The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church
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- Author：Sarah McCammon
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Summary
The first definitive book that names the massive social movement of people leaving the white evangelical 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。 McCammon also came to discover that 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 McCammon 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。
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。 McCammon also came to discover that 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 McCammon 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。
Reviews
Laura-Lynne Smith
，
I requested this book because a Bible College professor of mine had recommended Rachel Held Evan’s book Searching for Sunday Loving， Leaving， and Finding the Church and this book seemed similar。 I could relate to many of the stories McCammon told about growing up in an evangelical church in the 80s & 90s。 The discussion of purity culture was very interesting for me & reminded me of how hard it is for people growing up in that to figure out sex in marriage given we are told it’s not ok and then t I requested this book because a Bible College professor of mine had recommended Rachel Held Evan’s book Searching for Sunday Loving， Leaving， and Finding the Church and this book seemed similar。 I could relate to many of the stories McCammon told about growing up in an evangelical church in the 80s & 90s。 The discussion of purity culture was very interesting for me & reminded me of how hard it is for people growing up in that to figure out sex in marriage given we are told it’s not ok and then the act of marriage makes it ok。 It made me sad to read stories of intolerance towards others and it made me so grateful to have grown up in a Christian home with parents who modelled loving others despite differences。 I am glad that exvangelicals still love Jesus even though they may not attend church any more and have found ways to love life outside the bubble。I enjoyed that the author narrated this book。 I think it adds so much to the stories。Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for a copy of this audiobook。 。。。more
Becca Buncie
，
I was very interested to read this book about those people who have left evangelical Christianity。 I did not grown up in an evangelical Christian family， I did go to a Southern Baptist Church and there are many parallels to what is covered in this book。 McCammon， a journalist， describes her own evangelical upbringing and it is very much a fear-based version of Christianity that I recognized。 I appreciate the compilation of stories shared here， and examples of specific childhood religious experie I was very interested to read this book about those people who have left evangelical Christianity。 I did not grown up in an evangelical Christian family， I did go to a Southern Baptist Church and there are many parallels to what is covered in this book。 McCammon， a journalist， describes her own evangelical upbringing and it is very much a fear-based version of Christianity that I recognized。 I appreciate the compilation of stories shared here， and examples of specific childhood religious experiences。 Some of her memories brought forth a sense of déjà vu， yet I did not really connect with the rest of the book。 I thought it leaned a little unnecessarily political at parts。 I would say that if leaving the evangelical Christian community is something you connect with or are interested in knowing more about， then definitely pick this one up。 If those subjects aren't in your wheelhouse， you may find this one a little dense。 I'd also like to note that I think I would have actually preferred this book as an audio book versus a digital galley and would recommend trying that format if you like audio books。 。。。more
Liz
，
This book gave me a lot to think about。 I didn't realize how much I didn't know about evangelicalism compared to Catholicism or mainstream Christianity。 While there were many instances where I was nodding my head as someone who was raised Catholic and is now not religious at all， especially as regards the attitudes toward abortion， rights for LGBTQ+ people， pre-marital sex， etc。， there were also some surprises。 For instance， I truly had no idea how corporal punishment has been embraced by the fo This book gave me a lot to think about。 I didn't realize how much I didn't know about evangelicalism compared to Catholicism or mainstream Christianity。 While there were many instances where I was nodding my head as someone who was raised Catholic and is now not religious at all， especially as regards the attitudes toward abortion， rights for LGBTQ+ people， pre-marital sex， etc。， there were also some surprises。 For instance， I truly had no idea how corporal punishment has been embraced by the followers of evangelical churches。 I also really was somewhat surprised to hear that people in these churches are actively getting the message to get involved in politics in order to advance their churches' agendas。 I don't remember that message being part of Catholicism growing up - in fact， I think I remember， as a 90s kid， the acknowledgment that church and state are meant to be separate， and that part of what makes the US great is that no one can be persecuted for their varied religious beliefs or lack thereof。It was heartening to hear about the people who are growing up and getting out of these toxic institutions that do not make room for all of their members。 I really recognized the world that we live in and the members of the far right in this book， especially when it was shared that people who are steadfastly remaining in evangelical churches who are also very comfortable espousing all of the far right ideology see people leaving the evangelical church as a threat， as persecution。 If peacefully leaving a religion is persecuting those who continue to practice， then it makes sense that these people are not ready to participate in American life or tolerate people who are different than they are - but what I am left wondering is how American society as a whole can move forward。 。。。more
Christine （Queen of Books）
，
