The Christian Atheist

This book jumped off the shelf at me.  With a title like "The Christian Atheist," it was bound to catch my attention.

Pastor Craig Groeschel doesn't attempt to sway actual atheists to a Christian worldview.  Far from it.  This book is written for and about people who claim to be Christians but when you actually examine their lives, they look no different than an atheist's life.  The subtitle sums it up neatly, "Believing in God but Living as If He Doesn't Exist."

I liked the way the book was divided into chapters with each chapter starting, "When You Believe in God But..." and filled out with things like "but are ashamed of your past" or but still worry all the time" or "don't think He's fair."  There was a chapter for everyone.  Several for me, that's for sure.

I thought the book was a little "fluffy" for lack of a better term.  It seemed like the depth was missing in a lot of places, maybe in an attempt to make a broader impact.  Some of the anecdotes seemed a little cute-sy at times to me.   I'd love someone's opinion who didn't grow up immersed in Christian-ese as to whether it's readable and relevant to people who aren't Christians but are interested. 

However, Groeschel wrote with humilty and passion, something I appreciate in these types of books.  It made me think about my worldviews and how I actually live my life and whether they mesh.  Some of the chapters hit pretty close to home. 

Overall it was an interesting read, but one I'm more likely to pass along than keep on my shelf.