The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America Review

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The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America ReviewAs a Christian school teacher, priest, and professor of Religious Studies, I eagerly awaited my copy of `The Next Christians' and immediately set to devouring it. I was hoping for reasons to believe that the next generation of Christians in America will restore faith in God, or at least that, as promised, there is good news about the end of Christian America. However, both of these promised hopes were disappointed by Lyons' book.
Let me begin with why I think the book has much value, in spite of my ultimate disappointment in it. Gabe Lyons has, in most cases, done a good job of diagnosing some of the problems with contemporary American Christianity. He's right to discern that Christians who are merely what he calls "Insiders," "Culture Warriors," "Evangelizers," "Blenders," and "Philanthropists" have not always been good representatives of Jesus Christ. Lyons has also correctly diagnosed the fact that the American culture has changed profoundly in recent decades and that many Christians have not adapted well to these changes.
Lastly, he presents a lot of good tools for understanding different kinds of Christians (including the typology of 5 kinds of Christians above). Another excellent analysis he presents is the 7 channels of cultural influence employed by the gay movement very successfully. These 7 channels are: Media, Education, Arts and Entertainment, Business, Government, Social Sector, and Church. Unfortunately, Christians have not acted very much like light in these 7 spheres. Because Christians who want to "restore" the world, instead of blending with it or retreating from it, will often be tempted to become like it, Lyons wisely lists 5 practices that will discipline "Next Christians" in their quest to engage and restore the world:
1. Immersed in Scripture (Instead of Entertainment)
2. Observing the Sabbath (Instead of Being Productive)
3. Fasting for Simplicity (Instead of Consuming)
4. Choosing Embodiment (Instead of Being Divided)
5. Postured by Prayer (Instead of Power)
By correctly diagnosing many of the problems with American Christianity today and offering some general guidance to help Christians engage the world more meaningfully, "The Next Christians" will be a great help to many Christians.
You knew there was a "But . . . " coming, and here it is.
First of all, Lyons keeps referring to his research upon which he bases many of his claims - and yet he never provides much at all. It may reside in his other book, "UnChristian", but it was the author's job to present it in the current volume as well.
Second, Lyons makes it sound if "The Next Christians" are very different from their immediate ancestors. He believes that they are better prepared to be "Restorers" and not compromisers or judgers. However, he provides little evidence that this is true. In fact, the research shows that young Christians today have a very shallow faith that has been termed "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" and bears little relationship to true Christianity. (See "Soul Searching" by Smith and Denton for the best and most up to date research on the spiritual state of American teens.) Where are all of these "Next Christians" he keeps talking about? He assumes that this generation is a generation of seekers of truth, but the truth is that this generation is no more or less seeking after truth than any other. If you read the Bible closely, or church history or the sociology of religion, then you will know that this generation is not as different or noble as Lyons makes them out to be. The fact is, calling oneself a "seeker" or "spiritual" doesn't mean you're truly seeking God or will accept Him when He comes to you. Lyons underestimates the sinfulness of this generation, and sin in general. Lyons blasts previous generations for being judgmental and hypocritical. Well, join the club: so has every generation of Christians, including the "Next Christians." He blasts the previous generation of Christians for being judged by the media and non-Christians to be judgmental and intolerant. But what does he think was the judgment of Christ, Paul, and the early church by the non-Christians and media of their day?
Third, Lyons talks a lot about Christianity and "Next Christians" but relatively little about Jesus Christ and how we should make disciples of Jesus Christ. Where is his call for a radical dedication to Jesus Christ, not just to being open and tolerant and willing to engage the world? He doesn't adequately answer the "What" of how we are to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples of the nations. Yes, he does a good job of giving examples of how we can engage the world, but he falls short in getting at the root of the Christian life.
Fourth, he rightly recognizes that authentic community is one of the desperate needs for this generation, but he only lists the Church as "one of the best places for this kind of community." In fact, the Church has always been THE place that genuinely embodies the community of love that originates in the relationship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity and then becomes ours as we join the Body of Jesus Christ, the Church. This generation of Christians needs to gain a new and glorious vision for the Church, imperfect as she is, as the very Body of Christ and the means of His presence on earth. Lyons only plays into the current fashionable bashing of the Church.
In summary, there is a lot of food for thought here and a lot of good diagnosis but also a lot of wrong assumptions and vague or imperfect prescriptions for how the Christians should live in the world.
The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America OverviewTurn on a cable news show or pick up any news magazine, and you get the impression that Christian America is on its last leg. The once dominant faith is now facing rapidly declining church attendance, waning political influence, and an abysmal public perception. More than 76% of Americans self-identify as Christians, but many today are ashamed to carry the label. While many Christians are bemoaning their faith's decline, Gabe Lyons is optimistic that Christianity's best days are yet to come. In the wake of the stunning research from his bestselling book, unChristian, which revealed the growing disenchantment among young generations for Christians, Lyons has witnessed the beginnings of a new iteration of the faith. Marked by Lyons' brutal honesty and unvarying generosity, Lyons exposes a whole movement of Christians—Evangelicals, Mainline, Protestants, Orthodox, Pentecostals, and others—who desire to be a force for restoration even as they proclaim the Christian Gospel. They want the label Christian to mean something good, intelligent, authentic, and beautiful. The next generation of Christians, Lyons argues, embodies six revolutionary characteristics: "When Christians incorporate these characteristics throughout the fabric of their lives, a fresh, yet orthodox way of being Christian springs forth. The death of yesterday becomes the birth of a great tomorrow. The end of an era becomes a beautiful new beginning. In this way, the end of Christian America becomes good news for Christians." In THE NEXT CHRISTIANS, Lyons disarms readers by speaking as a candid observer rather than cultural crusader. Where other people shout, Lyons speaks in a measured tone offering helpful analysis of our current reality while casting a vision for how to be a Christian in a world disenchanted with the faith. Both a celebration and a reckoning, THE NEXT CHRISTIANS combines current day models and relevant research with stories of a new generation of Christian leaders. If you are worried by what you see transpiring around you, this book will take you on a surprising social exploration in hopes that you too will restore confidence in your faith.

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