Good Faith

Being a Christian When Society Thinks You're Irrelevant and Extreme

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You are no longer part of the majority.
Your response will shape the future of Christianity in America.

"Good Faith is a wise and accessible guide to 'being a Christian in the public square' today."--Tim Keller, author and pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church
 
"I love this book. It is a timely reminder that Christians don't have to conform in order to survive."--Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love and You and Me Forever
 
"Kinnaman and Lyons are second to none. Unrelenting in its research, compelling in its humility, powerful in its approach, Good Faith is a landmark and thought-provoking read."--Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts and A Holy Experience
 
"This prophetic book inspired me to rethink my own assumptions about how to live faithfully in our American exile."--Rod Dreher, journalist and author of the forthcoming The Benedict Option
 
"As the issues of our day threaten to divide the church, we must lean in with wisdom and truth while loving with abandon and grace. Gabe and David are leading the way, and help us faithfully navigate the new terrain."--Jennie Allen, author and founder of the IF:Gathering
 
"Good Faith speaks prophetically to the church by diagnosing our condition and prescribing a course of powerful treatment."--Christine Caine, author and founder of A21 Campaign
 
"Kinnaman and Lyons turn down the temp and offer leaders a box of cultural engagement tools to use and pass on to our churches. Every pastor and leadership team should read Good Faith."--Mark Batterson, author and pastor, National Community Church


It is easy to feel overwhelmed as we try to live faithfully in a culture that seems increasingly hostile to the Christian faith. With a growing backlash against religion and people of faith, it's harder than ever to hold onto our convictions while treating friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members who disagree with respect and compassion.
 
Based on groundbreaking research, this timely book by the bestselling authors of unChristian explores politics, sexuality, race, gender, and religious freedom, helping you:
 
· respond with compassion, clarity and confidence to the most toxic issues of our day
· discover the most significant cultural trends that are creating both obstacles and opportunities for Christians
· know what you believe and why it doesn't make you a judgmental or extreme person
· stop being afraid to talk about what you believe and start having meaningful conversations about tough issues
· understand the heart behind opposing views and learn how to stay friends across differences


David Kinnaman is author of unChristian and You Lost Me. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to financial services. Since 1995, David has directed interviews with more than one million individuals and overseen hundreds of U.S. and global research studies. He and his wife live in California with their three children.

Gabe Lyons is author of unChristian and The Next Christians. He is the founder of Q, a learning community that educates and mobilizes Christians to think well and advance good in society. Called "sophisticated and orthodox" by The New York Times, Q represents the perspective of a new generation of Christians. Gabe speaks on cultural issues where faith intersects public life. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Rebekah, and their three children.

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Endorsements

"Good Faith is a wise and accessible guide to 'being a Christian in the public square' today. For nearly a generation there have been voices calling the church to rethink its mission and life in the post-Christian West, but David and Gabe's volume brings those more general and academic discussions down to earth and up to date."

Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City

"When the landscape changes, you look for pioneers to mark a fresh, meaningful, and thoughtful way forward. Kinnaman and Lyons are second to none. Unrelenting in its research, compelling in its humility, powerful in its approach, Good Faith is a landmark and thought-provoking read--that could become literal good faith through us to further a humble and winsome common good. A highly anticipated and needed must-read for every engaged thinker."

Ann Voskamp, New York Times bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts

"The signs of the times signal fear and confusion for many orthodox Christians--but not for David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. They are trustworthy guides through the emerging post-Christian order because they neither deny the urgent reality of the bad news nor downplay the radical hope of the Good News. What stands out about Good Faith is its unflinching realism, a quality that challenges the false but emotionally satisfying narratives of happy-clappy optimists and sky-is-falling pessimists. This prophetic book inspired me to rethink my own assumptions about how to live faithfully in our American exile."

Rod Dreher, journalist and author of the forthcoming The Benedict Option

"I love this book. It is a timely reminder that Christians don't have to conform in order to survive. It encourages those of us with deep convictions not to cower but to boldly speak truth with wisdom and love. Radical followers of Jesus can be relevant."

Francis Chan, pastor, teacher, and author of You and Me Forever

"David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons have a deep understanding of the challenges facing Christians in a post-Christian world, with solid research to back it up. If you have a desire to truly love your neighbor without compromising your principles, this book is for you."