I was interested in THE EXVANGELICALS given the place of white evangelical Protestants in American politics。 And this was a thought-provoking read， combining the author's own lived experiences， the experiences of other exvangelicals， and a more sociological （and historical） perspective。 At times， that mix felt seamless and at others， uneven。 The audiobook is narrated by the author， Sarah McCammon， who's a national political correspondent for NPR。 I found her voice faster-paced than the typical a I was interested in THE EXVANGELICALS given the place of white evangelical Protestants in American politics。 And this was a thought-provoking read， combining the author's own lived experiences， the experiences of other exvangelicals， and a more sociological （and historical） perspective。 At times， that mix felt seamless and at others， uneven。 The audiobook is narrated by the author， Sarah McCammon， who's a national political correspondent for NPR。 I found her voice faster-paced than the typical audiobook narrator （so I listened to this at a slower speed）。 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free ALC Of this title for review。 。。。more
Dawn Michelle
，
I finished this book yesterday [3。17。2024] and 24hrs later， my head is still spinning， my heart is hurting and I am in full-trauma recovery-mode。 I am afraid that I will be unable to write a full review for this book simply because every time I try， I burst into tears and the whole trauma-cycle starts again。 I knew going in that this book would bring up some unpleasant memories for me in regards to my time in the evangelical church [from age 10， when we moved in with my grandparents until I fina I finished this book yesterday [3。17。2024] and 24hrs later， my head is still spinning， my heart is hurting and I am in full-trauma recovery-mode。 I am afraid that I will be unable to write a full review for this book simply because every time I try， I burst into tears and the whole trauma-cycle starts again。 I knew going in that this book would bring up some unpleasant memories for me in regards to my time in the evangelical church [from age 10， when we moved in with my grandparents until I finally left for good in 2014]， but had no idea just how deep this book would touch me or how intense my memories were of that time; I am pretty sure that anyone who has had an experience similar to mine will totally and completely understand and would react in a similar way。 I DO think that everyone should be reading this book， especially if you did not grow up in evangelicalism and have friends that did， as it will help you understand them a little more， and if you currently have friends who are the whole evangelical-political spectrum， because it will help with all of that as well。 It is a well-written， eye-opening [even for this exvangelical]， and at times， very painful to read [I imagine it will be so for non-evangelicals as well]， and deeply profound and personal and I am so grateful to the author for being both brave enough and transparent in writing this book。 Talking about life within the evangelical church and the damage it did， is extremely difficult for most of us [and I cannot imagine trying to sort my emotional thoughts and distress into a book]， and I admire her ability to do just that。 I do wish I could garner my emotions to write more here - I often find when people can do that， it helps others as they are navigating an unfamiliar landscape， but at this moment， I just cannot。 Maybe a day will come where things will be less traumatic for me and I will be able to add to this review; we shall see。 Until then， know that I too am among the survivors of trauma at the hands of the evangelical church and that I see you， the other survivors， and join you in the struggle for healing and moving forward。 May we all find peace and healing。 The audiobook for this was excellent。 The author narrates and it was particularly helpful to have her own voice telling her own story and I highly recommend listening to this book [with the book open and a highlighter and notebook at the ready] to get the full experience。 Thank you to NetGalley， Sarah McCammon， St。 Martin's Press， and Macmillan Audio for providing both the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Megan
，
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。*4。5Drawing on her childhood growing up in an evangelical family in the Midwest in the '80s and '90s as well as her time as a NPR reporter covering Trump and the 2016 election， Sarah McCammon uses personal anecdotes to complement her investigation into the mass exodus of younger generations from the evangelical church。 While I don't think this is a perfect book， I do think this is a great entry point to understanding *I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。*4。5Drawing on her childhood growing up in an evangelical family in the Midwest in the '80s and '90s as well as her time as a NPR reporter covering Trump and the 2016 election， Sarah McCammon uses personal anecdotes to complement her investigation into the mass exodus of younger generations from the evangelical church。 While I don't think this is a perfect book， I do think this is a great entry point to understanding this culture shift because the author makes it so personal。 That being said， I think the memoir aspects of the book worked better for me than the attempts at journalistic inquiry。Part of this I think is because the author herself admits that the blend of white evangelicals and right wing politics started well before Donald Trump， yet she continued to write as if this movement started in 2016。 Yes， I think Trump （and the 2015 Obergefell ruling and the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 murder of George Floyd and and and） highlighted this connection and caused a lot more people to start questioning their beliefs， but it's been around for longer than that。Overall， I think a lot of people who have struggled with their faith and its ties to politics， etc they don't agree with will feel very seen by this。 Though McCammon doesn't really offer any solutions， it can be comforting to know others have felt similarly to you。 I also appreciate that she calls out how challenging leaving the church can be because often times the church is your family， community， and social safety net。Though I've never thought of myself as an "exvangelical" mostly because I never associated my religious upbringing with the evangelical church even though it probably was and because for reasons my family always felt somewhat distant from our local church community。 Nevertheless， I still related to this book in a lot of ways that I will continue to be unpacking。 There's a line toward the end where the author quotes her brother as saying it can be hard to reconcile having had a perfectly fine childhood with the need to deal with repercussions of it and when I heard that my brain went "oh。 yeah。 that。" So that's something to talk to my therapist about I guess。 。。。more
