Between growing up in the evangelical world and covering the Trump campaign, Sarah McCammon certainly had the background to write this book. I believe her journalistic credentials allowed her to present a balanced viewpoint. Though I was not raised in an evangelical religion, I was drawn to them as an adult until becoming disillusioned with the scandals and hypocrisy. It was interesting to learn so much more about figures such as James Dobson and Joshua Harris. In fact, I could see many parallels between the evangelicals and Jehovah's Witnesses. We all need to be more respectful and accepting of people's differences. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

I wish I could shove this book into so many people's hands to tell them that there is a way out and there are people who can help you!

The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon

Part memoir part sociopolitical study - this book was meticulously researched and showcased the author’s investigative journalism skills. This author used her own experiences and pulled from other Evangelical followers’ experiences to illustrate the exvangelical movement.

We’ve all heard the adage - never discuss religion and politics… but this book did both. Because Evangelicalism is more than a religion, this book explored the Evangelical church and politics, racism, sexuality, trauma, discipline, and education (to name a few).

The author did a great job forwarding the discussion about deconstruction and some of the reasons that it is happening. I found her to be very respectful of religion while also sharing some critiques. I would’ve preferred more memoir instead of the heavy-handed journalistic “current events” lens. I was expecting something more along the lines of Educated by Tara Westover, but it was not.

I would recommend this read to those who enjoy books that are written in a journalistic way or books that explore religion and culture. Check out trigger warnings before diving in and take care of yourself before, during, and after reading.

I actually read this in ebook for mat and also listened to the audiobook, in hopes that the author's story or experiences or general point of view would become clearer, but it did not. It felt disjointed, like a random collection of essays about the same topic as opposed to a coherent narrative with a thruline. I was actually confused by the end as to what the narrator's feelings were about the Evangelical church.

arah McCammon, the author, is a reporter for NPR. She grew up in a very conservative, evangelical home, attending Christian school and college, where the Bible was infallible, science didn't matter, free choice didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was what her pastor, her teachers and her parents taught her. When one's belief system allows no skepticism, no allowance for change, it makes it more plausible that one will only accept the “facts” that suit your narrative, regardless of their accuracy. Many stay because if they leave they will be shunned, abandoned by all they have held dear for their entire lives. She had a grandfather, ostracized by her family. He was a scientist, gay and an atheist. She was rarely allowed contact with him because he was seen as a sinner.

When she went out into the real world, her beliefs were put to the test. McCammon was a reporter following Trump as early as 2016. Their beliefs should have lined up, right? McCammon started to see the cracks in the Christian evangelical movement.

She uses a lot of her own life story and experiences to tie into the greater leaving from conservative evangelical churches. Churches that do not welcome anyone seen as "different" from what they have been taught to believe or force out those whose lifestyles are not on the approval list. These churches often lack compassion, concern for fellow man and follow Trump as their lord and master, all the while holding up the Bible as the infallible word, forgetting what the New Testament taught about loving and caring for others.

McCammon is preaching to the choir with this work. Perhaps it will make those who have left or are thinking of leaving more comfortable in their choices and make them feel less alone.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for my advance copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

MY REVIEW:
Growing up in an evangelical family in the Midwestern US in the 1980's and 90's, Sarah McCammon was immersed in a world of obedience to God and to her religious tradition as interpreted by its leaders. As she grew and matured, she began to see the dissonance between that worldview and her own experiences and observations, a process that eventually led to her joining an increasing number of individuals from her generation and others declaring themselves to be Exvangelicals. This book is an engaging combination of memoir and investigative journalism for all audiences, ranging from the curious to those who find themselves somewhere along the same journey as McCammon.

As someone who was raised in an evangelical tradition, I found SO MUCH to relate to in this book. McCammon's reflections and discoveries were interesting and factual--and seeing that someone else also went through what I did and has had the same reaction to it validated my own experience as well. The combination of memoir and investigative journalism helped put into words my personal journey, helping step back and put into words in an impersonal way what I and so many others have felt. I did not at any time feel that this was a "church-bashing" or even "preachy" work, rather a respectful and responsible reflection her own story as a case study of a larger socio-religious journey--a case, if you will, for why so many people leave evangelicalism. Each person experiences spirituality and society through their own worldview, and I especially related to McCammon's observations on her own.

