The Evangelicals You Don’t Know: Introducing the Next Generation of Christians

A frequent USA Today contributor, Krattenmaker (Onward Christian Athletes) combines reporting and opinion in this analysis of new evangelical leaders and their efforts to engage the culture in a noncombative way. Krattenmaker, who is not an evangelical and describes himself as a secular progressive, says he is keenly interested in evangelicals who “defy the stereotype.” He is convinced that people such as Kevin Palau, Gabe Lyons, Jonathan Merritt, and even Focus on the Family’s new leader, Jim Daly, are moving away from confrontation on such issues as abortion and gay rights. He also suggests evangelicals may be distancing themselves from their unblinking support of capitalism and the Republican Party. And they are also doing good works, whether fighting sex-trafficking or adopting orphans. Krattenmaker calls this “goodwill-mongering” evangelism and salutes these efforts. He convincingly argues that liberals, and especially atheists, should drop their reflexive antipathy toward evangelicals and begin to engage them. The two camps may not agree, but the nation may be better served by a more understanding and respectful posture. While many of the evangelicals he writes about have written their own books, this volume may be more persuasive to left-leaning, secular readers. (May)