Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Ever wonder why there are so few men in church on Sunday? Does your own church seem like a women's and children's private party? Are you watching your son drift away from church? Dr. Kunjufu's book has the answer to your questions. It is one of the first, if not the first book to tackle the problem of why black men don't go to church and what this means to the health of the black church.

Kimberley Lindsay Wilson, author of 11 Things Mama Should Have Told You About Men

For years I WONDERED why every church I have visited had more women than men.This book answered all of my questions.

As the pastor, I found Dr. Kunjufu's book most informative. As a female pastor, I find this book is valuable in assisting me in my relationships with the male members of my congregation. Using it along with some of Dr. Kunjufu's work such as "The Conspiracy to to Destroy Black Boys" has provided a foundation for our Men's Fellowship.

This book addresses really well the importance of things like self-defense and self-reliance for Christian men. It addresses problems with men that affect all Christian churches in the West, not merely those in the black community. He deals with the successes and failures of other groups with men and has a meaningful way of incorporating those lessons into the church.

He misses the final star, because, in my opinion, it is incorrect to describe the Gospel as either Afro-centric or Euro-centric. You'd have to call it Judeo-centric, since Jesus was a first century, Tanakh reading, Orthodox Jew. He wasn't "black" or "white", but, since he was a Middle Eastern Jew, probably looked like a modern Sephardic Jew.

THIS WAS A FAST READ, AND ENJOYABLE . HOWEVER, THE AUTHOR ADDED TO SCRIPTURE ON QUITE A FEW OF HIS EXPLANATIONS FOR QUESTIONS RAISED THROUGH THE BOOK. I WAS A LITTLE DISSAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF SCRIPTURE USED TO BASE HIS CONCLUSIONS, AND THOUGHT TOO MUCH EMPASIS WAS PUT ON WHAT COLOR THE HEROES OF THE BIBLE WERE. BECAUSE YOU ARE EGYPTIAN DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE YOU A BLACK EGYPTIAN.

the reason most black men don't go to church is because it's a white man's religion and most black men instinctively know that it is wrong to pray to a man and be in the religion of their ancestor's oppressors

What I would like to know is why the fact that black men do not go to church is such a bad thing. Is a black man supposed to be a bad man just because he will not believe in a lot of reactionary, medievil, superstitious nonsense? Maybe if we black people spent more time enriching our minds instead of posioning it with a lot of holy-rolling rubbish, we would be better off.