What words did those surveyed who were 16-29 most often use to describe present-day Christianity? Antihomosexual (90% of "Outsiders" / 80% of churchgoers), judgmental (87%/52%), hypocritical (85%/47%), old-fashioned (78%/36%), too political (75%/50%), out of touch with reality (72%/32%). This is the worst kind of news for Christian churches.

The author advises against defensiveness. Of course religion is old-fashioned, it must judge and doesn’t the Bible condemn homosexuality? Even so, none of these descriptions makes it attractive to new adherents. Indeed, they are positive barriers to reaching most people with Good News.

At its best, the result is a book that calls for every Christian to examine their life and change it so as to live a more Christ-like, open, accepting life, one that is a beacon to the world and an advertisement to those of other or no faith. It is a call to change oneself and one’s church to be more Christian and to specifically avoid what the author terms unChristianity. Short reflections from various religious writers call for a larger agenda – caring for the sick, priority for the poor, love for the outcast – in short the social gospel.

It also calls for humility, a trait I both value and lack. Humble Christians would not be called to impose their will, but lead others to the truth and the way. Their friendships would extend throughout the community and not be limited to their church. They would listen to those who disagreed with them and not seek quick conversions, but conversations.

Now that I can be sure that I am not damning this book with faint praise, I can express my misgivings. Christian often means born again real Bible Christians, though maybe they could ally with those "other" Christians. Real Christians have no doubt that homosexuals are evil, unless they are pledged virgins. The book fudges on Bible inerrancy – Bible "principles" are inerrant, leaving the way open to accepting modern science and evolution. Christianity sometimes means those "true" or born again Christians and sometime leaks over to mere mainline Protestants or even Catholics.

I think that the book uses a too narrow definition of Christianity and should just identify its subject as a US based group of sects and denominations. I have doubts about identifying people who are made in God’s image as inherently evil unless they turn their back on a normal need for companionship, though that is what my priest and bishop preach. As a Catholic, I believe that the Church precedes the Bible, not the other way around.

Despite my misgivings, I was touched by this book and its sincere efforts to work out what Christianity should be and where it should be headed. None of my misgivings affect the reality of the statistics, the benefits of deep consideration of how to continue reforming a sinful church or the prayerful sincerity of the authors. While this book may suffer in comparison with EJ Dionne’s Souled Out, that is not faint praise