Young People Leaving the Church – Is it Really all that Alarming?

We recently attended Baker Publishing Group’s sales conference and one of the forthcoming books for Spring 2011 is You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving the Church . . . and Rethinking Faith by David Kinnaman. This is understandable from a publishing standpoint since UnChristian has sold over 180,000 copies and still is the topic of many conversations. But I want to remind you of a book I think warrants a hearing and will probably get drowned out if more of us don’t draw attention to it. The book is by Bradley R. E. Wright called Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites . . . and Other Lies You’ve Been Told from Bethany House. Wright is associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut where he researches Christianity. Today I want to focus on chapter three of his book since it directly deals with this very prevalent thought of young people leaving the church at record levels.

Wright starts by acknowledging that this subject “probably more than any other covered in this book, generates overheated hyperbole.” (57) The “statistics” offered by some suggest that between sixty-nine and ninety-four percent are leaving the traditional church after graduation. Others say that only one in four members of youth groups will stay in the Christian community after they graduate. Yet another study says only four percent be evangelical believers by the time they become adults. (58) But once Wright starts to look at where some of these figures come from we realize the statistics are not much more than a house of cards. Let’s look at this last figure of only four percent. Where did that come from? Wright explains,

“Ten years ago a seminary professor did an informational survey of 211 young people interviewed in three states. The question was poorly worded, and the study probably used a convenience sample. In terms of quality, this statistic is about as valid as someone putting a survey question on their Facebook page and then having their friends and acquaintances answer it. There’s nothing wrong with doing it, it’s just not very trustworthy.” (58)

The problem, Wright says, with these dire predictions is that “every generation frets about the morals of their youth.” (60) He points out if there was ever a generation to worry about it would have been the young people of the 1960s. They rejected everything conventional but look at them now—“they are writing books and giving sermons about the problem of today’s youth.” (60) Previous generations expressed similar concerns: In 1976 a divinity professor expressed the same worries about the youth of his day. In the 1920s sociologists found parents routinely complaining about their youth and in 2800 BC an Assyrian stone tablet lamented that “our earth is degenerate in these later days . . . children no longer obey their parents.” (60) And Wright predicts (one of the few he dares to make) that in 100 years, “our great-great-grandchildren will be worried about the morals and religious behavior of our great-great-great-grandchildren.” (61)

But when we look closer at the statistics we find that they do show that young people are leaving but “we also see the same pattern with the other age groups. In fact, the percentage of the religiously unaffiliated just about tripled among people in their thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties. . . . Maybe we should be writing articles about how we’re ‘losing’ the middle aged.’” (62) We must also consider the relationship between age and religion. Wright observes that “Previous research has found that young people commonly leave organized religion as they separate from their families, but then they rejoin when they start families of their own. If this is the case, they the young people of any generation are less religious, but this changes as they age.” (69)

Wright cautions us all against forecasting the future based on linear projections. He uses this cartoon to illustrate the pitfalls of this type of reasoning:

(cartoon from xkcd.com)

He asks us to think of it this way:

“Can you accurately predict who will win the Super Bowl next year? Do you know what will happen to a company’s stock price? Can you always pick the winner of the reality television shows that you watch? Frankly, if you can answer yes to any of these questions, you have much more profitable things to do than read this book, but I’m guessing not. If we can’t accurately forecast teams, companies, or shows, why do we think we can forecast religion, which is far larger and more complex?” (72)

I think Wright has the voice of reason in this conversation. You can visit his blog here.

Christian Legal Society v. Martinez - A Layman's Question of the Supreme Court's Decision

I'm not a lawyer so I don't feel qualified to comment on the merits of the recent Supreme Court decision which would force student groups to allow outsiders who disagree with their beliefs to become leaders and voting members.  This has been termed an "accept-all-comers" policy.  I will offer my biggest concern. 

What's to prevent a group from being joined by a majority of students who disagree with the beliefs and then voting in a majority of those of the dissenting viewpoint who could then change the very nature of the organization to become the very antithesis of the purpose of it's original formation?  Justice Alito expresses this very concern in his dissent.  It seems the court says a group may impose membership requirements “designed to ensure that students join because of their commitment to a group’s vitality, not its demise.”  Alito's comments after this are spot on:

"With this concession, the Court tacitly recognizes that Hastings does not really have an accept-all-comers policy—it has an accept-some-dissident-comers policy—and the line between members who merely seek to change a group’s message (who apparently must be admitted) and those who seek a group’s 'demise' (who may be kept out) is hopelessly vague."