Ben
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Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC of this title。This was a weird case where it feels like I've read a lot of the primary sources/recommended further reading from the back material of the book。 I think this does a great job of giving an overview of what this movement is， the reasons it's seen a rise in the last few years， where it's at now， and a little bit of a view to where it's going/what needs to happen next。 As someone familiar， I'd like a little more of the latter， but Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press for the ARC of this title。This was a weird case where it feels like I've read a lot of the primary sources/recommended further reading from the back material of the book。 I think this does a great job of giving an overview of what this movement is， the reasons it's seen a rise in the last few years， where it's at now， and a little bit of a view to where it's going/what needs to happen next。 As someone familiar， I'd like a little more of the latter， but this is very much a primer if you're curious and a good starting point before diving into further info elsewhere。 。。。more
Payton Box
，
Wow this book covered so much and all of it important topics within religion and the misinformation and control around the teachings。 I loved the balance of having multiple interviews alongside the author’s personal experience。 The research was well done and you could tell the author put time into getting this correct。 I didn’t grow up in a religious household but I was raised by religious parents and can see a lot of this in my household and more within the last few years。 This book is going to Wow this book covered so much and all of it important topics within religion and the misinformation and control around the teachings。 I loved the balance of having multiple interviews alongside the author’s personal experience。 The research was well done and you could tell the author put time into getting this correct。 I didn’t grow up in a religious household but I was raised by religious parents and can see a lot of this in my household and more within the last few years。 This book is going to do well to connect those who have left religion or aren’t religious enough for their family。 Very informative read for anyone！ 。。。more
Sherilyn Moreton
，
Giving this a star rating is complicated because it's a memoir as well。。。 But I wrote a big thing about it because I had Feelings。 ---A little while ago I won a Goodreads giveaway and won this ARC （advanced reader copy） of the book - "The Exvangelicals: Loving， Living， and Leaving the White Evangelical Church '' by Sarah McCammon。 I finally put aside time to read it， as I didn't feel ready when it arrived several months ago， despite the fact that I was exactly who this book was targeted towards。 Giving this a star rating is complicated because it's a memoir as well。。。 But I wrote a big thing about it because I had Feelings。 ---A little while ago I won a Goodreads giveaway and won this ARC （advanced reader copy） of the book - "The Exvangelicals: Loving， Living， and Leaving the White Evangelical Church '' by Sarah McCammon。 I finally put aside time to read it， as I didn't feel ready when it arrived several months ago， despite the fact that I was exactly who this book was targeted towards。 The Exvangelicals is an incredibly personal book written for a very specific audience。 Lucky for me， I was that audience。 This book is about McCammon's slow and steady experience with examining her faith and all the things about it that aren't。。。 "right"， including purity culture， same sex marriage， and other things of that nature， 'hot button issues' in the Christian faith。 Sarah McCammon was one of the reporters chosen to cover the Trump election back in 2016， which is where a lot of people saw the rise of Nationalism， and erratic behavior， including the idea that Trump is/was 'chosen by God'， 'God's president'， with some going so far as to call him 'The Son of Man' （it's real， and it's terrifying。 He is a god to them。 The second coming。 How？？）。 McCammon spent her time examining with concern how much sway the evangelical church and their beliefs held over the political right， and I am definitely seeing the same。 It's taken me many years to come to terms with the fact that I am in a similar situation。 The five dollar word going around is "deconstruction"， which a loose definition might be a reexamining of all the things one was taught by a heavy control group and realizing you don't align with all of it as you thought you did。 So many of us were spoon fed these ideas as children， manipulated， taught， terrified， by many of the beliefs in the evangelical church。 Many of us have anxiety disorders now because of the heavy fear we grew up steeped in。 Maybe this is a shock to some of you。 Maybe it isn't。 Maybe some of you are in the same boat as me， and maybe some of you have spoken with me about it already。 Maybe some of us were hurt by the same group， the same people。 You know who you are， and I am grateful for you， and love you very much。 I'm glad we made it， and are still here。 Christianity is on a decline for a reason， and as Christian Nationalism seems to be on the rise， so is deconstruction。 I found myself in the pages of this book， just as I have found myself among other people who are deconstructing their faith and finding something else。 Spirituality， maybe。 Love。 Faith in humankind， if possible。 I'm going to focus on love， and hope。 Those seem to be the things we need most right now。