Running head: HOW NON-CHRISTIANS CHANGE CHRISTIANITY 1

How Non-Christians Change Christianity

Jonathan Shorter

North Greenville University

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How Non-Christians Change Christianity

The title of this analysis might be misleading. To make the record straight, nothing can

change the truth of the message that the Bible provides. The Gospel is part of the inerrant

scripture of Gods word. So, neither Christian nor Non-Christian can really change that aspect of

Christianity. However, as the book suggests, Non-Christians in previous generations have

changed in their stance on how they view Christianity. This unfavorable change has caused for

Christians to need to step back and reassess how to better spread the Gospel to the new

generations. Truly committed Born Again Christians have to evaluate how they live so that they

can figure out how to live in front and along-side Unchristians. The book focuses on two

generations in particular, Mosaics and Busters, that are skeptical as a whole. Unchristian starts

the book explaining why Christians need to understand Non-Christians views, and proceeds to

examine the most common Unchristian views of Christians. The author uses the remainder of the

book to show how Christians and improve on changing Unchristians ideas that Christians are

hypocritical, focused on saving people, antihomosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental.

If Christians are to change the Unchristian, instead of being changed by Unchristians, then

spreading the Gospel needs to be more intentional, loving, and personal. If this approach is

taken, then Mosaics and Busters are much more likely to accept Jesus as their savior.

One of the reoccurring themes in Unchristian is that the Mosaic and Buster generations

are a skeptical group. Kinnaman (2007) points out that Mosaics and Busters are savvy and

unusually jaded, because they are the most targeted generations for media, marketing, and

advertisements. Kinnaman continues the pattern that these generations are skeptical. In each

section it is made clear that Mosaics and Busters are skeptical. In fact, in the beginning of the

book it says that Unchristians will admit that they have emotional and intellectual barriers that go
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up when they are around Christians (Kinnaman,2007, pg.1). The book describes, in many ways,

how the two generations have gone through the process of becoming jaded and less open to

Christianity.

The main way that Unchristians have become skeptical is because they feel rejected and

unwelcomed by Christians. In fact, Kinnaman points out a few times that a majority of

Unchristians have had many interactions with Christians and Christianity, and that there are a

large amount that also have been to church (2007). How is it that so many Non-Christians have

come so close to accepting Gods love, but not gone through with it? It is simply that Christians

are absent of showing true love or care towards Non-Christians. Kinnaman (2007) states that,

Mosaics and Busters are the ultimate conversation generations. They want to discuss, debate,

and question everything (part 8). If Christians would take the time to listen to an Unchristians

story and struggles then the Unchristian might be more likely to listen to the Christians story.

Instead, all the Unchristians seem to be able to hear is generic sayings or that they are wrong;

never a reason or in depth explanation.

While the Outsiders want to have discussions, they think that Christians wont be willing

to be genuine, and that Christians will just use the time to plug persuasion tactics into it

(Kinnaman, 2007, part 8). Since Christians are at least generally familiar with Christian ideas

they do not want just another Youre a sinner, repent message. A large portion of Kinnamans

explanation of why Unchristians and Outsiders feel rejected is that they see Christians are

hypocritical and self-righteous instead of being transparent and real. Kinnaman says that

according to Non-Christians, Christians are known for trying to make it look like they have it all

together instead of showing that they struggle with sin as well (2007).
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The whole book points back to the point that Christians are more likely to reject Non-

Christians than show them the truth about life and loving them with Godly love. Whether it be

because Christians are supposedly hypocritical, focused only on salvation, antihomosexual,

sheltered, too political, and judgmental; or because Christians just simply fake and not really

changed, Christians fail to share the Gospel in the right way. Kinnaman gives a staggering fact

from his research that only one-third on Non-Christians actually believe that Christians

genuinely care about them (2007). Kinnaman (2007) points out that homosexuals just feel

condemned and not loved, that Outsiders are getting the message loud and clear that Christians

reject the gay lifestyle, and they say that Christians disdain for homosexuals is unmistakable

(part 14). In the book it is made evident by each chapter that if Christians were to actually focus

more on relational evangelism instead of just talking on media about what they stand against,

then the Gospel would be much more accepted by Non-Christians.

The book is a full analysis and summary of how Christians could do better. It points out

several short-comings and explains how to fix them. In Christianity and the Media the focus is

on how Christians can use the media to spread the Gospel. Simply put, if Christians were to pay

attention to this book and then also learn about different mediums that the Gospel can be spread,

then they would be much more effective with getting the word out. If students in Christianity and

the Media were to understand from the book that evangelism is more about showing love than

showing a good argument, then it would change their tone in their social media posts, illustration

videos, movies, newspapers, etc. This is how Unchristian can apply to Christianity and the

Media, because its not just something that applies to a few small things, but it is something that

can change the entire way that Christians use the media.
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I personally really enjoyed the book. It was well researched before being written, and

well worded to that anyone could understand the statistics. What was interesting was that

Kinnaman confirmed several ideas that I already possessed about how Non-Christians viewed

Christianity. However, he also really changed my mind about how Non-Christians acquire their

disdain for Christians. I was convicted when Kinnaman referred to Christians that think Non-

Christians just make up ideas by what they hear on media and from word of mouth. He really

showed me that there is a lot more behind this whole situation than I realized. With that being

said, I still believe that at least some of the Non-Christians have heard more than they

experienced and they form their opinions from that than actual interactions in real life. I think

this because I have had discussions with Non- Christians that received their belief of what

Christians were like from hearsay and not actually interaction, but this scenario is not very

common. Unchristian is a very eye opening book that every Christian would do well to read

through and take the time to really understand what the author is expressing. If Christians were

to apply what the book suggests then the world would be a lot more open to accepting the

Gospel.
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Bibliography

Kinnaman, D., & Lyons, G. (2007). Unchristian: What a new generation really thinks about

Christianity-- and why it matters. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books. Available from

http://www.christianbook.com/unchristian-generation-really-thinks-christianity-

matters/david-kinnaman/9781441200013/pd/4258EB?event=ESRCG