"Here is an example. Not all Christian denominations agree with CLS’s views on sexual morality and other matters. During a recent year, CLS had seven members.Suppose that 10 students who are members of denominations that disagree with CLS decided that CLS was misrepresenting true Christian doctrine. Suppose that these students joined CLS, elected officers who shared their views, ended the group’s affiliation with the national organization, and changed the group’s message. The new leadership would likely proclaim that the group was “vital” but rectified, while CLS, I assume, would take the view that the old group had suffered its 'demise.'  Whether a change represents reform or transformation may depend very much on the eye of the beholder." (35-36)

Alito ends his dissent with this:

"Even if the United States is the only Nation that shares this commitment to the same extent, I would not change our law to conform to the international norm. I fear that the Court’s decision marks a turn in that direction. Even those who find CLS’s views objectionable should be concerned about the way the group has been treated—by Hastings, the Court of Appeals, and now this Court. I can only hope that this decision will turn out to be an aberration." (37)

My vote is with Alito, Scalia, Thomas and Roberts.  But alas, four votes wasn't enough and my vote doesn't count.  You can find the compete opinion here.  The Christian Legal Society press release is here.  The transcript of the oral argument given on April 19, 2010 can be found here.

A Year of Bible Sales

Since I did a post on my top 10 best sellers for the academic department I thought I would run a report on the Bible department. This time I ran a report on the sale of Bibles by translation for the last year. These figures do not include children or One Year Bibles. Foreign language does not include Spanish. This would be Chinese, Russian, German or French.

NIV – 2,424
ESV – 1,623
KJV – 468
NKJV – 454
NLT – 396
MSG – 365
NASB – 180
TNIV – 157
NRSV – 88
AMP – 44
HCSB – 38
Jewish – 14
Voice – 11
Young’s Literal – 11
NAB – 9
GW – 7
Living Bible – 6
NET – 6
RSV – 4
Foreign Language – 4
Good News – 4
NCV – 3
CEV – 1

Clearly the NIV is my best seller. If we throw children’s Bibles in the mix it would be much higher. The NIV Adventure Bible is our best-selling children’s Bible. The ESV makes a strong showing and the rest trail by quite a bit. Part of the reason the NIV does so well for us is our close relationship with Zondervan. They work hard with retailers to provide specials which allow us to run frequent sales. While we pass on some we take advantage of as many as we think will work best for us--and it shows. It’s a partnership we value and appreciate. Their customer service department is five-star in our book and our rep, Larry Avery, is simply the best.

God's Battalions: The Crusades for Christ - First Impressions

God’s Battalions by Rodney Stark is a fascinating read. I’m just over half way and I can’t put this book down. I’ve never read much on the crusades but I’m quickly learning that I’ve been duped by the all too common misperception of the crusades as a ruthless conquest by greedy and heartless Christians who wanted to plunder and pillage the land of peaceful Muslims. According to Stark, and most contemporary crusade scholars, this is as absurd as it is wrong. He says, “A great deal of nonsense has been written about Muslim tolerance . . .” (28) This caricature of the crusades probably “began with Voltaire, Gibbon, and other eighteenth-century writers who used it to cast the Catholic Church in the worst possible light. The truth about life under Muslim rule is quite different.” (38)

Stark begins not with the initial call for the crusades by Pope Urban II in 1095 but rather with “the rise of Islam and the onset of the Muslim invasions of Christendom. That’s where it all started—in the seventh century, when Islamic armies swept over the larger portion of what was then Christian territory.” (9)

Stark carefully traces the invasion of the Muslims throughout established Christian territories. Some have asked how could a “bunch of desert barbarians roll over the lard, trained armies of the ‘civilized’ empires?” (23) Stark provides a couple of reasons. First, “the more ‘civilized’ empires did not posses any superior military hardware, with the exception of siege engines, which were of no use in repelling attacks.” (24) (This would change dramatically in later centuries when the ‘civilized’ empires developed more advanced weaponry.) Second, the troops of the empire by this time were not very dedicated or disciplined. Rather “these forces were recruited from hither and yon, and mostly drew ‘foreigners’ who served mainly for pay, which placed limits on their loyalty and their mettle.” (24) Third, and perhaps most important was the use of the camel by Muslim invaders. “The use of the camels made the Arabs the equivalent of a ‘mechanized force,’ in that they so greatly outpaced the Persian and Byzantine armies traveling on foot.” (25) As Stark explains, “given the geography of the area, the Muslims could always outflank the imperial forces by using desert routes, and, should it be necessary, they could always withdraw into the desert to avoid battle.” (25)