Jim Daly, president, Focus on the Family

"Good Faith speaks prophetically to the church by diagnosing our condition and prescribing a course of powerful treatment. God's people must practice Spirit-filled faithfulness in a culture defined by allegiance to self. This book is a trustworthy guide for that practice."

Christine Caine, author and founder of A21 Campaign

"Pastors are feeling the heat of our new cultural reality. How should we engage? How can we equip our congregations to respond? Kinnaman and Lyons turn down the temp and offer leaders a box of cultural engagement tools to use and pass on to our churches. Every pastor and leadership team should read Good Faith."

Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor of National Community Church

"In Good Faith, my friends Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman empower us with the knowledge that as Christ followers we must reconcile conviction with compassion, sanctification with service, and truth with love. Accordingly, as agents of redemption, our biblical metric of kingdom effectiveness lies not in our rhetoric but in our actions. We are redeemed to redeem the world. Good Faith equips us with the necessary tools to share Christ with grace and love."

Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

"Good Faith will equip you to live in a courageous, intelligent, loving, and faithful way in our changing culture that has grown less friendly to followers of Jesus."

Derwin Gray, pastor of Transformation Church and author of The HD Leader

"This book will prove to be most helpful to young Christians who are confused about their values and how to interface with a culturally tumultuous world. It will provide a biblical rationale for many moderately conservative believers to engage in new ways of practicing good faith."

Jim Henderson, Jim Henderson Presents

"Deep inside every Christian is a desire to make an impact on the world around them. But too often there is a large divide between such desire and the actual impact. Believers can feel powerless in a culture that is pushing hard against what they stand for. The church has believed lies regarding our involvement in culture, and we have withdrawn into our Christian communities, taking our influence with us. Good Faith is a much-needed book for this hour because it slams into that powerless feeling and calls us not to retreat but to engage. Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman call Christians to use their faith to make society a better place, and more importantly, they equip us to walk in courage and hope. The Christian life is a counterculture journey, for it is a light shining in darkness. This is exactly what the world needs. It is impossible for light not to change darkness, unless that light is hidden. From a biblical foundation and in-depth statistical analysis, Good Faith will empower you to walk out your faith in a culture that desperately needs the hope and wisdom you carry as a believer in Jesus."

Banning Liebscher, founding pastor, Jesus Culture

"Most of us know Christians who are strong on convictions, but you would not want them to represent you as a fellow believer to the broader culture. On the other hand, there are many Christians who are so strong on civility you have no idea what they believe. In Good Faith we have practical tools for living out our faith in a rapidly changing culture."

Mark A. Yarhouse, PsyD, Rosemarie S. Hughes Endowed Chair and professor of psychology at Regent University

"This book is an act of leadership that Christians need to follow. Because it gets right to the guts of the botched conversation between churched and unchurched people, Good Faith is a must-read for pastors, students, and everyday Christians who want to have better conversations about faith."

Dr. Todd Hunter, founding bishop of Churches for the Sake of Others and founding pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church

"How do we live out our faith in America today in a way that is both true to God's Word and culturally relevant? In a way that turns people to God rather than away from him? This is a tough question that Willie and I grapple with daily and one that all Christians should be asking themselves. God calls us to be salt and light to this world. He asks us to live in it but not be of it. Boldly and with love, Good Faith lays out how we just might do that. It's an important book for all believers to read."

Korie Robertson, Duck Dynasty

"Jesus's first followers were on fire with a world-changing mission, and they transformed their culture. Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman give clarity to the challenges Christians face while inspiring us to recognize the power we have to rekindle a flame that will transform our world."

Richard Stearns, president of World Vision US, author of The Hole in Our Gospel

"As the issues of our day threaten to divide the church, we must lean in with wisdom and truth while loving with abandon and grace. Gabe and David are leading the way, and help us faithfully navigate the new terrain."

Jennie Allen, author and founder of the IF:Gathering


The Authors

  1. David Kinnaman

    David Kinnaman

    David Kinnaman is coauthor of unChristian, You Lost Me, and Good Faith. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to...

    Continue reading about David Kinnaman

  2. Gabe Lyons

    Gabe Lyons

    Gabe Lyons is the coauthor of the bestselling unChristian, author of The Next Christians, and the founder of Q, a learning community that mobilizes Christians to think well and advance good in society. Prior to launching Q, Gabe cofounded...

    Continue reading about Gabe Lyons


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