If you have found this post and feel that you need to try to explain to me that I'm going to hell or that I need to get right with God， save it and examine *why* you think you need to say those things to me。 I speak your language。 I know it well。 I've read the Bible。 I've had that personal relationship with Jesus。 If you need to explain these things to me to make yourself feel better， save it。 I know all your words already。 I've carried them for decades。 I don't need to be told what to do to make things better。 The world is in a state of war and terror and reading the news every day gives us something new to be horrified about。 Spend your energy elsewhere， where it matters。 Where you'll make a difference。 Spread words of kindness， of love。 Make donations to organizations that are helping。 Pray， if it gives you comfort。 But that's only the beginning。 Pray， sure。 But then get up when you're done and do something about it to make the world better。 The Exvangelicals is on sale on March 19th 2024。 If it feels like something you may benefit from reading， I encourage you to get a copy。PS: I wrote this post three days ago and put it in drafts because I needed to work up the courage to post it。 After being uncomfortable today and having a visceral reaction to worship music playing in a grocery store， I decided it's not worth holding onto this for fearful reasons。 After all， I wasn't given a spirit of fear， was I？ 。。。more
Diane S ☔
，
Such a strong young woman。 Breaking away from a church that you have been raised in， that your family and friends ， many who are still part of， takes alot of strength。 I was raised Catholic， and in many ways I can relate to some of what she is detailing in this book。 But this is a whole other kettle of fish。 Your whole life is based on church teachings， I say brainwashing， where you are given little choice but to fall in line。 Its very frightening to me， the power of these churches。 This book is Such a strong young woman。 Breaking away from a church that you have been raised in， that your family and friends ， many who are still part of， takes alot of strength。 I was raised Catholic， and in many ways I can relate to some of what she is detailing in this book。 But this is a whole other kettle of fish。 Your whole life is based on church teachings， I say brainwashing， where you are given little choice but to fall in line。 Its very frightening to me， the power of these churches。 This book is so informative and goes a long way in explaining the evangelicals worship of Trump and his agenda and theirs。 If you are curious this is a good book to read because the author was part of this movement and had the courage to leave。 The narration was clear and concise。 Well done。 。。。more
April
，
Some interesting considerations of why people leave Evangelicalism and consideration of how Evangelical teaching and community leads to certain ways of thinking。 I don't think it would be of any interest to anyone invested in these communities， and， as she notes， the negatives don't apply to everyone。 I found that it provided helpful insight。 Some interesting considerations of why people leave Evangelicalism and consideration of how Evangelical teaching and community leads to certain ways of thinking。 I don't think it would be of any interest to anyone invested in these communities， and， as she notes， the negatives don't apply to everyone。 I found that it provided helpful insight。 。。。more
Allison
，
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book。 This was a fascinating mashup of memoir and journalism。 Sarah McCammon， who works for NPR gives us a behind the curtain glance into the world of American Evangelicalism and how the movement based on morality ended up supporting a man （DJT） that seemingly possesses all the traits and behaviors they supposedly abhor。
Rebecca
，
Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。While I thought this was interesting， well researched， and well written， I have no personal experiences in or leaving evangelicalism。 Readers who are looking for information and empathy on that topic will likely find a lot in this book to take in。 Readers， like me， who are curious about the topic from a more "cultural viewpoint" area will also find lots here。 Thanks to the publisher， via Netgalley， for an advance e-galley for honest review。While I thought this was interesting， well researched， and well written， I have no personal experiences in or leaving evangelicalism。 Readers who are looking for information and empathy on that topic will likely find a lot in this book to take in。 Readers， like me， who are curious about the topic from a more "cultural viewpoint" area will also find lots here。 。。。more
Meghan
，
The Exvangelicals: Loving， Living， and Leaving the White Evangelical Church breaks down evangelicalism， mainly white evangelicalism， and the trauma it has caused people， families and politics。 It especially resonated with me because I attended a Christian school for over half of my K-12 school career。 So many of the terms， restrictions， feelings and neuroses Sarah McCammon described in the book were the same things I experienced in my teens and early twenties。 Being the only BIPOC in these space The Exvangelicals: Loving， Living， and Leaving the White Evangelical Church breaks down evangelicalism， mainly white evangelicalism， and the trauma it has caused people， families and politics。 It especially resonated with me because I attended a Christian school for over half of my K-12 school career。 So many of the terms， restrictions， feelings and neuroses Sarah McCammon described in the book were the same things I experienced in my teens and early twenties。 Being the only BIPOC in these spaces added an extra feeling of fear and discomfort。 I appreciated the chapters McCammon devoted to the perspectives of POC and LGBTQ+ who have either deconstructed and left the church and those who have developed a new relationship with God without the human judgments， hatred and hypocrisy of Christianity/organized religion。I highly recommend this book for people who are deconstructing or are noticing the things they witnessed in the church and/or while growing up and questioning their faith。 It's an eye-opening book that kept me riveted。Netgalley provided a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cynthia Archer
，
