By Jim Henderson, Matt Casper, and George Barna. Tyndale Publishing, 2006, paperback available March 2012.
Reviewed by Karen Pease, Director of Admissions, Corban University School of Ministry
Ever since I was old enough to remember, I had the desire to walk a mile in someone else’s proverbial shoes. As I grew, I developed relationships with people from different backgrounds, adding to my curiosity about what life would be like if I saw the world from their point of view.
Enter Matt Casper, self-proclaimed atheist and co-author of Jim & Casper Go to Church. The book is the brainchild of long-time Christian, Jim Henderson, who wanted to see what church looked like from the eyes of the very people most churches were trying to reach – the un-churched. The inside cover reads, “Most Christians have been immersed in church culture for so long that they have no idea how non-Christian guests might interpret what they see and hear at a worship service, or what might inspire them to come back.”
Henderson and Casper spent the better part of summer 2006 visiting numerous evangelical churches and recording impressions of each. Rather than interviewing church leaders, surveying members or leafing through doctrinal statements, they simply recorded their own subjective observations of Sunday morning services in an attempt to capture the perspective of a first time visitor. Their reasoning was that most attendees did not follow up with anyone to verify their own assumptions.
Overall, the book is a good read. The chapters are long enough to cover in depth each of the twelve churches visited, but are short enough to be engaging and memorable. Henderson does a great job of encouraging Casper to be brutally honest, without feeling the need to temper Casper’s comments with a Christian explanation. Although this aspect of the book has received negative feedback from some reviewers, it is actually a critical component of why the book was written – to hear how an atheist, not a Christian, responds to church.
So, what does “Casper the Friendly Atheist” think? Well, many of his candid comments are actually surprising – especially his reactions to certain elements of church services designed with the “seeker” in mind – like fog machines, multiple screens, PowerPoint and tons of lights. Casper asks Henderson, “… is that what Jesus told you guys to do? Put on a Christian rock show that’s visually and sonically indistinguishable from a non-Christian rock show, change the words, and call it church? Is that pulled from the Bible?” Casper makes similar remarks about some of the preaching (irrelevant and lacking a call to action), the collection of money (often seen as a blatant way to line the preacher’s pocket), and the congregants (they seem disconnected and lacking in genuine fervor), revealing a deeper sensitivity to biblical standards than that of some Christians.
It is also interesting to see what moves Casper. In nearly every case, it boils down to a meaningful interaction or genuine relationship with another person. At one point, he tells Henderson that the most significant part of the day was listening to his story as they shared a cup of coffee after church. That impacted him more than anything in the church service.
One of the most rewarding elements of the book is the way the dialogue between the two authors reflects its overall intent – to inspire Christians to respect individuals who believe differently. Each author shares his perspective freely, and in doing so, the two become very good friends. Additionally, both Henderson and Casper admit their viewpoints are subjective and are not meant to represent entire people groups. In the end, the book accomplishes its goal of encouraging believers to protect their relationships with non-Christians, and to see them as real people, not targets. Henderson says, “I think of it like this: They’re just like me, except they’re not currently interested in Jesus to the same degree I am.”
In the midst of these praiseworthy elements lies one drawback – the book’s concentration on mega churches. While such congregations certainly cast their shadow over America, they are far from a typical cross-sampling. It is unfair to categorize “most churches in America” as being like the ones represented in this book. Henderson, however, explains that the limited scope of the churches visited is due to lack of resources, an aspect the authors hope to rectify in a subsequent publication.
Jim and Casper is not a handbook on developing the perfect seeker-friendly church service, nor does it claim to be. Readers looking for strategies that will result in a higher number of atheists coming to Christ will be sorely disappointed. But, the book does offer keen insights about what matters to the un-churched – sincere friendship and respect from people who hold vastly different worldviews. The authors note this will mean living by Jesus’ words in Luke 6:31, doing for others as we would like them to do for us. That may just include walking a mile in their shoes.