Once the Muslims were in power “Jews and Christians were prohibited from praying or reading their scriptures aloud—not even in their homes or in churches or synagogues—lest Muslims accidentally hear them.” (28) “In 705 Muslim conquerors of Armenia assembled all the Christian nobles in a church and burned them to death.” (29) But there is plenty of blame to go around. Stark observes, “This is not to say that the Muslims were more brutal or less tolerant than were Christians or Jews, for it was a brutal and intolerant age. It is to say that efforts to portray Muslims as enlightened supporters of multiculturalism are at best ignorant.” (29)

In chapter three, “Western ‘Ignorance’ versus Easter ‘Culture,’” Stark defends the thesis that the Dark Ages “never took place.” (54) Not only did this period see huge advancements in European culture but the alleged advancements in the Muslim culture can virtually all be traced to the assimilation of conquered populations. For example, “Avicenna, whom the Encyclopedia Britannica ranks as ‘the most influential of all Muslim philosopher-scientists,’ was a Persian.” (59) Furthermore, “Al-Uqlidis, who introduced fractions, was a Syrian, Bakht-Ishu’ and ibn Ishaq, leading figures in ‘Muslim’ medical knowledge, were Nestorian Christians. Masha’allah ibn Athari, the famous astronomer and astrologer, was a Jew. . . What may have misled so many historians is that most contributors to ‘Arabic science’ were given Arabic names and their works were published in Arabic—that being the ‘official’ language of the land.” (59) Stark goes on with several pages with more details. “The so-called Arabic numerals were entirely of Hindu origin.” (59) “‘Muslim’ or ‘Arab’ medicine was in fact Nestorian Christian medicine; even the leading Muslim and Arab physicians were trained at the enormous Nestorian medical center at Nisibus in Syria. . . In fact, prior to the ninth century, nearly all the learned scholars in the [Islamic area] were Nestorian Christians.” (60) It was natural then that “when in the fourteenth century Muslims in the East stamped out nearly all religious nonconformity, Muslim backwardness came to the fore.” (61)

Consider also “that following the Muslim conquest of Egypt, the rest of North Africa, and Spain, the wheel disappeared from this whole area!” (67) Everything was hand-carried or packed on camels, donkeys or horses. Why? Because the Arabs thought it was of little value. Wheels require streets and roads. Camels and pedestrians don’t. The “Dark Ages” saw huge advancements in transport, agriculture and military might for Europeans. The comparisons between European and Muslim advancements during this time are like night and day.

The book is not only full of revelations for me it is incredibly well written.  It is in many places truly a page turner.  I can't wait to finish. 

In Store Now - The Heresy of Orthodoxy

If you've read anything by Bart Ehrman and are wondering if even half of what he says is true then you need to read The Heresy of Orthodoxy by Andreas J. Kostenberger and Michael J. Kruger.  I bought my copy today and want to start it sometime in the next week or so.  Consider this endorsement from D. A. Carson:

"In the beginning was Diversity. And the Diversity was with God, and the Diversity was God. Without Diversity was nothing made that was made. And it came to pass that nasty old 'orthodox' people narrowed down diversity and finally squeezed it out, dismissing it as heresy. But in the fullness of time (which is of course our time), Diversity rose up and smote orthodoxy hip and thigh. Now, praise be, the only heresy is orthodoxy. As widely and as unthinkingly accepted as this reconstruction is, it is historical nonsense: the emperor has no clothes. I am grateful to Andreas Köstenberger and Michael Kruger for patiently, carefully, and politely exposing this shameful nakedness for what it is."

