I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Replacing Souvenir Religion with Authentic Spiritual Passion [Paperback]

Vince Antonucci (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Many people find themselves asking, "Is this it?"
"We all read about the life Jesus describes and are painfully aware that our lives don't match his words," says Vince Antonucci, a disarmingly funny and edgy pastor. Raised by a Jewish mother and abandoned by his professional poker-playing father, Antonucci found Jesus at age twenty after studying the New Testament. When he finally went to church, he was disappointed to discover a "boring, stale religion."
Through provocative storytelling and raw honesty, Antonucci unearths the life Jesus lived and wants us to experience, challenging us to move past spiritual boredom into a faith that's exciting, beautiful, and powerful. Recommended for all Christians thirsty for a fresh perspective on Christianity.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this ultimately disappointing book, Antonucci, a Virginia-based pastor, criticizes the superficial subculture of American Christianity. Antonucci's working assumption is that many Christians are actually disenchanted by their spiritual lives and wonder why they don't have the abundant life Jesus promised. The solution to this deadening state of affairs? Christians need to shake loose the trite trappings of Christian-speak and get back to the adventure of faith. Antonucci takes aim at some of the beloved shibboleths of evangelicalism, suggesting, for example, that instead of talking about having a relationship with Jesus, Christians should worry about whether (as per John 15) they abide in Jesus. Some of his turns of phrase are thought provoking, as when he urges readers to be the good news before they worry about sharing it. But his autobiographical vignettes go on too long, and his message—that the Bible asks us not to behave well or even to believe in Jesus, but to follow him—is not greatly different from many Christian-living books. Too often, Antonucci replaces the clichés he disdains with more platitudes. On prayer: spending large quantities of quality time with God—face-to-face will make believers glow. In short, this book promises more than it delivers. (Feb.)
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From the Inside Flap

EXCERPT FROM CATALOG
I don't think people who lived in the Bible times had it easy, but at least when Jesus said, "Follow me" they could see the guy. You knew whether you were following him or not because ... "Whoa, there goes Jesus!" He'd be off somewhere and you'd still be eating your cheese fries (because chili cheese fries hadn't been invented yet--man, they had it rough) and you'd realize, "Whoops, I guess I didn't follow." I think in many ways those of us who live today have it easier, but following an invisible guy can be tricky. . . . . I decided to look at the original followers of Jesus in the Bible. I was still a little annoyed with them, because they had the advantage of getting the non-invisible Jesus, but I hoped maybe I could learn something. What did it look like for them to follow Jesus? Did following Jesus lead them to obedience and morality? Yes. But was it more than that? Way more. It's wacky. People follow Jesus into a storm your momma would have made you come in from. People give up everything and leave their jobs to follow Jesus. . . . Jesus says that to follow is to serve. . . . People stop following Jesus in droves because it's too weird, or too scary. . . . Everywhere I looked, it seemed like following Jesus led people to be astonished and afraid. . . . Jesus was constantly on the move. He had an agenda. And following him meant you would be going where he was going and doing what he was doing. Following Jesus is a long obedience in all different directions.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801068185
• ISBN-13: 978-0801068188
• Product Dimensions: 0.5 x 5.7 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #447,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vince Antonucci started and pastors Verve, an innovative church in the heart of Sin City, for the people who work on and live around the Las Vegas Strip. He's passionate about introducing people who are far from God to Jesus, and inspiring them to live an authentic and adventurous life of radically following Him. Vince's first two books, (I Became a Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, 2008 and Guerrilla Lovers, 2010) were published by Baker Books. Vince leads mission trips around the world, speaks all over the country, does stand-up comedy in Las Vegas, but mostly loves spending time with his wife, Jennifer, and their two kids.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lousy t-shirt a rare find! February 2, 2008

By Tom Cooperider

Format:Paperback

I think that this is Vince's first book, and after reading "I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy t-shirt" I hope that it is not his last. I was challenged over and over to rethink some of the assumptions that the church has made about itself over the years.

I know that there are a lot of people that have either grown up in church or become a Christian only to find that the experience was less than fulfilling. Vince uses a lot of funny stories to remind us that God cares about people, and that following Jesus will lead us to an adventure.

If you are ready for the life Jesus really promised, not the one on the sidelines watching others live, (or want to know what that life is really like) then this book will be a joy. As a minister I appreciated Vince's honesty more then anything, this is not another "Hey look at me" book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing February 6, 2008

By Bob Roberts, Jr.

Format:Paperback

Vince hits a home run in his first book! I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to know how faith in Jesus can be so impactful. I've traveled the globe with Vince - he's real deal and what he writes is straight from the heart and relevant to all of us especially the church today. Keep livin' it Vince and writin' about it - bobby g - author Transformation, Glocalization, & The Multiplying Church.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pick this one up!!! February 13, 2008

By Gregory E. Nettle

Format:Paperback

Last night I finished reading Vince Antonucci's book, I Became A Christian And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt. When I turned the last page I was genuinely sorry that T-Shirt was coming to an end.

Vince, in a very candid and authentic manner, discusses what it means to be a follower of Jesus. He exposes many of the misconceptions and misrepresentations that are tragically corrupting the current state of Christianity.

I found myself laughing out loud and softly crying as I read this book. God has gifted Vince with a marvelous sense of humor and is using his writing to ask all of us some very probing questions.

Pick this one up!!!