“Why Men Hate Going to Church,” by David Murrow, is a shocking scientific and statistically rich examination of the state of the modern church; that is, it’s dearth of men. Murrow presents an organized and convincing case for why men avoid church, albeit focusing more on mainstream and larger, liberal churches.
He begins by asking the reader to think of what characteristics are typically emphasized when thinking about Jesus – meek, mild, humble, caring and tender. Far less likely is Christ thought of as daring, powerful, aggressive, and rough. He then provides scathing statistics of church attendance, women nearly always far outweighing men (not so however in the Orthodox churches, interestingly enough). Most churches today cater to women in their emphases, structure, and leadership. One particularly cutting quote: “Why do so many effeminate and gay men attend church? Maybe because the church is one of the few institutions in society where there’s no pressure to act like a man” (32).
Most of all, this book is a wake-up call to men and women - a wake-up call with bucket of cold water and a punch in the gut. My thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing me with this complimentary review copy.
