Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary [Paperback]

Lee Strobel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 22, 1993

Who Are Unchurched Harry and Mary? He or she could be the neighbor who is perfectly happy without God. Or the coworker who scoffs at Christianity. Or the supervisor who uses Jesus' name only as profanity. Or the family member who can't understand why religion is so important. Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary isn't a book of theory. It's an action plan to help you relate the message of Christ to the people you work around, live with, and call your friends. Using personal experiences, humor, compelling stories, biblical illustrations, and the latest research, Lee Strobel helps you understand non-Christians and what motivates them. The book includes: * 15 key insights into why people steer clear of God and the church * A look at Christianity and its message through the eyes of a former atheist * Practical, inspirational strategies for building relationships with non-Christians * Firsthand advice on surviving marriage to an unbelieving spouse

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Lee Strobel, with a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale, was an award-winning journalist for 13 years at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers. He was a spiritual skeptic until 1981. Today he serves as teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. He is the best-selling author of Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary, What Jesus Would Say, and The Case for Christ

From the Back Cover

Who Are Unchurched Harry and Mary?

He or she could be the neighbor who is perfectly happy without God. Or the coworker who scoffs at Christianity. Or the supervisor who uses Jesus’ name only as profanity. Or the family member who can’t understand why religion is so important.

Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary isn’t a book of theory. It’s an action plan to help you relate the message of Christ to the people you work around, live with, and call your friends.

Using personal experiences, humor, compelling stories, biblical illustrations, and the latest research, Lee Strobel helps you understand non-Christians and what motivates them. The book includes: * 15 key insights into why people steer clear of God and the church * A look at Christianity and its message through the eyes of a former atheist * Practical, inspirational strategies for building relationships with non-Christians * Firsthand advice on surviving marriage to an unbelieving spouse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (July 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310375614
• ISBN-13: 978-0310375616
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lee Strobel (www.LeeStrobel.com), with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School, was the award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a spiritual skeptic until 1981. His books include four Gold Medallion winners and the 2005 Christian Book of the Year (coauthored with Garry Poole). He and his wife live in Colorado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Balanced, December 7, 2000

By 

J. F Foster - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary (Paperback)

When looking only at the title of the book, it could be concluded that this book is only a diatribe against non Christians and what motivates them to stay away from God. But after reading the book, I found that this is not the emphasis of the book at all.

It seemed to me that the book was pretty much addressing two main questions - why are some people suspicious of Christianity and the church, and what can Christians and the church do to respectfully dialogue with these folks and make them feel safe in exploring the claims of Christianity. Because the book is dealing with these two questions, I found Strobel to be very balanced in assessing both sides. His treatment of the attitudes and motivations of the unchurched is done respectfully and is generally absent of condemnation. Having been a self declared atheist for many years, he brings a unique insight into this question and I believe he handles the subject matter with the same respect and gentleness that he would liked to have received from the church during his atheist days. Likewise, when dealing with the question of what the church can be doing better to reach out to these folks, he is very balanced in his assessment. In fact, it seemed to me that if Strobel was being critical of anyone in this whole equation, he reserved his strongest criticism for the church in terms of not doing a good job reaching these folks and being unwilling to move beyond traditional forms of worship to establish a more relevant and safe environment which is still Biblically based for the sincere seeker.

I think that this book is very insightful in its probing of the attitudes of the unchurched, and I would recommend this book purely on that basis. It is important that as Christians, we have some level of understanding for how some folks become either indifferent or hostile to our faith. Having this level of understanding will help us to engage these folks where they are and to hopefully give us an opening to reach a deeper level of understanding on a one on one basis, one person at a time. But I would also highly recommend this book as a pastoral resource. I think the section that discusses what the church response should be in reaching out to these folks should be required reading for every pastor in America who is looking to spread the Good News but is having difficulty finding the right formula for effectively reaching out to the secular community. This is a very good resource.

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Here's the scoop on Lee Strobel's conversion, June 27, 2000

By 

Vince Page (Brookshire, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary (Paperback)

This is the story many would like to read -- how a self-avowed atheist working as a journalist for the Chicago Tribune not only converted to Christianity, but became a minister. This book -- and particularly Chapter 9 -- provides the answers.

The book is written as a how-to book which allows others to lead their "Unchurched" friends (a term first coined by the Gallup polling agency) down the same path. In this fashion, the author covers all of his former objections to Christianity along with the factors that eventually changed his mind.

The author's journalistic skills are in evidence throughout the book -- the reader will find it difficult to put the book down until it is completely finished. Both Christians and non-Christians will find the book enlightening, interesting and enjoyable.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthwhile and valuable resource., April 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary (Paperback)

Strobel's exploration of the secular mindset makes for a fascinating read. Using polling data and his own personal experience, the author calls for the Christian church to reach out to the secular world in a language they can understand without compromising the gospel. A must read for all pastors as well as evangelistically minded layman.