I found this to be a thought provoking book。 As a member of a traditional evangelical church， （ not of the born again or Pentecostal variety） I was certainly interested in this topic。 There were many things of which I relate described by the author and some of the exvangelicals she interviewed。 The major thing that struck me was the movement of the evangelical church towards a marked political focus。 This was not a thing that I experienced in my younger years in the church。 Our church held fast I found this to be a thought provoking book。 As a member of a traditional evangelical church， （ not of the born again or Pentecostal variety） I was certainly interested in this topic。 There were many things of which I relate described by the author and some of the exvangelicals she interviewed。 The major thing that struck me was the movement of the evangelical church towards a marked political focus。 This was not a thing that I experienced in my younger years in the church。 Our church held fast to a separation of church and state， which I feel is a very good thing both for government and the church。 I have experienced a significant change within the church in the more recent era beginning with The Tea Party movement years and further exacerbated by the Trump era。 This has been hard for me， and I appreciated much of what Sarah and some of the others who were quoted shared about their struggles。 I have as well much concern about this move to insert religion into politics。As a Christian， I did have some issues with some of the more extreme reactions to evangelicalism。 I can certainly see how people have been terribly hurt by the church and family， but I think sometimes people chose a radical reversal as a response。 This saddens me see as it may be embracing a response as a reaction rather than a belief。 The world is sometimes a hurtful place and that includes religion and churches。 I can't lump God into this category even as I question religion's theology。 Some of that may come from age or acceptance of the flaws of all religions， and some from the benefits and blessings I have received through faith and a community that supports me in general。 I found that there were others who as well chose to retain faith even in the removal of their presence from evangelicalism。 I think this is very individual and a part of finding our way within our accepted boundaries。 For me， I need God even if I sometimes question the church。 I felt Sarah did a good job of sharing from all walks without forcing the reader to accept any one truth for themself。 This was clearly a personal story but as well a piece of journalism relating to the topic through the inclusion of many voices。 As such， it was a good book to read about the topic and will certainly provide a look into the increasing challenges facing the evangelical church。 My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title。 。。。more
Lisa Davidson
，
I like books like this that combine someone's personal experience with research。 The author has experienced the evangelical lifestyle， and has been seriously affected by it。 She also sees how it negatively affects so many。Even though there was a lot of negative， it also showed a lot of people's perspectives。 Overall， a fascinating read。Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this fantastic audiobook， which has a really good narrator I like books like this that combine someone's personal experience with research。 The author has experienced the evangelical lifestyle， and has been seriously affected by it。 She also sees how it negatively affects so many。Even though there was a lot of negative， it also showed a lot of people's perspectives。 Overall， a fascinating read。Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this fantastic audiobook， which has a really good narrator 。。。more
Shayla
，
I've been listening to a lot of the Holy Post's podcasts and YouTube channel which is where I first heard the idea of deconstruction and Exvangelicals。 I wasn't raised with a fundamental church background， but attended a couple throughout my college days well into my late 30's and was influenced by it and understood what McCammon was talking about。 Like many people in the book， 2020 was a turning point and I just felt super confused， alone， disillusioned， and knew I couldn't do it anymore。 I wis I've been listening to a lot of the Holy Post's podcasts and YouTube channel which is where I first heard the idea of deconstruction and Exvangelicals。 I wasn't raised with a fundamental church background， but attended a couple throughout my college days well into my late 30's and was influenced by it and understood what McCammon was talking about。 Like many people in the book， 2020 was a turning point and I just felt super confused， alone， disillusioned， and knew I couldn't do it anymore。 I wish I had this book 4 years ago to know it wasn't just me！ All that to say， I'm probably the perfect audience this book was meant for so when it came up as an audio book on Netgalley， I was very excited to read it。 I devoured this book in 3 days which says a lot since I'm not a big non-fiction reader。What I really liked about McCammon's book is how well written it was and how she really brought in a lot of perspectives。 A lot of Christian books I've read are heavily opinion oriented just from one person's perspective。 You can really tell with the writing style that McCammon is a serious journalist from NPR and not just another person with a bone to pick。 She does tell her story and definitely has opinions， but she tempers it with research， poll results， and interviews from others in the same position。 Her overall bent is that the far right Evangelical movement is harmful， but I felt she tried to be very logical and even with that view。 I was able to look up a lot of the people and references she talks about and most are not so logical about that view。 I liked that the book explores many facets including politics， purity culture， LGBTQ+， Women's Roles， and corporal punishment。 I think the hurt people feel is very real and as a counselor， I do like that she spent a chapter advocating for finding professional help from therapists even while acknowledging how hard that can be。The only thing I didn't really agree with is McCammon's conclusion seems to be that there is no place in Christianity， or Evangelical Christianity at least， for people who are not the stereotypical white Evangelical。 While I've certainly felt that pressure in the churches I've attended， I still hold out hope that there is a place for the rest of us- maybe not in my small Wyoming town， but certainly in the Christian world at large。 She instead recommends finding community in other places like the internet or different interest group which isn't bad advice， I guess， but I'm just not ready to give up hope yet。Overall， 5 stars！ I really felt like I understood a lot more and that I wasn't alone because of reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is going through a similar journey or just wants to learn more about what it is。 。。。more
