A Lost Generation
A Review of More Lost Than Found by Jason Herd
What distinguishes Jason Herd’s book from other books discussing the missing generation in most American Churches is that Jason is talking to those who have dropped out while others are talking about them.

It is probably for that reason that Mr. Herd writes on a familiar and non scientific level, meaning, in part, that he doesn’t build his story on statistics. It is also why some of his writing is not theological but relational.

This is not to say, as one reviewer declared, that Mr. herd is a theological liberal. In my opinion, there is nothing in the book that suggests a liberal theological bent. To answer one of those accusations I refer to the quote on p. 89, “Christianity in its origins was about the ideas that Jesus taught, about a new way of connecting with God through what Jesus taught.” One reviewer says this is a serious error because Christianity is about what Jesus did not what he taught. That kind of thinking has actually led to the great immaturity of the American Church. Many people are trying to do what Jesus did without the power of the message. Both the message and the action are important.

I found the book to be a good evaluation of American culture and the church culture--a culture based on appearance and illusion. His chapter entitled “Painting over the Mona Lisa’ is especially helpful in this regard.

There was one section that made cringe and that was chapter 10 subtitled , why myth is not a four letter word. We are still living too close to the demythologizing of the Bible for the word myth not to be fraught with undertones of untrue or not real. The word story would have been a more appropriate word to young people who are really looking for a good story.

I may not use this book as a reference but it was a helpful reminder that there are people outside the walls of the how will not climb over those walls to get inside. To reach the uncharted we have to know where they arte and reach them. This is, I believe, what Jared Herd has been doing in his ministry and what he is trying to do with his book.

I received a copy of this book from Booksneeze in return for writing a review. I was not asked to write anything favorable rather just to be honest.