights for gays.

[Shane Blackshear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book hitting on some hot issues.
I'm a faithful listener to Campolo's podcast which is amazing, and I felt like LTAYE didn't quit measure up to the content of his podcast. In the book Tony answers some hypothetic questions purposed by hypothetical evangelicals and for the most part the questions were very pertinent to the social climate and then there were others that left me asking "Is that really a question that young evangelicals are asking?"

[Jim Hering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Campolo has much to say to those who would call themselves evangelical. There is much that older Christians should be passing on to the younger generation. The book would make an excellent tool for discussions on Christian topics.

[Sara]

I checked this book out of the library, but it was a newbie, so I could only have it for two weeks. I made it about halfway through it and mostly liked what I read. I'll have to come back to this one at some point...

[Larry Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book starts kind of slow for me because i know what i believe, but it builds steam as is goes along, and really hits its stride when tony discusses the hot button issues that so often, and so needlessly, divide us. the love of God prevails throughout.

[Brooke Fradd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get into this book as much as I usually do with his. The letter form seem forced and there was a random political point or two that just seemed to not fit with the flow of his thought. Over all though it forced me to think outside my box - exactly what I love about most of Campolo's work.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

good. not great. a good book to have on the shelf to use as a reference.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my view, he's a true Evangelical. Uncomfortable with the "emergent" movement, but not "anti-emergent." So far so good. Not an academic text, pretty lay friendly.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only Southern Baptist I can stand to read. I don't always agree with him, but he definitely has the same goals as Jesus had.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much the most controversial book I've read on social topics, but one that evangelicals would do well to pay some attention to. We actually might not have all the answers!

[Mediaguy711 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book on the basics of what being an evangelical is.

[Benji Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty good stuff in here.

[Margo Glynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read this. All of you.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging for me. Interesting read.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ol' Tony is opinionated, but he's got some great things to say. A little food for thought.