What do you think?
Rate this book
The Myth of the Non-Christian: Engaging Atheists, Nominal Christians and the Spiritual But Not Religious
There's no such thing as a non-Christian. Somebody might self-identify as spiritual but not religious. Or they might be a practicing Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim. Or they might call themselves an atheist, freethinker or agnostic. But the one thing that people never describe themselves as is a "non-Christian." So Christians who want to "reach non-Christians" need to realize that they're not all the same. Evangelism is not one-size-fits-all. Luke Cawley shows how Christians can contextualize the gospel in different ways to connect with different kinds of people. Here he unpacks the religious identities of three key demographics: the spiritual but not religious, committed atheists and nominal Christians. Each group has particular characteristics and requires specific approaches and practices to make the Christian faith plausible, desirable and tangible to them. Filled with real-life stories of changed lives, this book is a practical and hopeful resource for helping people to encounter God.
240 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2016
9 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Luke Cawley
5 books21 followersWriter, currently work with a non-profit I helped set up, and spend a lot of my time speaking in settings like university campuses about issues of spirituality, culture and religion. Studied at Wheaton College, Cardiff University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Oxford University. Three lovely kids distracting me from finishing more books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 22, 2023
Excellent, highly readable and thought provoking. Helpfully warns against putting all ‘non-Christians’ in the same box, and argues for employing a variety of evangelistic approaches to engage the whole person and various objections. Tackles common objections along the way and tells several powerful stories. Thanks Luke!
January 27, 2016
A few of the pre-release reviews:
"I am convinced that we need to rethink evangelism in light of the increasingly missionary situation of the church in our time. This is a top-class book that will help God's people do just that. We might just become a more genuinely good-news people in the process." (Alan Hirsch, author and activist)
"I have read many books on helping people to faith in Christ, but this is one of the best. Perceptive, well read, full of illustrative stories and extremely practical. Buy it and use it!" (Michael Green, theologian and evangelist)
"I've been equipped and inspired anew by this book to better understand and connect with the many different kinds of people who don't yet follow Jesus. Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach to being a witness: let this book help you do the things that may actually meet our friends' felt spiritual needs." (James Choung, national director of evangelism, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, author of True Story)
"The world of real estate is ruled by one word repeated thrice: location, location, location. In the real world of relationships, which is the real estate of life, one word reigns supreme: context, context, context. Luke Cawley has written the new go-to book for contextual apologetics. This book is everywhere thoughtful and judicious; it is wide-ranging and deeply illuminating." (Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, Drew University, bestselling author of From Tablet to Table, creator of preachthestory.com)
"Luke Cawley's book is a brilliant resource for anyone interested in any form of Christian apologetics―for evangelists, teachers, pastors and indeed for anyone who wants to engage those who don't understand what Christ offers that the culture cannot. The book is full of captivating snippets of conversations you and I have every day. It will make every reader more able to understand those who do not know Christ and more able to present him in ways they can understand. Cawley covers the gamut of unbelievers―skeptics, atheists, the unchurched and the spiritual but not religious. Importantly, Cawley is not afraid to engage the serious topic of spiritual reality. The text is highly accessible without compromising depth and should be read by all who ever want to talk with nonbelievers." (Mary Poplin, professor and author of Is Reality Secular?)
