I’ll be the first to admit that reading a book about statistics was would not be my first choice. But I chose this book alone on the strength of its title which is, in case you didn’t notice, AWESOME! This book is the 10th or so book that I’ve read with a group of friends we call the Broadly Thinking Christian’s Men Club. I have to admit that this book is perfect edition to this group. Wright not only challenges some of the most commonly held misconceptions about Christians and Christianity but does so in an extremely approachable and entertaining way.
Wright takes up the seemingly insurmountable take of trying to convince us that many of our “favorite” statistics about Christianity are often not as accurate as they might appear. Wright tackles these questions with wit, charm, and thoroughness. Each chapter addresses a specific subset of stereotypes and conceptions about Christianity. Do Christian’s behave morally? Is Christianity going to die out in the next decade? Are Christians racist? While we are all familiar with the standard answers to these questions the ones the Wright provides are insightful, convincing, and more than a little surprising.
No book review is complete without noting flaws and while this book was excellent it wasn’t perfect. I have only one major gripe with this book. The call to action is almost nonexistent. Throughout the book the thought in the back of mind was, “Interesting, now what do I do?” Should these stats make us content or worried? Should we tell people about these great stats or do we rest on our haunches? I dare say that Wright even dodges the issue entirely in the final chapter of the book. He simply tells us that now we can think more critically. But even that chapter is written with such finesse and humor that it’s hard to be upset.
How is it important to the Christian Man?
I would say that Christians Are is a great book for anyone to read. But since this is a blog for Christian men I suppose I should play to my constituency. 1 Peter 3:15 calls us to always be ready to give a defense of the faith. This book helps to accomplish that end. In addition to taking a closer look at statistics about Christianity he challenges us to think more critically. Wright points out that stats somehow bypass the critical thinking part of our brain and go right to the “that makes sense” part of our brain. But why should this be? The answer is it shouldn’t.
Recommendation
I strongly recommend this book for anyone who has ever heard a stat, anyone who is a Christian, anyone who wants to think more critically, and anyone who enjoys humor.
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