In Store Now - Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You've Been Told

Move over unChristian there’s a new sheriff in town. I’ve been excited about this book ever since it was first presented at sales conference. (The cover has changed quite a bit from then. See my first post to see the initial cover design.  Really, you won't believe the difference.) Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites. . .and Other Lies You’ve Been Told by Bradley R. E. Wright seeks to help the reader better assess the interpretation of statistics as well as debunk a number of myths that have been perpetuated with the alleged support of statistics. Written in a clear and engaging manner Wright offers a much-needed corrective to such myths as “only prostitutes rank lower than evangelicals in terms of respect in the mind of the public,” the youth of the church are leaving in alarming rates, the divorce rate among Christians is the same as non-Christians, and other “dire” situations facing the church today. I’ve only finished the first couple of chapters and will comment on those in a future post but you should know Wright has a great sense of humor. He comments on how statistics are often used to create fear in people. Once the fear is instilled then it is easier to “sell” the solution. So as not to miss the appeal himself Wright offers the following as the reason to buy his book:

“You should buy this book because ‘there is a deeply disturbing trend of bad statistics that is sabotaging American Christianity and destroying the American way of life, and if you ignore it your entire body will soon be covered with boils. The good news, however, is that if you buy this book and read it carefully, you will avoid this calamity; plus you’ll live longer, have fresh breath, and your kitchen knives will always stay sharp.’” (24)

I don’t know about you but I can’t stand dull knives. That’s enough for me to read it! Wright’s message, however, couldn’t be more serious. Here are a few of the early endorsements:

"Buy this book and read it carefully. Then buy one more and give it to your best friend and ask that person to do the same thing. I hope this book goes viral because this book shows that there's lots of good news when it comes to the condition of the church in the West."
--Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University

"Amid the widespread, distorted, alarmist, and erroneous claims about American Christianity, it is always good to learn some basic, reliable facts. Brad Wright pulls together a lot of good ones in the pages here to reconnect people to reality. Let us hope that the misinformed critics and alarmists pay attention."
--Christian Smith, Professor of Sociology, University of Notre Dame

"This is an extremely needed book that is a delight to read."
--Rodney Stark, Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences, Baylor University

"Brad Wright's book is well-written and intelligent, and does a fine job of challenging received wisdom on a wide variety of topics. I hope the book finds the audience it deserves."
--Philip Jenkins, Penn State University and Baylor University

"A welcome, calming voice to the cacophony of data interpreters of American evangelicalism. Using insider sensitivity combined with a nose for objective data sources, Wright has offered evangelical Christians a real gift with this book. I hope they recognize it."
--Mark Regnerus, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin, Author, Forbidden Fruit: Sex and Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers

Bradley R.E. Wright, PhD is an associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. After receiving tenure, he switched his academic focus from crime to religion in order to research American Christianity. Brad received his PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, the top-ranked sociology graduate program in the United States.

Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You've Been Told is from Bethany House with 256 pages and sells for $14.99.