Do I Stay Christian
Author: Brian D. McLaren
Genre: Religion; Christian Faith
Rating: ★★★★☆
Brian McLaren’s Do I Stay Christian? addresses a question many believers are quietly asking in the midst of cultural and political upheaval: whether the Christian faith can still be a meaningful and ethical home in the modern world. McLaren structures the book in two parts, first presenting reasons why some people feel compelled to leave Christianity—examining issues such as institutional power, patriarchy, the church’s historical violence, entanglements with wealth, and its troubling legacy of antisemitism. In the second half, he turns toward the reasons someone might remain within the tradition, exploring how faith communities can confront their history honestly while seeking a renewed path forward.
Rather than simply critiquing the church, McLaren offers readers practical ways to imagine reform and renewal. He encourages Christians to wrestle openly with the moral and social questions of modernity while recovering what he believes are the deeper, life-giving teachings of Jesus that can lead to justice, humility, and communal healing. Written especially for believers who feel tension between their faith and contemporary social concerns, the book provides a thoughtful framework for reflection about whether to leave, stay, or help reshape the future of Christianity. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this thought-provoking work.
