Book Review and Recommendation: They Like Jesus But Not the Church (Insights from Emerging Generations) By. Dan Kimball

They Like Jesus But Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations. By. Dan Kimball (Zondervan: Grand Rapids), 2007.

Interesting read.  Came across this several years ago.  Take a look at his chapter titles.  It almost looks like it was written down political lines.

Truly if chapters five through ten are true for a majority of new evangelical churches then no wonder some many are confused along political lines.  Churches and pulpits are not doing a good job at all.  Everything is not okay just to say "sovereign grace" here there or anywhere.  Obviously based on the statistics youth are not taught and obviously as a result are not living right either.

This is only inflamed by a new evangelical "christian" culture that simply says what you believe is all that matters.  You can live however you want (think: voting morally and ethically here).

This book could have been easily titled "Reasons why I don't Believe the Bible" or perhaps "My theological gripes for leaving the Church."

I would suggest based on other trends appearing in larger "gospel-based" coalition groups, even they wouldn't adhere to the chapter beliefs.

Table of Contents:

Part One: Why Emerging Generations are Changing

Ch. 1  I probably wouldn't like Christians if I weren't one
Ch. 2  Why I escaped the church office
Ch. 3  Jesus as Son of God and plastic action figure
Ch. 4  Meeting those who like Jesus

Part Two: What Emerging Generations Think about the Church

Ch. 5  The church is an organized religion with a political agenda
Ch. 6  The church is judgmental and negative
Ch. 7  The church is dominated by males and oppresses females.
Ch. 8  The church is homophobic
Ch. 9  The church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong
Ch. 10  The church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally

Part Three: How the Church can Respond

Ch. 11 What they wish Church were like
Ch. 12  Out Two Biggest Barriers
Ch. 13  A Great Hope for the Future

This election year definitely will be a roller coaster of a year.

May God have mercy on our country and on His church.