"While many people think of apologetics and cringe for fear of engaging in heated, insensitive arguments, The Myth of the Non-Christian presents a refreshingly different perspective. Listen to people, love them, help them connect to Jesus in a way that makes sense to them. It's a simple yet profound concept that can transform the ways we engage people with the gospel. Luke Cawley winsomely communicates to people of diverse backgrounds that following Jesus makes intellectual sense and satisfies our deepest longings. This book is a gift to all of us who are seeking to share this message!" (Jessica Leep Fick, author of Beautiful Feet)
"A riveting back and forth between compelling principles of contextualized apologetics and life story. Luke speaks powerfully and prophetically about what apologetics in our day should look like as he gives the reader a fresh glimpse of what happens when our head and heart come together in our striving with people. Luke has an obvious love for God and for people. He paints a picture of what it looks like to do an apologetic and evangelistic ministry with impact and compassion. Theory, practice, heart, passion and presence―few books bring this level of integration together as The Myth of the Non-Christian!" (R. York Moore, national evangelist, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA)
"Suppose Christians take seriously the call to spread the gospel, to answer questions about the faith and to give a reason for the hope that they have in Jesus Christ. If we shoulder this crucially important task, shouldn't we seek to engage and speak to actual people rather than our idealized notion of a 'non-Christian'? Absolutely! Luke Cawley shows us why and how. He combines a much-needed diatribe against 'one-size-fits-all' apologetics with some very practical and easily accessible suggestions on how engage in apologetics. I cannot imagine a better book for a community of people who desire to share their hope with a world that desperately needs Christ!" (James Beilby, professor of systematic and philosophical theology, Bethel University, St. Paul, author of Thinking About Christian Apologetics)
"I am convinced that we need to rethink evangelism in light of the increasingly missionary situation of the church in our time. This is a top-class book that will help God's people do just that. We might just become a more genuinely good-news people in the process." (Alan Hirsch, author and activist)
"I have read many books on helping people to faith in Christ, but this is one of the best. Perceptive, well read, full of illustrative stories and extremely practical. Buy it and use it!" (Michael Green, theologian and evangelist)
"I've been equipped and inspired anew by this book to better understand and connect with the many different kinds of people who don't yet follow Jesus. Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach to being a witness: let this book help you do the things that may actually meet our friends' felt spiritual needs." (James Choung, national director of evangelism, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, author of True Story)
"The world of real estate is ruled by one word repeated thrice: location, location, location. In the real world of relationships, which is the real estate of life, one word reigns supreme: context, context, context. Luke Cawley has written the new go-to book for contextual apologetics. This book is everywhere thoughtful and judicious; it is wide-ranging and deeply illuminating." (Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, Drew University, bestselling author of From Tablet to Table, creator of preachthestory.com)
"Luke Cawley's book is a brilliant resource for anyone interested in any form of Christian apologetics―for evangelists, teachers, pastors and indeed for anyone who wants to engage those who don't understand what Christ offers that the culture cannot. The book is full of captivating snippets of conversations you and I have every day. It will make every reader more able to understand those who do not know Christ and more able to present him in ways they can understand. Cawley covers the gamut of unbelievers―skeptics, atheists, the unchurched and the spiritual but not religious. Importantly, Cawley is not afraid to engage the serious topic of spiritual reality. The text is highly accessible without compromising depth and should be read by all who ever want to talk with nonbelievers." (Mary Poplin, professor and author of Is Reality Secular?)
"While many people think of apologetics and cringe for fear of engaging in heated, insensitive arguments, The Myth of the Non-Christian presents a refreshingly different perspective. Listen to people, love them, help them connect to Jesus in a way that makes sense to them. It's a simple yet profound concept that can transform the ways we engage people with the gospel. Luke Cawley winsomely communicates to people of diverse backgrounds that following Jesus makes intellectual sense and satisfies our deepest longings. This book is a gift to all of us who are seeking to share this message!" (Jessica Leep Fick, author of Beautiful Feet)
"A riveting back and forth between compelling principles of contextualized apologetics and life story. Luke speaks powerfully and prophetically about what apologetics in our day should look like as he gives the reader a fresh glimpse of what happens when our head and heart come together in our striving with people. Luke has an obvious love for God and for people. He paints a picture of what it looks like to do an apologetic and evangelistic ministry with impact and compassion. Theory, practice, heart, passion and presence―few books bring this level of integration together as The Myth of the Non-Christian!" (R. York Moore, national evangelist, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA)
"Suppose Christians take seriously the call to spread the gospel, to answer questions about the faith and to give a reason for the hope that they have in Jesus Christ. If we shoulder this crucially important task, shouldn't we seek to engage and speak to actual people rather than our idealized notion of a 'non-Christian'? Absolutely! Luke Cawley shows us why and how. He combines a much-needed diatribe against 'one-size-fits-all' apologetics with some very practical and easily accessible suggestions on how engage in apologetics. I cannot imagine a better book for a community of people who desire to share their hope with a world that desperately needs Christ!" (James Beilby, professor of systematic and philosophical theology, Bethel University, St. Paul, author of Thinking About Christian Apologetics)
March 29, 2016
It was a great pleasure to buy a copy of Luke Cawley’s first book “The Myth of the Non-Christian: Engaging Atheists, Nominal Christians and the Spiritual But Not Religious” and read it over two or three sittings this Easter. It’s also a great pleasure to recommend it. Here’s why:
As I see it, the book’s main premise is this: that “non-Christian” is so broad and vague a term that it is almost entirely redundant as a way to describe or relate to a human being.
