A Review of "The Next Christians" by Gabe Lyons

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/6206

A Review of The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons

            I hated The Next Christians almost from the very beginning of the book, but please keep reading so I can explain how Lyons won me over!

I waited about three weeks to receive the book and was eagerly waiting to read it. I really wanted to enjoy the book, so I probably gave Mr. Lyons some wiggle room early on. As the early chapters of the book wore, the wiggle room disappeared and the book was left to fend for itself. It got to the point where I found myself getting more agitated as I read. The book was becoming that proverbially piece of sand in my nice, neat enclosed clam shell.

            I could probably point to a few areas that irritated me the most. 1) Lyons shared a story about a friend of his who was a very successful business man, who with the stroke of a pen could raise the GDP of countries, but was no longer calling himself a Christian because of the embarrassment it brought and the potential lack of business that it would bring. Personally, I have a hard time feeling sympathetic to a person who is ashamed to call himself a Christian if it will affect his bottom line. Mark 8:38 comes to mind. 2) The book had a very apologetic tone to it. And I do not mean “defending the faith” apologetic, I mean “I’m sorry Christianity is so terrible” apologetic. I read a book by Jim Henderson called Evangelism without the Additives which had the same tone. Henderson’s had a very negative opinion of almost every evangelistic technique opting for a very passive form of leading someone to Christ. His suggestion was to live your life, and hope someone asks you about God. In my experience that almost never happens. The Next Christians gave me that same feeling. 3) Lyons laid out his opinion of the trend of Christianity in America to a non-believing movie executive (looking to cash in on Christian dollars) with some very negative characteristics of different groups of Christians. His two main groups were “Separatists” and “Cultural.”

Separatists were characterized by three sets of people: Insiders; Culture Warriors; and Evangelizers. Insiders are those people who avoid any contact with the secular world if at all possible. These are home schooler, Christian t-shirt wearing, Christian music listening avoiders of the real world. They could be likened to a contemporary version of the Amish. They have no impact with the world because they don’t come into contact with the world. Culture Warriors are Christians looking for a fight. The example he gave were the “fanatical” Christians opposing the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama courthouse. Evangelizers are those who believe that the only call of Christianity is to win the lost to Christ and will drop the gospel on you at the drop of a hat, and they’ll bring the hat.

Cultural Christians were divided into two groups: Blenders; and Philanthropists. Blenders want to fit in with their friends. “Of the 84 percent who knew a Christian personally, only 15 percent thought their lifestyles were any different.” Philanthropists are known for doing good—soup kitchens, highway clean-up, volunteerism.

At this point I was ready to chuck the book. I wanted insight into how to reach the next generation of Christians. I did not want a study on how bad Lyons thought we were. That was until the movie executive asked, “Isn’t there anyone getting it right?” To which Lyons had an answer—an overwhelming “Yes!”

Lyons’ third group of Christians are the “Restorers.” In his own words, Restorers “don’t separate from the world or blend in; rather, they thoughtfully engage. Fully aware of the seachange under way, they are optimistic that God is on the move—doing something unique in our time.” Restorers take the best of both Separatist and Cultural movements and add the element of restoration.

When sin entered the world, everything was affected, not just our eternal destination. We now have to deal with pain, hunger, thirst, frustrations, disease, death loneliness, despair, and meaninglessness just to name a few. Could the gospel of Christ help restore some of these issues, or is it limited only to heaven or hell? Smoking or non-smoking? Lyons argues that it can, and does so in convincing fashion. No one has ever accused me of being a proponent of the social gospel, but I agree with Lyons that we can use secular agendas and means to obtain the end that Christ desires.

Lyons is a Liberty University graduate who left a vice president position at a Christian organization to launch a non-profit organization that was first commissioned to research the perceptions that 16-29 year olds have of Christianity. Through the success of his organization, and the discoveries that he has made, I believe Lyons is poised and ready to lead the Next Christians. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, despite my early objections—the grain of sand became a pearl. The book was well researched, and filled with anecdotal evidence. If you are interested in reaching the next generation, this is a must read.              

FTC Disclaimer: "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"