Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church [Paperback]

Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu (Author), Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright Jr. (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

Addresses the question of why the church is 75 percent female and offers ways to bring black men back to God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: African American Images; 1st edition (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0913543438
• ISBN-13: 978-0913543436
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #687,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Valuable wheat in a lot of chaff, December 10, 2001

By 

Cory R. Hartman (Passaic, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church (Paperback)

In this book, Jawanza Kunjufu endeavors to discern why black men are not in church and how the church might bring them back. After giving some anecdotal evidence of the problem, statistical evidence of the plight of the black male in society, and a discussion of the success of black Islam, Kunjufu gets to the heart of the book. In chapter 5, Kunjufu reveals 21 reasons black men do not attend church based on a survey and interviews he performed. In chapter 6, he posits solutions to the 21 problems that keep black men out of the church. Finally, Kunjufu surveys some models of ministries to black men.

Kunjufu never details exactly how he performed his survey--how he distributed the surveys in a balanced way, how many surveys he distributed, what kind of return he got, and so forth--and this might call his results into question. Nevertheless, the answers Kunjufu's respondents provide resonate strongly with the common sense of any churchgoer, especially to a man. The 21 reasons he cites as to why men do not attend church are themselves worth the price of the book. Most of these reasons cut across racial and socioeconomic lines as well. Kunjufu's list is indispensible for anyone doing evangelism among men of any color.

Nevertheless, this golden core is barnacled by much worthless dross. Most of the solutions Kunjufu gives to the 21 problems are superficial. Many of them are apologetic arguments for church practices that the unchurched men deplore, but these arguments will not bring these men into the church.

Further, the book is very sloppily edited, if edited at all. Kunjufu claims that the book was written in five days, and it shows. The organization is not tight, the formatting is not always consistent, there are numerous mechanical errors, and Kunjufu routinely gets carried off in a torrent of rhetorical questions that lead nowhere.

Ultimately, this book is worth its low price for the responses of the men Kunjufu interviewed. But the same goal could have been accomplished with the edited publication of chapter 5 in a widely read magazine.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Information for Pastors and Non-Pastors, April 23, 2002

By 

rodog63jr (bronx, N.Y.C. N.Y. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church (Paperback)

This book opened my eyes as to why there are so few African-American men under the age of 50 in many inner city churches. It also gives some insights on how Orthodox Islam and The Nation of Islam are making inroads among young African-American Men. This book clearly shows that a African-American male can be Christ centered and Afro-centric at the same time.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative Read About an oh-so-common Problem, April 14, 2001

By 

Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adam! Where Are You?: Why Most Black Men Don't Go to Church (Paperback)

Maybe in its next printing author Kunjufu might consider changing the title to "Adam, Where are you? Why Most MEN Don't Go to Church." This is not to suggest that he change a single iota of his prose; it might assure a wider readership and better sales. Even if he is concentrating primarily on the black man, Mr. Kunjufu's examination of the smaller male numbers in the church can apply to the mainstream, namely white, population. Perhaps a follow-up should be written to encompass the entire American public.

The book offers suggestions that each contemporary church should consider in attempting to draw the men into the fold. Placing much of his emphasis on Afrocentric teachings and Bible passages, the author has written a thoughtful and dynamic work which should be in the library of every minister, parishioner, and other interested parties in the growth of the church.