"The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner at America's Holiest University"
by Kevin Roose
I'd heard mention of such a book, but today a friend linked an article on facebook, and my interest piqued. Not to mention, my need for procrastination under the guise of learning what exceptionally pressing.
*Typically, I'd refer to the author by his last name. However, as he was a 19 year old college student writing about a college and daily experiences there, I'm going to use his first name.
The book's very title reminded me of Hannah Rosin's "God's Harvard", a journalistic venture into the people, hearts, and infrastructure of Patrick Henry College with the viewpoint of a dedicated liberal surveying the hyper-conservative world. But unlike Rosin, Kevin did not present himself as a journalist to Liberty U., but became a student, immersing himself in a foreign world.
Like Rosin, Kevin recounts those basic tenants of American Christianity with awe. He writes about not understanding the meaning of the terms "fellowship" or "witness", and his four month long course into Christian terminology. I had to laugh when brainy, 19 year old Kevin found himself at odds with the task of memorizing the books of the Bible, something I mastered as a six year old in AWANA. His discovery of the "songs" associated with memorizing the books of the Bible, and his candid recollection of hearing humming across the room during the "books test" paints a warm, candid, and amusing picture of Kevin the student.
But between charming anecdotes of Bible memorization, stories of intramural softball games, and a confession that he fell asleep in chapel, Kevin probes the difficult, deep, and important questions that he came to Liberty U to answer. A self-proclaimed, anti-war, lukewarm Quaker and liberal voter, Kevin establishes true friendships and has a few epiphanies as well. In the beginning of his tale, Liberty's founder Jerry Falwell is looked on with all the hostility, fear, and disgust that most conservatives reserve for Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. However, slowly, Kevin discovers a warm, charming, vivacious man underneath the made-for-Fox-News image. He never converts into a Falwell proponent, but he begins to understand him, naming his strengths, and diagnosing his weaknesses. It's a beautiful journey, and Kevin's emotional struggles are palpable. His book (thankfully) is not rife with melodramatic emotion, but introspective musings, debates, and theological, philosophical, and ethical conundrums.
Kevin approaches the notion of restrictive education with genuine amazement. The cliches, weaknesses,and eccentricities of such institutions are gently displayed, and as a former Bob Jones Academy student, I found myself mentally nodding emphatically at his bewilderment and annoyance at the minutiae of petty rules. *I've also come to the realization that LU is markedly less restrictive than Bob Jones.*
Kevin's book is a journalistic venture, but it is also a transcript of his journey. He goes from being petrified of fundamentalists, to understanding that under the canopy of Christian fundamentalism, lies an entire spectrum of personalities, beliefs, ideas, hopes, and people. Kevin completely adopted the mantra and actions of a devout Liberty U student, praying, reading his bible, attending church, and strive to better himself. His journey does not conclude with him accepting Christ, but corporate fundamentalism isn't the best display of Christ in the Christian arena--at least, it shouldn't be. Instead, Kevin comes better awareness of a higher deity, and the knowledge that a moral life isn't necessarily a horrible thing. From beginning to end, Kevin struggles with the absolutes of Christianity, with certain ideas and precepts, with the process and relationship of being a Christian. His foray into the Christian world was a difficult one and in a difficult place. At the end of his book, Kevin understands God as a mixture between his original idea that *god* is whomever one makes him/her to be, and hardcore fundamental indoctrination. The result is a painful juxtaposition of ideals, and the man who penned the final words of this book was still struggling internally.
While theologically, Kevin and I disagree. Academically our interests lie in the same field, and I found myself wishing that we could discuss plot of Tartuffe, our fascination with Hawthorne together, or wrestle with the theological and literary hybrid that is Milton. I can also comprehend why many of the issues, questions, and habits of fundamentalists (and most Christians) are so frustrating. He asks many questions I have asked myself, and his candid, pensive, and serious expedition into so many standard Christian issues was refreshing.
I loved this book for its content and the author for his style and ability. However, I am a jaded ex-student of Bob Jones academy, a non-practioner of the patriarchal system of marriage, and a lover of thought and theory, and an English major like the author. I didn't find Kevin's writing to be dangerously subjective; he states his background, intent, and reasoning at the beginning of the book. I enjoyed the comfortable pace of his writing, his excellent word choice, and the revelations elaborated on in his book. However, if you are a lover of every axiom of fundamentalism, a scrupled legalist, or someone for whom opposing analysis of something you whole dear would radically offend--beware.
Christian fundamentalism is something I have experienced, observed, and studied. However, growing up in the church, its nuances seem relatively normal to me. Seeing many of my beliefs, former beliefs, phrases, thought processes, and natural rhythms of life viewed from an outsider's mind was fascinating.
Sharing, pinning, and commenting are all desired, welcome, and rejoiced over!
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