Matthew Paul Turner tells his story of growing up in a
fundamentalist church in his book Churched:
One Kid’s Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess. This story is not the typical
anti-fundie, bitter rant, but rather, a light-hearted humorous story that will
make you laugh without feeling disrespectful.
He shows how his upbringing helped him love Jesus despite the many
foibles of the fundie culture. I imagine
that every church contains the types of characters that cross his path, and if
you were conservatively “churched”, you may find you know these people
too. Somehow he manages to tell his story
in a light but profound manner, humorous without sarcasm. His giftedness with penning words to his
journey is exceptional and his writing style is delightful.
My favorite part of this book was the surprise of the
last chapter, his ‘benediction’, where he gives a too-brief summary of his
journey of leaving fundamentalism, dabbling in Calvinism and non-denominational
churches, a brief stint in Catholicism, and finally landing in a community
church – one that is not perfect, but a group of people where he can fit as he
grapples with being a different kind of Christian. If he puts this part of his journey in a
sequel, I’ll be the first in line to buy it!
I am now a new Matthew Turner fan. Check out his blog at: www.matthewpaulturner.com for a
sample of his diverse writing styles and some thought-provoking reading.
For additional information, check out the following websites:
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Press in exchange
for my honest review.
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