Yes, technically, if someone is “not a Christian” they can accurately be described as a “non-Christian” – of course – but in this book Luke is suggesting we can do much better than lumping all the “others” into one big pot of people who don’t believe what we believe.
Instead, Luke wants us to see people as individuals. He wants us to respect the nuances in people’s life stories, experiences and worldviews. He wants us to engage with people in a way that is relevant to them, that listens as well as speaks and that is not only faithful enough to bring the essential, age-old good news of Jesus to people, but flexible enough to do this with people of all backgrounds, by intelligently and sensitively adapting our approach.
And so he dives into a refreshing, funny and at times bizarre series of stories, interviews and insights to help us do just that.
Stylistically, I personally found it a breath of fresh air. Luke’s not predictable or stuffy, which means this book is an exciting book, it’s not heavy. And it means even just the first page of each chapter is either some heart-wrenching or curiosity-tickling encounter from his travels as an evangelist, or some odd story from his own history of asking big questions about God and life. It’s a fun book to read.
The result of reading it for me as a follower of Jesus was that I felt that the duty and privilege of sharing Jesus with other human beings around me was strangely do-able. Not in a “this has all the answers way”, but almost the opposite of that. There is no one way to do this! It’s speaking to people, listening, asking questions. It’s relating. It’s being real. Even I can do that.
And as someone who is training students in evangelism with UCCF at the moment, it left me feeling a great desire to be MUCH more creative and at much more liberty in the different ways we try and reach people. I would love all my students to read it, but particular those who are at smaller, newer universities with a different type of student.
As I see it, the book’s main premise is this: that “non-Christian” is so broad and vague a term that it is almost entirely redundant as a way to describe or relate to a human being.
Yes, technically, if someone is “not a Christian” they can accurately be described as a “non-Christian” – of course – but in this book Luke is suggesting we can do much better than lumping all the “others” into one big pot of people who don’t believe what we believe.
Instead, Luke wants us to see people as individuals. He wants us to respect the nuances in people’s life stories, experiences and worldviews. He wants us to engage with people in a way that is relevant to them, that listens as well as speaks and that is not only faithful enough to bring the essential, age-old good news of Jesus to people, but flexible enough to do this with people of all backgrounds, by intelligently and sensitively adapting our approach.
And so he dives into a refreshing, funny and at times bizarre series of stories, interviews and insights to help us do just that.
Stylistically, I personally found it a breath of fresh air. Luke’s not predictable or stuffy, which means this book is an exciting book, it’s not heavy. And it means even just the first page of each chapter is either some heart-wrenching or curiosity-tickling encounter from his travels as an evangelist, or some odd story from his own history of asking big questions about God and life. It’s a fun book to read.
The result of reading it for me as a follower of Jesus was that I felt that the duty and privilege of sharing Jesus with other human beings around me was strangely do-able. Not in a “this has all the answers way”, but almost the opposite of that. There is no one way to do this! It’s speaking to people, listening, asking questions. It’s relating. It’s being real. Even I can do that.
