Title: In the land of believers : an outsider's extraordinary journey into the heart of the evangelical church /
Authors: Welch, Gina.
Publisher: Metropolitan Books,
Year: 2010
Subjects: Thomas Road Baptist Church (Lynchburg, Va.); Evangelicalism United States
Abstract: Ever since evangelical Christians rose to national prominence, mainstream America has watched them with a nervous eye, but our understanding hasn't gone beyond the caricatures. Who are evangelicals, really? To find out, Gina Welch, a young secular Jew ("born atheist") from Berkeley, joined Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church. Over the course of nearly two years, Welch immersed herself in the life and language of the devout: she learned to interpret the world like an evangelical, weathered the death of Falwell, and embarked on a mission trip to Alaska. Alive to the meaning behind the music and the mind behind the slogans, Welch recognized the allure of evangelicalism, even for the godless, realizing that the congregation met needs and answered questions she didn't know she had. What emerges is a riveting account of a skeptic's transformation from uninformed cynicism to compassionate understanding, and a rare view of how evangelicals see themselves.--From publisher description.
Contents: The rabbit hole. The part of you that's you forever -- Touches of love -- Vehicles -- Sin of omission -- The ear of the heart -- In the likeness -- The microwave effect. The properties -- God whisperers -- Brother's keepers -- Bible believers -- Closeted and fearful -- Emotional thinkers -- God's commissioners -- Cheerful givers -- Seekers of a silver lining -- Managers of grief -- Rites and preparations -- Salt and light. What's in Alaska? -- The last frontier -- Even Zacchaeus -- Spiritual gifts -- Race with the devil -- Soul winning -- Curious creatures -- Little Switzerland -- Phantom limb -- Epilogue.