Triggers: religious triggers (much of the book is centered around these, including various types of abuse)

It felt like this book couldn’t decide if it was journalism or memoir and so it missed the mark on either. I did find it interesting regardless and will recommend it.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I was expecting more of a memoir and less of a journalistic view at this topic. I found my mind wandering often.

I thought this was going to be a memoir. I thought I’d get a better understanding of the author’s personal experience and emotional state as her views changed. She included some anecdotal segments, but this did not have much depth, as far as one human being goes.

So, what is this? It’s investigative journalism. I’ve read (or partially read) a couple other books written by journalists that were presented as memoirs and I’ve been sorely disappointed. When I pick up a memoir (or what I believe to be a memoir), I want authenticity and vulnerability. I don’t want information reported to me. After a few chapters of this, my frustration was growing, but I managed to get over it because I finally recognized that this was actually quite good, despite not being what I had anticipated.

For the record, I do like investigative journalism. I just don’t like it when it pretends to be a memoir.

Anyway, enough of that particular gripe. Let’s talk about what made this book shine.

Sarah McCammon covered a multitude of problematic areas within the evangelical church structure, but not necessarily to convince the reader that Christianity in itself is bad. She remained respectful of religion/religious beliefs. She simply reported on the harmful aspects of the evangelical church that psychologically traumatized her and many other individuals. She illustrated with specific examples (such as purity culture) and included quotes from a number of people who were negatively affected by the Christian church and/or Christian family they grew up in. Some have walked away from the faith completely. Others have found ways to separate themselves from toxic teachings while maintaining their love for Jesus and trying to build on an authentic foundation of that love.

McCammon’s book provided me with a lot to consider while helping me process some of my own experiences surrounding the church. She was, in my opinion, fairly gentle with her criticisms. I do not mean to imply that she didn’t take a firm stance. She did not, however, aim to dehumanize the people who had harmed her and others. She acknowledged they were trying based on what they genuinely believed, which certainly doesn’t exonerate them. I believe she was, at least, aiming to not fuel hatred, and whether she was successful will depend on individual reader perception.

I do believe the content will resonate with those who have been trying to heal from spiritual abuse, whether they consider it weaponized or simply misguided, and that this book may help guide them through that process.

I am immensely grateful to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for my copies. All opinions are my own.

I picked this book up because it was personally relevant to me, I struggle, personally, with the term exvangelical, because it can mean so many things to different types of people.

Some people leave the evangelical church because they were hurt by the un-christ-like behavior of the constituents, but they still believe in God.

Some people leave the evangelical church because the church has sided with Christian Nationalism and other unsettling political movements.

Some leave the church because they don't believe the Bible is infallible; they have a more liberal view of who God is, but they still embrace some type of spirituality that is personal to them.

I left for none of those reasons. I left because I don't think the religion makes any sense, and I have seen no proof that God exists. I much prefer living a life completely free of all forms of spirituality. Spirituality gives me anxiety.

I have had trouble finding books about this recent movement from people like me, who left it ALL behind. This book, however, I think does a good job of acknowledging the broadness of the trend. Several stories are presented from different people who left the church. The book focuses more on our shared experiences of growing up in the church and less so on how we've reinvented ourselves since then. I kind of like that; even though we ended up going in different spiritual directions post-Christianity, we can all relate to the discomfort of growing up in purity culture, etc. These stories are validating to someone who has been through them, and informative for someone who never understood why people go to church in the first place.

This is a really valuable intro to the topic of folks who have left the evangelical church, and I was honestly a little surprised at how closely I found myself identifying with some of the grief and narratives that McCammon described, even though my deconstruction from liberal Catholicism on the surface isn't anything like what these folks were going through. I never had my information restricted, was always taught evolution concurrently with my religious studies classes, and had enthusiastic debates with my parents and classmates about every topic under the sun. But that feeling of trying to figure out how the world makes sense and where you fit in it now that you've realized that you don't believe what you always thought was the truth is just such a profound feeling of betrayal, I'm really glad that I read this book.