And as someone who is training students in evangelism with UCCF at the moment, it left me feeling a great desire to be MUCH more creative and at much more liberty in the different ways we try and reach people. I would love all my students to read it, but particular those who are at smaller, newer universities with a different type of student.
May 30, 2017
My favorite quote: "Plants sprout and flower through their own biological processes. It's not your responsibility to convert people any more that it is your job to stand all day with your hand in a flowerpot trying to make tulip bulbs blossom. Yet, even if you don't physically make plants grow, you can still encourage or inhibit their development. Watering and planting matter. You have some influence. The greater part of the work is with God. But not one ounce of energy you put into making Jesus know is ever wasted."
April 17, 2016
Luke Cawley, The Myth of the Non-Christian: Engaging Atheists, Nominal Christians, and the Spiritual But Not Religious (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2016).
Have you ever purchased a baseball cap labeled, “One Size Fits All”? I have. Inevitably, it’s too big for my son’s head but too small for mine. One size doesn’t fit all.
One size doesn’t fit all in outreach to non-Christians either. Unfortunately, our evangelistic programs and apologetics arguments often act as if they do. Based on long experience in campus ministry, Luke Cawley recognizes the need for what he calls “contextual apologetics”: the “art of formulating appropriate and diverse ways of sharing Jesus, based on a thorough understanding of those with whom we are interacting.” (Cawley doesn’t draw a sharp line between evangelism and apologetics but considers them overlapping activities.)
This concern for contextual apologetics explains why Cawley opposes the use of the term non-Christian. “There’s no such thing as a non-Christian,” he writes in the book’s opening sentence. By this, he doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Rather, he’s poking a hole in the way Christians categorize “non-Christians” in one-size-fits-all terms. “‘Non-Christian’ is a category so broad it is obsolete,” he writes. Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, nominal Christians, and the spiritual-but-not-religious crowd are very different from one another, after all.
Moreover, he goes on, “It’s not even something people call themselves.” In other words, the vast majority of people outside the Christian faith identify themselves in terms of what they do believe, not in terms of what they don’t believe. To effectively engage them with God for the gospel, we need to take into account what they believe, how they act, what makes them tick. This requires that we be flexible in our outreach to them. As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
That said, Cawley identifies three broad characteristics of effective contextual apologetics: plausibility, desirability, and tangibility. Plausibility addresses the question, “Is it true?” and relies on “words and arguments.” Desirability addresses the question, “Is it attractive?” and relies on a “focus on Jesus” (whom everyone seems to find an attractive figure). Plausibility addresses the question, “Is it real?” and relies on “form, setting, and relationship.”
Though these three characteristics can be distinguished, they usually work together. One kind of question may rise to the fore, but the other kinds of questions still lurk in the background. Knowing this, the wise evangelist knows how to speak to a person in the place where they actually are (intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, etc.).
With these broad characteristics in mind, the bulk of The Myth of the Non-Christian examines three kinds of people common in the post-Christian West: spiritual but not religious, atheists, and nominal Christians. For each group, Cawley outlines “stories” that help readers understand the particular contexts of these three groups, “questions” that members of each group typically raise, and “practices” that seem to help move people in these contexts closer to Jesus.
And at the end of the day, Jesus is what contextual apologetics is all about. Cawley urges the importance of “arguing from Jesus” and “arguing toward Jesus.” The former “involves, in conversations and in talks, highlighting how Jesus and/or the Easter event might be relevant to the question in hand.” (Notice that “arguing” does not mean “shouting at” or “offering a syllogism.” Rather, Cawley means something like “engaging in face-to-face dialogue.”) Arguing toward Jesus means “highlighting how the discussion can only be resolved through a fresh investigation of him. Jesus is the endpoint of the argument.”