Arianna
，
What I liked:- this was super interesting。 I haven’t read anything by an ex-evangelical before， and I really enjoyed getting a peek into this author’s life。- I liked how the author tied in the implications of evangelicalism and Uber conservative politics。 Her stories from her time writing on the campaign trail were impactful。- as someone who grew up in what I’d call “purity culture lite”， I liked to hear how purity culture has had lasting implications on people’s lives， well into adulthood。What What I liked:- this was super interesting。 I haven’t read anything by an ex-evangelical before， and I really enjoyed getting a peek into this author’s life。- I liked how the author tied in the implications of evangelicalism and Uber conservative politics。 Her stories from her time writing on the campaign trail were impactful。- as someone who grew up in what I’d call “purity culture lite”， I liked to hear how purity culture has had lasting implications on people’s lives， well into adulthood。What didn’t work for me:- my mind wandered a bit during parts of this that I found a little dry， but overall I really enjoyed this memoir。 。。。more
KarnagesMistress
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I don't know what to write。 I don't want to offend anyone。I guess my father was a proto-exvangelical。 Raised in a Midwestern Southern Baptist church， as an adult he had next to no tolerance for charismatic religion。 From what I've since seen， my grandparents' church was on the more sedate end of evangelical。 （It probably has something to do with our otherwise rather stoic farm community。） When I moved to the South for college， I thought "holy rollers，" etc。， were largely made up for entertainmen I don't know what to write。 I don't want to offend anyone。I guess my father was a proto-exvangelical。 Raised in a Midwestern Southern Baptist church， as an adult he had next to no tolerance for charismatic religion。 From what I've since seen， my grandparents' church was on the more sedate end of evangelical。 （It probably has something to do with our otherwise rather stoic farm community。） When I moved to the South for college， I thought "holy rollers，" etc。， were largely made up for entertainment purposes。 Boy， was I wrong！ What I saw in my college town not only reinforced all of the stereotypes， it proved them to be severe underestimations。Here's why all of this matters: my exposure to "real" evangelicals during my college years demonstrated a strong inverse correlation between evangelical identity and I。Q。 To put it bluntly， the more evangelical， the more charismatic， the less intelligent。 （The lower on the entire SES spectrum， in fact。） Now， I know people who have left the white evangelical church， some for the reasons discussed by Sarah McCammon。 However， the people I know should probably not be described as "loving 。 。 。 and leaving the white evangelical church。" "Ran from the ignorant/backwards crazy as if their hair was on fire" might be a better descriptor of the exvangelicals I know。The Exvangelicals: Loving， Living， and Leaving the White Evangelical Church is both heartfelt and scholarly。 Sarah McCammon introduced me to a new group of people， and I feel sad for them。 What impressed me the most was how intelligent， rational， and middle-class everyone was。 Like one of the exvangelical interviewees， I believe in organized religion's ability to provide valuable cultural rituals。 I see how， for good or ill， immersive the evangelical life was for these people。 It is obvious that there would be a feeling of being adrift without its structure。 I wish nothing but the best for the exvangelicals。 They are finally trying to live （ironically enough） the Wiccan Rede: an it harm none， do what thou wilt。 Godspeed。I would like to thank Macmillan Audio for allowing me to experience this NetGalley audiobook。 。。。more
Sarah
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This is a book for everyone who's questioned the world and the views that they've been raised into。 This book is all about seeing things from outside your world views and how that impacts your life。 This is a book for everyone who's questioned the world and the views that they've been raised into。 This book is all about seeing things from outside your world views and how that impacts your life。 。。。more
Rachel Gable
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When I saw this audiobook available on NetGalley， I requested it so fast！ The Exvangelicals by Sarah McCammon covers the whole of her journey from growing up in an evangelical church in the Midwest to her life as a journalist， deconstructing her faith and creating something of her own。 People across the nation have been leaving the church in droves and McCammon uses this book to cover the history of Evangelicals and point out why Christians are looking for something different from the religion t When I saw this audiobook available on NetGalley， I requested it so fast！ The Exvangelicals by Sarah McCammon covers the whole of her journey from growing up in an evangelical church in the Midwest to her life as a journalist， deconstructing her faith and creating something of her own。 People across the nation have been leaving the church in droves and McCammon uses this book to cover the history of Evangelicals and point out why Christians are looking for something different from the religion that's been in place for centuries。 She relates memories from her childhood and young adult years when she began to question her faith to her first marriage and life as a journalist that further showed her a change was needed。 I found this book entirely fascinating due to my own personal journey with the Christian faith。 I related to all aspects of McCammon's upbringing and her doubts of what she believes。 She brings up Christian books that were popular in the nineties and early 2000s that I knew very well and quotes a lot of popular Christian singers from that time that have had a similar journey and I loved seeing that too！ I've previously read all of Rachel Held Evans' books and it was touching to see her admiration for the late author。 This will be a good book for the library！Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Brittany