—D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Or this from Daniel B. Wallace

"Köstenberger and Kruger have produced a volume that is oozing with common sense and is backed up with solid research and documentation. This work is a comprehensive critique of the Bauer-Ehrman thesis that the earliest form of Christianity was pluralistic, that there were multiple Christianities, and that heresy was prior to orthodoxy. Respectful yet without pulling any punches, The Heresy of Orthodoxy at every turn makes a convincing case that the Bauer-Ehrman thesis is dead wrong. All those who have surrendered to the siren song of postmodern relativism and tolerance, any who are flirting with it, and everyone concerned about what this seismic sociological-epistemological shift is doing to the Christian faith should read this book."

—Daniel B. Wallace, Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

Andreas J. Köstenberger is director of PhD Studies and professor of New Testament at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is a prolific author, distinguished evangelical scholar, and Editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Michael J. Kruger (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is associate professor of New Testament and academic dean at Reformed Theological Seminary, and the author of a number of articles and books on early Christianity.

The Heresy of Orthodoxy is a paperback from Crossway with 256 pages and sells for $17.99. 

In Store Now - Angels: A History

I don't read a lot of books on angels but I get a lot of requests for them.  A couple of my favorites are Peter Kreeft's Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them and Mortimer Adler's The Angels and Us.  I've also recommended C. Fred Dickason's book Angels: Elect and Evil.   Dickason's book is a good resource for a more traditional evangelical audience though many will disagree with his position that a Christian can be demon possessed.  Billy Graham's book Angels: God's Secret Agents has never interested me so I've never read it.  It might actually be quite good.  I simply don't know. 

But, I really am enjoying a new book we received today by David Albert Jones.  It is simply called Angels: A History and it comes from Oxford University Press.  One of the things I'm enjoying is how the book is informed from all three of the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For example, I never knew that in Islam Satan is not viewed as a fallen angel but rather as a "'djinn', a third kind of creature that is neither angel nor a human being."  (11)  And from Judaism I learned that the Talmud identified the three angels who visited Abraham as Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  (8)  I've finished the first two chapters which cover a brief history (chapter one) and picturing angels (chapter two).  In the second chapter Jones gives the history of the development of "wings and halos" and angels playing harps which is a fairly recent development.  My biggest surprise so far (and I'm not really this far in the book but found it with my initial skim) was the notion of "Jesus as the Great Angel."  Jones explains:

"In the early Church, one of the ways this was expressed was to say that Jesus was an angel, or rather the angel, the 'great angel.'  They called him an angel because, in the book of Isaiah, the savior was described as an angel. . . When this passage [Isaiah 9:6] was translated in the Septuagint, the Jewish translator was perhaps embarrassed about calling the savior 'mighty God' and instead he wrote: 'For to us a child is born . . . and his name shall be called 'Angel of Great Counsel.'"  (63)

Good thing for Handel the LXX translation didn't become more popular.  And, why haven't the Jehovah's Witnesses camped out on this since they believe Jesus was an angel?  Jones explains that the title lost its popularity since it was potentially misleading given the doctrine of the incarnation. (65) 

Here's the table of contents:

Chapter 1 - Preface
Chapter 2 - A brief history of angels
Chapter 3 - Picturing angels
Chapter 4 - What is an angel?
Chapter 5 - Divine messengers
Chapter 6 - Ministering spirits
Chapter 7 - Heavenly hosts
Chapter 8 - Fallen angels
Chapter 9 - Wrestling with angels

The book also includes sources for further reading and an "index of locorum" which includes both passages from the Bible and the Quran.  A subject index makes this short book (only 140 pages of text) even more accessible. It is a hardcover and sells for $19.95.  I'll keep you updated on the rest of the book.  So far--I love it! 

David Albert Jones is the Academic Director in the School of Theology, Philosophy, and History at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, Great Britain.

Trailer for Voyage of the Dawn Treader Released

The trailer for the next Narnia movie is now out.  From what I've read so far this movie promises to be much better than Prince Caspian and a lot more faithful to the book which is important to Narnia fans.  You should also know that the next book in the series that Baker Books has been doing will also be out in October.  Devin Brown's book is called Inside the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  I thoroughly enjoyed Brown's first two books and look forward to this third one.  The movie is due out December 10.  You can see more at Narnia.com. If you've not seen the trailer then here you go:

Remembering Joshua

Today would have been my son's 24th birthday.  In his memory I wanted to tell you just a couple of stories about him.  When he was in middle high he had to build something which incorporated six simple machines.  I have no aptitude for this kind of thing so I wasn't much help.  Anyway, we were coming down to the wire and I took him to the hardware store to pick out the supplies he needed.  We were walking up and down the aisles and I asked to see what he had drawn up so I could help him pick up what he needed.  He pointed to his head and said, "I've got it all up here."  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't believe it.  I envisioned us walking the store for hours (like we did when he was shopping for a new toy years before).  He picked up a bunch of stuff and we took it home.  A couple of hours later he came in from the garage with this great little gizmo that, to my amazement, worked quite well.  I was super proud of my boy. 