This doesn’t mean that contextual apologists can skip their homework, by the way. Throughout the book, Cawley emphasizes the importance of research into atheism, science, psychology, other religions, spirituality, history, and the like. To establish plausibility, we must be able to demonstrate that Christianity, properly understood, is intellectually credible. On the other hand, keeping Jesus as the argument’s endpoint reminds us that our conversations serve an overarching spiritual purpose—to move people closer to God, who has revealed himself through Christ.
I recommend The Myth of the Non-Christian to any Christian interested in evangelism and apologetics. As a vocational minister, however, I would especially recommend it to other vocational ministers and church leaders. It will help us understand the challenges in reaching post-Christian Westerners for Christ as well as best practices for doing so.
_____
P.S. This review first appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com.
P.P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
Have you ever purchased a baseball cap labeled, “One Size Fits All”? I have. Inevitably, it’s too big for my son’s head but too small for mine. One size doesn’t fit all.
One size doesn’t fit all in outreach to non-Christians either. Unfortunately, our evangelistic programs and apologetics arguments often act as if they do. Based on long experience in campus ministry, Luke Cawley recognizes the need for what he calls “contextual apologetics”: the “art of formulating appropriate and diverse ways of sharing Jesus, based on a thorough understanding of those with whom we are interacting.” (Cawley doesn’t draw a sharp line between evangelism and apologetics but considers them overlapping activities.)
This concern for contextual apologetics explains why Cawley opposes the use of the term non-Christian. “There’s no such thing as a non-Christian,” he writes in the book’s opening sentence. By this, he doesn’t mean that there aren’t people who don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Rather, he’s poking a hole in the way Christians categorize “non-Christians” in one-size-fits-all terms. “‘Non-Christian’ is a category so broad it is obsolete,” he writes. Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, nominal Christians, and the spiritual-but-not-religious crowd are very different from one another, after all.
Moreover, he goes on, “It’s not even something people call themselves.” In other words, the vast majority of people outside the Christian faith identify themselves in terms of what they do believe, not in terms of what they don’t believe. To effectively engage them with God for the gospel, we need to take into account what they believe, how they act, what makes them tick. This requires that we be flexible in our outreach to them. As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.”
That said, Cawley identifies three broad characteristics of effective contextual apologetics: plausibility, desirability, and tangibility. Plausibility addresses the question, “Is it true?” and relies on “words and arguments.” Desirability addresses the question, “Is it attractive?” and relies on a “focus on Jesus” (whom everyone seems to find an attractive figure). Plausibility addresses the question, “Is it real?” and relies on “form, setting, and relationship.”
Though these three characteristics can be distinguished, they usually work together. One kind of question may rise to the fore, but the other kinds of questions still lurk in the background. Knowing this, the wise evangelist knows how to speak to a person in the place where they actually are (intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, etc.).
With these broad characteristics in mind, the bulk of The Myth of the Non-Christian examines three kinds of people common in the post-Christian West: spiritual but not religious, atheists, and nominal Christians. For each group, Cawley outlines “stories” that help readers understand the particular contexts of these three groups, “questions” that members of each group typically raise, and “practices” that seem to help move people in these contexts closer to Jesus.
And at the end of the day, Jesus is what contextual apologetics is all about. Cawley urges the importance of “arguing from Jesus” and “arguing toward Jesus.” The former “involves, in conversations and in talks, highlighting how Jesus and/or the Easter event might be relevant to the question in hand.” (Notice that “arguing” does not mean “shouting at” or “offering a syllogism.” Rather, Cawley means something like “engaging in face-to-face dialogue.”) Arguing toward Jesus means “highlighting how the discussion can only be resolved through a fresh investigation of him. Jesus is the endpoint of the argument.”