I also really appreciated McCammon's contextualization of the conservative political beliefs of many evangelicals in the history of the movement going back to before she and I were ever born. I just can't help but comparing it to Tim Alberta's "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory," which I also read earlier this year. I found that book (which was, admittedly, trying to do something ENTIRELY different than this book!) super frustrating because Alberta kept trying to trace the issues he was talking about back to the mid 2010s, as though this were a recent trend, instead of recocking with the long history that McCammon has correctly laid out.

If you have deconstructed out of evangelical expressions of Christianity, I think there are many aspects of this book that will feel very relatable.

Journalist Sarah McCammon seeks to provide an overview of the phenomenon known as "exvangelicals", a large and growing group of people leaving evangelical culture in search of better expressions of faith or the freedom to leave religion behind altogether.

Considering deconstruction culture is largely online, Sarah McCammon interviewed a swath of folks in the online deconstruction space, almost all of whom I recognized by name. My key critique, however, is that of the 30+ people she pulled from, there were only 7 people of color referenced at all, four of them being exclusively featured in the chapter on racism (chapter 8, the first time we see any person of color featured in the book entirely). For two of the individuals, the author doesn't mention they are people of color; it would be up to the reader's initiative to find these people on their own to gather that their perspectives are distinct from the traditional exvangelical narrative.

Furthermore, at the end of the book, the author compiles a list of resources - books and podcasts - for the reader's benefit; of the 57 listed, only 8 are by people of color.

Considering the author is a journalist for NPR, she clearly understands the importance of seeking out context and alternative perspectives to fill out a story. The lack of diversity of perspectives and background in this book is disappointing. While it is true that mainstream evangelicalism is largely white and therefore, mainstream exvangelical culture is largely white, the lack of diversity in this broad survey of exvangelical culture means that so many voices are falling through the cracks - voices that are necessary and vital to helping move theology and church culture towards more healing and liberating orthopraxy.

Again, this book felt very relatable, as one who has left evangelicalism. But overall, this was a very surface-level overview of what felt like a largely singular perspective of exvangelical culture and left quite a bit to be desired.

I've followed Sarah McCammon's reporting at NPR for the last several years, and always enjoyed the way she explored the religious aspects of the rise of Trump. So I was very excited to learn she was writing a book about her own experience growing up Evangelical and leaving the church.

In the book, Sarah McCammon captures so clearly what the experience was liking growing up an Evangelical home and church between the late 80s and aughts. She includes details that brought back so many memories for me that at times I had to set the book down and take a breather. The book is written as a mix of personal memoir, journalistic explanations of historical trends, and interviews with others on a similar journey. That makes it extremely accessible and readable. I appreciated that the book also ended on a hopeful note for those of us who are on our own deconstruction journey.

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

At its core, this book is a memoir, however it includes insights from many notable voices in the exvangelical space and it is highly researched and well-cited. The author worked as a reporter for NPR during the 2016 election, which gives her a unique perspective in discussing how these events built up steam for the noticeable decline in the evangelical church in the U.S. The book discusses several issues within the church, such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and scientific misinformation that lead many of its members to deconstruct from their faith. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in this social movement and how it has affected individuals and communities.

Pairs Well With:

Cosplaying for the Lord’s Army
The “Good Christian Fun” podcast
Fractured family relationships

Memoirs from former Evangelical, deeply conservative, or fundamentalist believers are catnip to me, and McCammon’s experience is no different.

There’s a heavy emphasis on Trump’s impact on the Evangelical and Exvangelical movements. I don’t think that’s a fault, but as someone who has been immersed in these trends for years, that wasn’t what held my interest.
Where I really connected with McCammon is the anxiety that we both felt as children who were taught that it was our responsibility to save our friends from going to hell. I remember youth group trips where we were pushed into public spaces and told to evangelize to folks on the street. There were talks of “quotas” in our meetings - the stress that put on a 12 year old and the lingering shame of trying to convert our friends and classmates is something that left a shadow over both our adult lives.

I really appreciated the resources section that McCammon tucks into the end of the book too - there’s a ton here that not only helped me in my decision to walk away from the Church, but also supported my learning how to talk to people about that decision without causing more pain than intended.

Thank you to ST MARTIN’S PRESS FOR THE ARC - OUT 19 MARCH!

