Synopses & Reviews
"An intimate window into the world of American evangelicalism. Fellow exvangelicals will find McCammon's story both startlingly familiar and immensely clarifying, while those looking in from the outside can find no better introduction to the subculture that has shaped the hopes and fears of millions of Americans." —Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne
The first definitive book that names the massive social movement of people leaving the church: the exvangelicals.
Growing up in a deeply evangelical family in the Midwest in the '80s and '90s, Sarah McCammon was strictly taught to fear God, obey him, and not question the faith. Persistently worried that her gay grandfather would go to hell unless she could reach him, or that her Muslim friend would need to be converted, and that she, too, would go to hell if she did not believe fervently enough, McCammon was a rule-follower and — most of the time — a true believer. But through it all, she was increasingly plagued by fears and deep questions as the belief system she'd been carefully taught clashed with her expanding understanding of the outside world.
After spending her early adult life striving to make sense of an unraveling worldview, by her 30s, she found herself face-to-face with it once again as she covered the Trump campaign for NPR, where she witnessed first-hand the power and influence that evangelical Christian beliefs held on the political right.
Sarah also came to discover that she was not alone: she is among a rising generation of the children of evangelicalism who are growing up and fleeing the fold, who are thinking for themselves and deconstructing what feel like the "alternative facts" of their childhood.
Rigorously reported and deeply personal, The Exvangelicals is the story of the people who make up this generational tipping point, including Sarah herself. Part memoir, part investigative journalism, this is the first definitive book that names and describes the post-evangelical movement: identifying its origins, telling the stories of its members, and examining its vast cultural, social, and political impact.
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“A much-needed look at evangelicalism from a perspective that's both investigative and personal. It offers intriguing, compelling insight with expert reporting.” Library Journal (Starred Review)
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"A bold, intriguing, intimate read . . . McCammon's poignant book serves as a launchpad to learn more." Kirkus Reviews
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"A bold, intriguing, intimate read....McCammon's poignant book serves as a launchpad to learn more." Kirkus Reviews"[A] clear-eyed look at the mass disaffiliation from evangelical churches and culture in recent years...a lucid picture of life inside the evangelical community and the complicated choice to leave." Publishers Weekly
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"Informative, thought-provoking, and enlightening." Booklist
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"Incisive, clear, and deeply compassionate, The Exvangelicals is a brilliant critique of a powerful cultural movement, and a moving meditation on loving (and eventually leaving) one's roots." Shelf Awareness
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"McCammon renders exvangelicals' search for life after evangelicalism with sensitivity....The Exvangelicals is a welcome addition to the story of faith in 21st-century America." Bookpage
About the Author
Sarah McCammon is a National Political Correspondent for NPR and cohost of The NPR Politics Podcast. Her work focuses on political, social and cultural divides in America, including the intersections of politics and religion, reproductive rights, and the conservative movement. She is also a frequent guest host for NPR news magazines and has appeared on the BBC, CNN, PBS, and MSNBC. During the 2016 election cycle, Sarah was NPR's lead political reporter assigned to the Donald Trump campaign and previously reported for NPR Member stations in Georgia, Iowa, and Nebraska. She lives in Norfolk, Virginia with her husband and two children.