This doesn’t mean that contextual apologists can skip their homework, by the way. Throughout the book, Cawley emphasizes the importance of research into atheism, science, psychology, other religions, spirituality, history, and the like. To establish plausibility, we must be able to demonstrate that Christianity, properly understood, is intellectually credible. On the other hand, keeping Jesus as the argument’s endpoint reminds us that our conversations serve an overarching spiritual purpose—to move people closer to God, who has revealed himself through Christ.
I recommend The Myth of the Non-Christian to any Christian interested in evangelism and apologetics. As a vocational minister, however, I would especially recommend it to other vocational ministers and church leaders. It will help us understand the challenges in reaching post-Christian Westerners for Christ as well as best practices for doing so.
_____
P.S. This review first appeared at InfluenceMagazine.com.
P.P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
April 16, 2016
This was a fantastic book that has helped me tremendously in thinking about how I interact with others and engage others in meaningful and productive ways. I love how practical the ideas in this book are for the reader. The stories and examples are relevant to Christians from around the world and in various situations. Practical steps are given at the end of each chapter for how to take the information and use it in a personal way. The suggestions apply to all Christians.
I work with international students and young people. Every day I engage my students in conversations, some academic and some not as much. I try to invest in the lives of my students. But so often I see them all as all alike and I fail to recognize the complexities that make them unique and individual. I put them all in the same box as students and I don't look for the most meaningful ways to engage them. Some students come from Christian homes and have been in Christian school their entire life. Others come from atheistic backgrounds and know nothing about the Bible. Others can fit into more categories yet. If I am going to be used by God to have an impact on their lives, or at least as much of an impact as I can possibly have, then I need to begin seeing those around me for who they are and where they are so I can reach into their lives most effectively.
I recently read a book about how we as Christians must focus on Jesus and see others as He sees them. I find this book carries that torch to a new place and different level. It is not enough for me to just focus on others. I must focus on others for who they are. That takes thought and effort, but it is meaningful and exciting and kingdom building.
I work with international students and young people. Every day I engage my students in conversations, some academic and some not as much. I try to invest in the lives of my students. But so often I see them all as all alike and I fail to recognize the complexities that make them unique and individual. I put them all in the same box as students and I don't look for the most meaningful ways to engage them. Some students come from Christian homes and have been in Christian school their entire life. Others come from atheistic backgrounds and know nothing about the Bible. Others can fit into more categories yet. If I am going to be used by God to have an impact on their lives, or at least as much of an impact as I can possibly have, then I need to begin seeing those around me for who they are and where they are so I can reach into their lives most effectively.
I recently read a book about how we as Christians must focus on Jesus and see others as He sees them. I find this book carries that torch to a new place and different level. It is not enough for me to just focus on others. I must focus on others for who they are. That takes thought and effort, but it is meaningful and exciting and kingdom building.
May 1, 2016
Cawley reminds his readership again that common sense is not as common as one might suppose. He basically lays his cards on the table early on, advocating a thesis that can be summarized thusly: say the right things in the right places. Simple, right? Not for the vast majority of individuals who don the badge of Christian. Cawley pushes for a contextual approach to evangelism, providing plenty of real life examples of how a failure to do as such will undermine an evangelistic purpose.
While I enjoyed the content of this book, the flow was choppy at best. Just as I was beginning to mentally engage with what Cawley was writing, he would shift gears and toss me on another path. His purpose would have been severed if his execution was more refined.
I would recommend this book for individuals just beginning reading in Christian apologetics and evangelism. Cawley offers a good introduction into an ongoing debate. Answering many questions posed by people outside of the Christian church, Cawley offers a solid launching point for beginners.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy.
While I enjoyed the content of this book, the flow was choppy at best. Just as I was beginning to mentally engage with what Cawley was writing, he would shift gears and toss me on another path. His purpose would have been severed if his execution was more refined.
I would recommend this book for individuals just beginning reading in Christian apologetics and evangelism. Cawley offers a good introduction into an ongoing debate. Answering many questions posed by people outside of the Christian church, Cawley offers a solid launching point for beginners.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews