New in the Church Library
“Christianity has an image problem.” That’s the first sentence of UnChris-tian; what a new generation really thinks about Christianity … and why it matters (270.8 K), by David Kinnaman. Based on market research and surveys, it describes the increasingly negative reputation of Christians, es-pecially among young Americans. Kinnaman’s three-year study docu-ments how an overwhelming percentage of sixteen to twenty-nine year olds view Christians with hostility, resentment and disdain. These broadly and deeply negative views of Christians aren’t just superficial stereotypes with no basis in reality, but are based upon their real experiences with today’s Christians. In addition to statistical research, the book includes anecdotes from people who were interviewed, follow-on comments at the end of each chapter by some various Christian leaders, and reflec-tions about why we’ve come to such a place and how we might make it better.
Have you ever really looked at the seal of the Presbyterian Church? Did you know that there are no fewer than eight symbols contained in it? Sealed in Christ by John M. Mulder (285 M) is the resource Chip used with the confir-mation class this past year. Through an examination of each symbol, the book covers the biblical, historical, and confessional materials of our re-formed heritage. (Answer: the symbols are cross, dove, fish, book, pulpit, cup, fire, triangle.)