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This book is a journalistic look at the Exvangelical movement from someone who lived it。 I listened to it because of its cover and thought is was more memoir than a non-fiction book about the movement。 I was unprepared for her to sound like a radio journalist。 But it's because she is a journalist for NPR。 Once I made the connection I was able to follow along better。 I would highly recommend this to anyone unfamiliar with the "deconstruction" or "exvangelical" movement。 Sarah carefully takes us t This book is a journalistic look at the Exvangelical movement from someone who lived it。 I listened to it because of its cover and thought is was more memoir than a non-fiction book about the movement。 I was unprepared for her to sound like a radio journalist。 But it's because she is a journalist for NPR。 Once I made the connection I was able to follow along better。 I would highly recommend this to anyone unfamiliar with the "deconstruction" or "exvangelical" movement。 Sarah carefully takes us through the roots of the evangelical movement and how it intertwined with her life。 Many of us who grew up in the world of homeschooling in the 90's were told to work and government and "take it back" Sarah followed that path all the way out of evangelicalism。 I wish this had more of her personal story， but maybe that is a separate book to come at a later date。 I constantly paused the audio to write down articles， books and people she mentioned along her journey。 I will be buying a hard copy to have on hand。 。。。more
Johanna Haas
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This book was very interesting。 It was written by and looks at the evangelical life by one who lived it and left it。 Her story is intertwined with the stories of other people who have left the evangelical church for different reasons。 The book is gentle on the church， while also critical about its faults。 While I was listening to the audio， my husband came in and sat， transfixed， listening to the rest of the book with me。 It is a good story， well told。
Jeni
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The Exvangelicals was a balance between being McCammon's memoir and a study in how those raised in the evangelical church are impacted。 While McCammon shares a bit about her upbringing in the church， she also bridges the gap by quoting others who are dealing with their break from evangelical churches。 She speaks with those who are still Christians and those who have left Christianity altogether。 I found her perspective to be interesting。 She acknowledges the positives of the evangelical movement The Exvangelicals was a balance between being McCammon's memoir and a study in how those raised in the evangelical church are impacted。 While McCammon shares a bit about her upbringing in the church， she also bridges the gap by quoting others who are dealing with their break from evangelical churches。 She speaks with those who are still Christians and those who have left Christianity altogether。 I found her perspective to be interesting。 She acknowledges the positives of the evangelical movement， but also loops that in to explain why it contributes to the trauma of leaving the church or "deconstructing" as many call it。 。。。more
Cheryne
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one of my few non-fiction reads and， even more rare， a faith-related read。 only recently have I felt ready to read on this subject matter and I’m so glad it was this one。 Sarah McCammon， a journalist and NPR correspondent， shares others & her own experience in leaving the white evangelical church。 it felt so validating to hear SUCH similar experiences & thoughts from someone who grew up and out of these spaces。 whether you feel like an exvangelical and/or someone who is deconstructing or decolon one of my few non-fiction reads and， even more rare， a faith-related read。 only recently have I felt ready to read on this subject matter and I’m so glad it was this one。 Sarah McCammon， a journalist and NPR correspondent， shares others & her own experience in leaving the white evangelical church。 it felt so validating to hear SUCH similar experiences & thoughts from someone who grew up and out of these spaces。 whether you feel like an exvangelical and/or someone who is deconstructing or decolonizing their faith， it can easily feel isolating when you divest from a familiar place of identity。 I’m not too familiar with resources like this but this read helped me feel less alone in these thoughts & experiences。 McCammon talks about the familiar names I used to revere and the resources and voices I’ve come to gravitate towards now， like Stephanie Stalvey’s illustrated comics on purity culture & Tyler Burns & Jemar Tisby’s podcast Pass the Mic。 this isn’t a vengeful pile of reasons why people left church （it could have been but maybe that’s a discussion for another time）。 this well researched journey reads less like a textbook and more like the collective experience that left so many feeling unsettled in white evangelical spaces。 if you’ve felt any ounce of cringe or discomfort from evangelical christian spaces growing up or looking back， this might be worth a read to see if something resonates。 I hope more stories， studies， and resources like this one continue to get published and end up in the hands of those who need it。 。。。more
Rebecca