This book had SO MUCH information, almost to its detriment. It was very difficult to read at times, which led to me reaching out to the publisher for an ALC (which I am very thankful to have received). Physically reading this book felt like a little too much for me and could have possibly taken three months. While it was all good content, I like to be able to read more than one book every three months. The audiobook was so helpful and got me through this book in no time. If you are usually a nonfiction reader, I am sure this will be an easier read for you. For me, it felt a little like dissertation.

I found myself highlighting a lot of passages that I found I related to or would want to look back on. Seeing the parallels of the conservative Christian reaction to the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal vs things Trump has said and done was shocking. I was hardly born when the scandal and impeachment happened, so naturally I wouldn’t remember any of the reaction firsthand.

“It is easier to blame the person who is leaving the environment than it is to self-reflect.”

I think people still involved in the evangelical church would benefit greatly from reading this book. There is essentially a list of issues they could address and places to do better laid right out.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m feeling a lot right now, but I’ll try my best to parse through all these feelings.

I had to stop reading The Exvangelicals about a quarter through because I felt like I was drowning. The premise is fascinating and I’d love to learn more about this group I fit into, but this was just information overload. It’s too academic and not personal enough. Honestly I didn’t feel smart enough to understand anything the author was talking about or the connections she made. Hmm. I loved her ideas though, and I’ll definitely be looking more into the exvangelical movement!

The Exvangelicals by Sarah McCammon was also narrated by her and she did a great job.
I gave this 4⭐️. She shares her personal journey with Evangelical Christianity and talks about the deconstruction that’s taking place in our churches today. I’m familiar with Joshua Harris and Rachel Held Evans stories and it all broke my heart.
Thanks St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

This book is published by St. Martin's Press. I am currently boycotting St. Martin's Press and its imprints for its lack of taking a stand against its employee who spoke racist, harmful things against Palestinians being murdered by Israel. Therefore, I will not be posting a review at this time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me advanced reader access. This title publishes March 19, 2024.

McCammon uncovers a lot of elements of the Exvangelical experience. Mostly it is a memoir surrounded by others’ stories. While she cites the many reasons people have left organized Christian religion, it is not an analysis that any one or two reasons are driving the biggest portion of the exodus. She does an admirable job showing how “evangelical” transformed from a way of living Christ’s gospel into a political movement from the 1970s on. The author notes many American cultural movements originating in the early 1990s that may have created the inflection point of a significant increase in the “none” or “unaffiliated” categories of religious survey respondents.

If you had to describe the themes, it would be that the reasons for the decline of people practicing Christian principles and participating in church-led discipleship might be: evangelicals hypocrisy-=decrying President Clinton’s character flaws while overlooking President Trump’s by Dobson, Falwell Jr and other prominent spokespersons—in a naked ploy to affect influence and gain political power; a lack of empathy for people’s experiences in sexual identity and racism; a focus on the militant side of spirituality—a life and death struggle against fleshly vices and supernatural evil manifestations; and a total distrust of academic, scientific and media authorities while establishing an alternative, parallel set of academia and media—tele-evangelists, radio/tv networks and exhortation to “do your own research.”

Maybe this last was inevitable as we learn more about scriptural interpretations and hermeneutics that have called into question traditional understandings of scripture. But a staunch defense by evangelical leaders of tradition, not scripture, perhaps is a perverse reaction to such purely academic explorations like the Jesus Seminar of the 1980s and 1990s—who would vote on the authenticity of certain verses. A distaste for sexuality has been a carryover from some Greek philosophy that espouses the goodness of the spirit and the badness of the flesh. Similarly, a reliance on our own reason may be un-Christian, while a reliance on God’s guidance is more pure. Thus, trust in earlier forefathers’ understanding of scripture and cultural practices is good while new insights into historical context and linguistics is bad.

As to the first theme of hypocrisy, it doesn’t take much to note that most sermons excoriate sexual immorality but overlook the leaders’ and congregant’s wallowing in greed, envy, divisiveness, quarrelsome and so on. These are, according to the writer of the New Testament epistle Galatians, disqualifications for inheriting the kingdom of God.

For those who want to understand the inside of the living in what might be called a paranoid-schizophrenic body of believers, this book is helpful along with Jon Ward’s memoir and analysis that was recently published.

I appreciate the opportunity to preview this book by the publisher and NetGalley.