Last week, Kevin Roose’s The Unlikely Disciple: a Sinner’s Semester at America’s Holiest University was released. I haven’t purchased the book yet, but I plan to and look forward to reading it. While I didn’t grow up in Lynchburg, I did grow up in Virginia Beach, where Pat Robertson and CBN are located. My grandparents were big fans of Mr. Robertson and loved to remind me of how much I loved his co-host, Ben Kinchlow, when I was a toddler. One of my family members was employed by CBN and affiliates for over a decade. As a teenager, I attended a Baptist church in the area that encouraged its high school graduates to attend Liberty University. Needless to say, I’ve had plenty of experience in the evangelical world, although I no longer consider myself a part of that community.
From the reviews I have read, it sounds like Mr. Roose has written a balanced story. He went undercover as a student at Liberty for a semester, and I believe he thought he would be writing a more negative piece than it actually turned out to be. He has a blog and has been honest about the ways Liberty U. and its students surprised him. While I had my own experiences in the Baptist community, I am interested in hearing about Roose’s time there. Apparently, Liberty has decided to stock his book in their bookstore, and I read one thoughtful, positive review written for a Christian website. Considering my stack of books waiting to be read, it might be a while before I get to The Unlikely Disciple, but I look forward to it and intend to write a review here when I am done.
Dog-eared and Well-read 