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This book， y’all。 I thought I had processed my childhood experiences with religion， but this book made me recognize that I have only scratched the surface。 I was particularly moved by the discussion of religious trauma’s physical manifestations。 Light bulb moment！ A quote that left me crying in my car occurs when the author is describing a conversation she had with her ex-spouse: “We’re not hurting because we broke the rules。 We’re hurting because we followed them。” Going to gift this to all my This book， y’all。 I thought I had processed my childhood experiences with religion， but this book made me recognize that I have only scratched the surface。 I was particularly moved by the discussion of religious trauma’s physical manifestations。 Light bulb moment！ A quote that left me crying in my car occurs when the author is describing a conversation she had with her ex-spouse: “We’re not hurting because we broke the rules。 We’re hurting because we followed them。” Going to gift this to all my fellow wilderness wanderers。 I see you。 。。。more
Sam
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Withholding a formal review until SMP takes accountability。 #speakupsmp
Grace Tomasweetie
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It is no easy thing to talk about the subject of this book: the quiet voice that lingers in the minds of those who grew up in an evangelical sphere during the past generations。 It’s never kind & never sounds like God， but men who wish they WERE God。 It sounds a lot like shame。 The amount of trauma that was & is dealt by hands that should reflect Jesus’ own scarred ones is horrendous。 As someone who grew up in a very similar way to the author （though with parents who were CERTAINLY not as severe） It is no easy thing to talk about the subject of this book: the quiet voice that lingers in the minds of those who grew up in an evangelical sphere during the past generations。 It’s never kind & never sounds like God， but men who wish they WERE God。 It sounds a lot like shame。 The amount of trauma that was & is dealt by hands that should reflect Jesus’ own scarred ones is horrendous。 As someone who grew up in a very similar way to the author （though with parents who were CERTAINLY not as severe）， I resonated with so much that was said here in the Exvangelicals。There are many important topics brought up in this book to make those who are reflecting on their church & faith experience feel seen & understood。 The interviews & different takes bring a wide spectrum of understanding to a multifaceted issue。 I loved the emphasis on the spectrum-like nature of looking at “deconstruction”。 As someone who DOES still believe in God， but who just resents certain aspects of the westernized Church， there was no aura of utter hatred for God or Christianity， just critiques & introspection。 The reminder of the lack of love many groups receive from a body of people， who’s literal functioning is to be the arms & feet of a Christ who chose to love the poor， the broken， & the the outcasts of his day， fuels me with pain。 The author does a wonderful job at describing the issue at hand， & also the thoughts & feelings of those who are walking with the aftermath of it。 Relatable & poignant， I believe this book will be an excellent addition to the conversation that is deconstruction。I’m grateful to have been able to listen to this。 May we remember the tables that Jesus sat at: with “sinners”—with those he loved。“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise， & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty。” -1 Corinthians 1:27Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for this arc & the chance to read this book。 。。。more
Kappy
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Wow。 Just Wow。 This was personally one of the most insightful books I have ever read。 I understand not everyone will relate at the level I did， but for anyone interested in current politics and why Christians support an unsavory leader， perspectives on race， religion， and identity， this book clearly lays it out。 Thank you， Sarah McCammon。
Christina
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🎧Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook of The Exvangelicals。 This book was healing for me in ways no other book could be。 Although Sarah is a decade older than me， she grew up in the midwest （Kansas City） at the height of the 80’s-90’s evangelical movement， same as I did。 It’s almost eerie how similar our childhoods were。 And since then we both have journeyed away from evangelicalism and would consider ourselves “exvangelical。” This book was part memoir and part journa 🎧Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC audiobook of The Exvangelicals。 This book was healing for me in ways no other book could be。 Although Sarah is a decade older than me， she grew up in the midwest （Kansas City） at the height of the 80’s-90’s evangelical movement， same as I did。 It’s almost eerie how similar our childhoods were。 And since then we both have journeyed away from evangelicalism and would consider ourselves “exvangelical。” This book was part memoir and part journalistic essays on evangelicalism， with interviews from those who have left。 What fascinated me most about this book was Sarah’s astute observation that the people who primarily have left evangelicalism recently are the ones were the most ardent and devoted followers growing up。 They’ve become disappointed in how evangelicals have aligned with the far right after decades of saying we should be like Jesus。 The Republican Party is so far from Christlikeness that it’s left many wondering whether they were lied to or it was a sham all along。 It’s the hypocrisy and thirst for power among evangelical leaders that pushes millennials like us out。 I feel this， deeply。 Every story Sarah shared and Sarah’s own personal journey resonated with me immensely。 Sarah works for NPR now and her journalism skills were perfect for the job of describing the current exvangelical dilemma。 I highly recommend this book if you’ve been on your own journey of deconstruction and growth after growing up in evangelicalism。 Matt and I both listened to the audiobook， which was a fantastic medium because Sarah used her NPR voice to narrate the book。 。。。more
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the exvangelicals loving living and leaving the white evangelical church