Abandoned Faith

I have personally walked away from evangelicalism. I picked this book up curious to see if it addressed the issues which caused me to do so. It didn't.

Rather than investigate why so many gen-x and millenials are leaving the Church, the book assumes those who abandon their faith or emigrate to others simply don't understand Jesus. I have to admit, I was slightly rebuffed and moderately insulted by the notion that my status as a former Baptist is due to not having a proper understanding of the faith.

I moved up to mainline Christianity from low-church evangelicalism for a number of reasons. As a former Southern Baptist lay minister, I can assure you it wasn't because I didn't have Jesus properly explained to me. Rather, it was due to the inconsistencies between faith and action. Inconsistencies like criticizing behaviors as sinful then electing politicians who embody (and brag about) engaging in the same.

If your twenty- or thirty-something child has strayed from the faith you raised them in, it's very unlikely to have been caused by poor explanation. In fact, you probably explained and lived your faith perfectly and that's exactly why they rejected it.