Joshua also loved music.  He enjoyed playing his trumpet although he was never very disciplined to work hard at it.  Nevertheless for what effort he did put into it I rather enjoyed listening to him play.  One of his favorite things to play was the theme song from Jurassic Park.  He couldn't play the whole thing but he had portions of it down pretty good.  We hired a tutor to work with him but it didn't last long.  The trumpet lost to his growing interest in skateboarding.  Again, he was never as good as he wanted to be and that frustrated him but he loved the challenge.  The last job he had before joining the Army was at Lowe's.  This gave us something in common--retail sales.  We would often swap stories of our experiences.  I miss those talks.  I miss him.

Since his death this past September I can tell you that God has sustained my family and me in ways we could never imagine.  The staff here at the store has become a second family as they supported us during those first few days and weeks and still today are an encouragement in ways that they are not even aware of.  The Army personnel staff both in Hawaii and here have been incredible.  To say they "bend over backwards" would be an understatement.  I told more than one of them that as a veteran of the Air Force I've never been so jealous of the Army.  They are a credit to their profession and their country.  Finally, there are countless friends who supported us with prayers and monetary support.  One couple in particular (who would probably prefer to be nameless) gave us a substantial gift when our money ran out due to our unplanned prolonged stay in Hawaii.  My family has been the recipient more than once of their selfless giving.  It will take an eternity to thank them.   Through all of these people God consoled us and kept us from what could easily have led to utter despair.

Thank you..  Many still ask us how were doing.  All things considered we are well and we owe a big part of that to you. Where was God when Joshua died?  He was in your hearts as you grieved with us and prayed for us.  We saw him . . . in you!   Happy birthday Joshua.

In Store Now - Memories of Jesus

If you enjoy Historical Jesus studies and James Dunn in particular have I got a book for you.  We just received Memories of Jesus: A Critical Appraisal of James D. G. Dunn's Jesus Remembered edited by Robert B. Stewart and Gary R. Habermas.  James Dunn is a familiar name to those involved in New Testament studies.  As the subtitle states this is an appraisal on one particular work of Dunn, namely Jesus Remembered.  For those not familiar with Dunn consider how Paul Rhodes Eddy opens his essay in the Memories of Jesus:

"With the 2003 publication of Jesus Remembered, James D. G. Dunn has joined the ranks of the likes of John Dominic Crossan, John Meier, E. P. Sanders, and N. T. Wright--the ranks of those contemporary New Testament (NT) scholars whose work on the historical Jesus all future studies will have to reckon with if they wish to be taken seriously."  (227)

This list of contributors reads like a who's who of scholars: Scot McKnight, Craig Blomberg, Samuel Byrskog, Markus Bockmuehl, Craig Evans, Charles L. Quarles, Ben Witherington III, Stephen Davis and more.  Plus Dunn provides a final chapter where he responds to his interlocutors.  You may recall that Dunn was a contributor in the IVP multi-view book The Historical Jesus: Five Views where he interacted with Robert Price, John Dominic Crossan, Luke Timothy Johnson and Darrell Bock.  And from our very own Baker Publishing Group Dunn wrote A New Perspective on Jesus: What the Quest for the Historical Jesus Missed.  The Memories of Jesus is a serious engagement of Dunn's book with appropriate praise for the work but also weighing in with some serious criticism. 

The book comes from B&H Academic and is a paperback with 334 pages and sells for $29.99.

Robert B. Stewart is associate professor of Philosophy and Theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Gary R. Habermas is chairman, Department of Philosophy and Theology, School of Religion, and distinguished research professor of Apologetics and Philosophy at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School in Lynchburg, Virginia.

James D. G. Dunn is Lightfoot Professor Emeritus of Divinity at the University of Durham in England.

Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, Volume 1 is from Eerdmans Publishing and is a hardcover with 1036 pages and sells for $58.00.  Volume 2 was released last year entitled Beginning From Jerusalem: Christianity in the Making, Volume 2.  It is also a hardcover with 1392 pages and sells for $80.00.  The project will be complete with a third volume. 

