The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University

When I first heard the premise of Kevin Roose's new memoir The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University, I was immediately intrigued: an Ivy League student from a secular, liberal background plunges himself into the conservative "Bible Boot Camp" world of Liberty University where Evangelism 101 is a core class and a forty-six page code of conduct called "The Liberty Way" governs students' social lives. I wasn't sure to expect, honestly, but I was curious and excited to read his take on the strange world of evangelical America... and very pleasantly surprised by what I found. The concept is compelling, and on top of that, Kevin is a very talented writer. One minute, he's a perceptive journalist, recording observations with a critical eye and sharp wit. The next, he's a storyteller, weaving the narrative with moments of insight and heartfelt reflections on his own spirituality. The ability to strike this balance between intellect and heart is the beauty of The Unlikely Disciple and what makes it such an engaging read. Of course, there are criticisms levied at the atmosphere of Liberty, but at the same time, he describes his hallmates in Dorm 22, the students and faculty, and even Dr. Falwell himself with warmth and humanity. There's a reverent sense of love throughout the book that is refreshing, because it would be all too easy to take the "Christians are weird" route. I loved the stories of the incredibly diverse students, and possibly my favorite story from the book has to be the interview with Dr. Falwell. I never was a Jerry Falwell fan myself, but to read this other side of him - a friendly "religious Willy Wonka" that owned 40 red ties and chugged a Diet Snapple Peach Tea every afternoon - I couldn't help but, well, almost like the guy. This different perspective added to the sadness of the final chapter about the week after Dr. Falwell's death (and incidentally, Kevin's final week at Liberty). I can't recommend this book enough, no matter which side of the "God Divide" you find yourself on. From my Christian side, it was thought-provoking and challenging to my ideas and faith, and, oddly enough, melted a bit of the cynicism I catch myself falling into when I think of all we get wrong. In the closing words of the acknowledgements, he writes to the students, faculty, and administrators of Liberty, "experiencing your warmth, your vigorous generosity of spirit, and your deep complexity, I was ultimately convinced - not that you were right, necessarily, but that I had been wrong." Nice to know that maybe we do get something right.

If you've ever wondered how conservative college students deal with temptation, this book is a good choice. I couldn't put this book down despite the fact I have two small children. Unlikely Disciple is an easy read, but is thought-provoking at the same time. I like the fact that the author comes from a positive, open-minded angle and not from a mean-spirited and judgmental place. Roose has a wonderful sense of humor - I even laughed out loud at times, which is rare for me when reading a book. It's also a good book to read if you've ever wondered whether God exists because Roose enters the bible-thumping culture wondering the same thing and shares his thoughts while along that personal journey. If you are a parent considering sending your child to Liberty or a student considering going, you will learn in-depth answers about what your experience will be like. This book is a well written, riveting account of Roose's secret stay at Liberty college and I highly recommend it to anyone of any faith.

I know a church pastor who sometimes encourages his staff to pretend they are visitors during a Sunday morning service. "Walk into this place like it is the very first time. Don't take anything for granted. Look for proper signage, décor and whether or not the bathrooms are clean, consider how the greeters treat you, and observe how difficult it is to find your children's Sunday School Class." The goal is to discover the issues that the church is ignoring because of familiarity, to take care of family dysfunctions obvious to outsiders that perhaps the church has grown tolerant, if not strangely comfortable with. Sometimes it is very helpful to have a new pair of unbiased eyes catch what you may be missing. Organizations and businesses hire people to critique their services or their products. But when a company knows that a consultant is showing up they put their best foot forward. When a restaurant is expecting a food critique for dinner the chef and wait staff perform to a different standard than normal. The best case for unbiased feedback is when you don't know that it is coming. That is why Liberty University should be so appreciative of Kevin Roose's book, "The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University." Kevin, on his own (crazy) initiative, took a semester off from college at (liberal) Brown University to experience an extremely different lifestyle than he'd ever known-right at the heart of fundamentalism- Jerry's Falwell's flagship megachurch, Thomas Road Baptist, and its accompanying university. Instead of viewing evangelical Christianity from the outside the glass, Kevin decided to jump into the fish bowl himself. He actually found that swimming with the fishes didn't kill him. He even discovered, with the discipline the Christians called prayer, that he could breathe. This isn't to say that Kevin went to Liberty without an agenda. From the beginning this was a writing project- a daring, potentially life altering writing project. Yet I didn't experience the story as one that had a pre-scripted concept like a Michael Moore documentary. Kevin knew that he would have to act the part of a born-again believer in order to blend into life on campus, yet he didn't go about this as a cold war spy. He went to Liberty "to learn with an open mind, not to mock Liberty students or the evangelical world." And learn he did- pouring himself into his classes, clubs, dorm life, church attendance, and real, meaningful relationships with both staff and peers. He even faced his own concepts about God, Jesus, scripture and sin, realizing that he was on a personal quest as well. He is honest with his own journey, and the book is worth reading just with that in mind. What did he find? It would spoil it to share here in a review. This is a story that is best read cover to cover, from the day that he pulls up to Liberty with a new, silver, Jesus fish on his bumper, to the day that he leaves, right after Reverend Falwell's funeral. I

This is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. The concept of a secular Ivy Leaguer immersing himself in fundamentalist Evangelical culture is only sort-of interesting, and I assumed this would be a condescending book, written by a wanna-be Bill Maher. However, Roose is self-depreciating, humorous, and skilled enough to make this a fascinating read. I finished it in one sitting. Jerry Falwell's college, Liberty University, is an intriguing place, as the reader will learn in the first few pages of the book. There are serious punishments for offenses like drinking, swearing, watching R-rated movies, and hugging for more than 3 seconds. Yet what interests Roose, and causes him to write this book is that 10,000 of his peers choose to go there. His sincerity stands out as he tries to understand the "God Divide" with humility, fairness, and an open-mind. The characters that Roose meets make this book a great read. Contrary to popular opinion, there is a startling amount of diversity at Liberty. Jersey Joey, one of the main-characters, is a foul-mouthed wise-cracking student who is hilarious and, despite his obsession with calling Roose "gay", quite lovable. There are the awkward pastor's kids, the jocks who don't follow the rules, and a few stereotypes: a racist southerner, and more than a few students who make truly offensive homophobic remarks. Roose never "goes native". At the end of the book, he is still a secular liberal Democrat who never gets comfortable with some of the comments he hears at Liberty or with young-earth Creationism. But, nonetheless, he discovers nuance in his experience, and does a valuable service by humanizing a sub-culture that is otherwise caricatured. Anyone who has interest in this aspect of American culture, whatever side of the God-Divide they might find themselves on, will find this to be a book worth reading. I can't emphasize enough how hilarious of a writer Kevin Roose is.