Do I Stay Christian?

Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, The Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, Brian D. McLaren (St Martins, New York, 2022).

I will start off this review by saying that I am a fan of Brian McLaren. I enjoy and, as a fellow writer, I admire his prose. His books have always been thoughtful and provocative. And I must confess, though we started our journeys of faith in different locations of the Christian church, we have walked similar paths. (I’m usually one or two steps behind Brian.) Brian’s words resonate with me, and they have given me insight and encouragement as I have traveled from pietistic Lutheranism to Progressive Christianity.

Do I Stay Christian? is (IMHO) Brian’s best book and strongest work. The publication of this book is very timely, since people, of all ages, are struggling with their faith and fleeing the church by the tens of thousands. In the book, Brian examines the reasons for leaving the Christian faith and the arguments for staying Christian. A third section of the book addresses our lives as people of faith, whether we continue to identify ourselves as Christians or not. Brian does this in a very even-handed manner with strong research, impeccable logic, and down-to-earth human stories. Brian’s intention for writing the book is not to convince his readers to move one way or another. Instead, his purpose is to offer his readers information, insights and fresh perspectives.

Brian’s book is not one that you “can’t—put—down.” There are times when the reader must put it down, walk away and think about what was written. This is a slow read book. Brian states that one of the best ways to read a book is to read it with others. This is a great suggestion. The ability to be in community and communication with others and wrestle with the ideas presented in the book is a true gift.

I highly recommend this book. It is guaranteed to be thought provoking AND it might just change your life.