..Book Reviews..

Mark Curtis Anderson describes life as the son of a Baptist preacher, struggling with sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll as well as guilt, grace, and God. It's a frighteningly accurate trip into the evangelical universe that charts Anderson's crisis of faith.

The outlandishness of the evangelical culture is hilarious and painful, and the frequent nods to King James English are subtle and witty. Anderson shows a distain for campy church culture that will resonate with many, especially in the emergent church scene. But as a recovering evangelical, Anderson slides far from the fold. He closes with an appreciation for God's love, but can't seem to grasp much more.

It's the church story you want to read, dramatic accounts of summer camp evangelists and demon rock record burnings. It's the pastor's kid who tries to be a good Christian, but also wants to rock out to Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the end you hope to cast off the superfluous Christian culture and embrace the sound theology of God's grace, but instead Anderson holds on to much less. He still believes in something, but he might not be able to tell you what it is.

It's downright scary how much I resonated with Anderson, partially thanks to the Twin Cities setting. At one point in the story he lives on Lafond Avenue, a few blocks from the Snelling Avenue apartment I lived in for two years. I passed Lafond twice a day on my trips to and from the bus stop. The middle of the story takes place in Central Baptist Church, a church I've visited and driven past countless times. He describes summers at Trout Lake Camp, a Baptist General Conference camp in Minnesota where friends of mine have been counselors. He attended Bethel College and graduated with an English Literature degree in 1983. I left Bethel with a degree in Writing in 2000.

But aside from similar locales, I also resonate with his faith journey. I, too, grew up mired in a fundamental, evangelical culture. My church frowned on rock music (even Christian rock was taboo). I didn't share the same wild exploits Anderson did, going all the way with his girlfriend at Trout Lake, but I did have some intimate make-out sessions on church property. Philosophically I've taken a similar slide as Anderson, leaning more toward a liberal theology that acknowledges social justice issues. When Anderson and his band landed in Bethel's Clarion for inciting a dancing revolution, I wrote the "God is Not a Republican" editorial that spawned a two-page spread of letters to the editor. I've had similarly awkward reunions with my fundamentalist Christian friends when we discover we aren't the same friends anymore (though our differences aren't as dramatic as the ones Anderson describes).

But where Anderson stopped attending church and trimmed his Four Spiritual Laws to one (God's love), I transferred to an Episcopal church and found peace in the greater diversity of God's people. Still, our stories are frighteningly close. Considering that we're both writers, and, judging from the reading I attended, both socially awkward, we have plenty in common.

When I approached Anderson after the reading to ask about the publisher's marketing efforts to the evangelical world, he subtlely squirmed. Even though he's no modern day Prodigal (i.e. Franklin Graham), I think Christians should hear his story. Whether or not he wants to connect with that crowd is another question. He currently attends a church-but-not-quite-a-church, House of Mercy in St. Paul, where his psuedo-faith continues its evangelical recovery.

More:
The Restless Ones - A passage from the book referring to the Billy Graham movie.

Son of a Preacher Man - The City Pages mixes a review with an interview taken place in the old New Union, the Twin Cities' Christian concert venue.

An Interview with Mark Anderson - An in-depth interview covering many of the bases, including Anderson's current take on faith.