Mark Galli - Should the Church Make People Comfortable?

Mark Galli has an interesting article on the growing lack of Christian symbols in churches today. The article was occasioned by a court case. A high school was planning on having their graduation ceremony at a church and five of the students, one of them being Jewish, said they would feel very uncomfortable in this church given the amount of symbols that adorned it. I don’t care to comment on the merits of the case but it’s Galli’s comments about the growing trend among new churches not to include distinctive Christian symbols including the cross that interests me. He recognizes some churches have theological reasons for not including them but this is not where his concern lies. It is those churches who seem to boast in the fact that they don’t have Christian symbols in the interest of making everyone comfortable and more conducive to secular events. Galli asks, “But does it strike anyone else as odd how reticent many churches are to make it plain to visitors that when they enter the church, they are entering a sovereign state where someone besides the State is Lord?” Some who responded to Galli emphasized that the church is not a building but the people and that there are plenty of dead Christians in ornate buildings and plenty of vibrant Christians in simple buildings with no stain glass windows. This seems to miss Galli’s point. He never suggests that more ornate buildings or the mere presence of symbols will guarantee any kind of spirituality in those who worship there as opposed to those who worship without such adornments. His point is that the building should reflect who is Lord of the space. He says,

“There was a time in the church's life when people were killed for stating or symbolizing their allegiance to another lord besides Caesar. One can understand why some would flinch and stick their cross necklace under their toga, or meet secretly in places (like catacombs) bereft of Christian symbols. Caesar had no patience with people whom he suspected served another. And yet most did not flinch, and most continued to affirm in word and symbol the church's earliest creed: Jesus is Lord.”

“Today, when there is no risk to symbolizing one's allegiance to another Lord besides Capitalism or Democracy or America, why are we so hesitant to do so? Why is it that in the one place where we have the right and opportunity to proclaim the Lord of the kingdom of heaven, so many of us want to make it a place that is "conducive to secular events"?”

The most immediate response might be that our economic times being what they are a church is just being a wise steward of its resources if it can make a building available for other functions and recoup some of its cost for the facility. That being said I think some churches that are so lacking in anything distinctively Christian can foster a mindset that it is a place really no different from the shopping mall or a high school gymnasium. I’ve watched families put out a veritable picnic for their children to keep them entertained (no kidding--juice drinks, bananas, granola bars etc). Can we not abstain from eating or drinking for one hour? The focus has become primarily making people feel relaxed and comfortable during worship instead of fostering a sense of awe because we are uniquely in the presence of God. When I visited a local Orthodox church he commented how for the Orthodox it is important that all of the senses are impacted in worship (sight, sound and smell). He asked me, “Why are Protestants so comfortable meeting in a gymnasium?” His question was an honest one. I realized that as I looked around my eyes saw one reminder after another of the glory of the Lord.

Now I know there is nothing wrong with being comfortable and we should be. But comfort can quickly become casual and commonplace. When I visit churches I have to admit that the older churches create an entirely different mood in me. I know that even the most ornate churches can become commonplace to those who frequent them week after week but I still sense a difference. Yeah, it’s just a building. But it’s a building built first and foremost to the honor and glory of the Lord. 

Ted Kluck and Zach Bartels Coming to Baker Book House

This Thursday we will host authors Ted Kluck and Zach Bartels.  They will be discussing the first book from their newly formed publishing company called Gut Check Press.  The book, Kinda Christianity, is a parody on all things emergent.  The evening promises to be an engaging time with two guys who have a sharp wit and just a bit of impatience with traditional publishers.  Part of the reason they started their own publishing company was because the process seemed to take too long from concept to bookshelf.  Here's how Ted put it in an interview from their website:

"I've met and built relationships with a bunch of fun, smart, hardworking people in publishing. But I also think it's weird that making a book (from idea to bookshelf) is usually an eighteen-month process. These houses all employ an army of full-time employees with health benefits and cubicles, most of whom are away at a conference when you try to call them on the telephone. The publishing industry loves conferences. We figured we could handle this on our own and potentially have a lot more fun doing it."

The Grand Rapids Press has a nice article on the book and the publishing company.  The event is this Thursday at 7:00 pm.  As always, come early for the best seating.