Stuff Christians Like

Over the last 20 years, a growing trend in comedy is to make humorous observations on everyday stuff (think Jerry Seinfeld, Ray Romano, and Kevin James). Jonathan Acuff, Creator of StuffChristiansLike.net, provides a similar style of social commentary, with a focus on evangelical Christianity. I have been an admirer of his work for the past 2 years, and when I heard Jon was writing a book, I was ecstatic. His book, Stuff Christians Like, provides the same wit and humor found on his site, but in a smaller and more portable version.

Acuff spends a great deal of time making humorous comments about Christian quirks. I found myself laughing out loud on virtually every page. His smart little quips and unending creativity is captivating, making you wish you had named a puppet ministry “Strings of Mercy” (p. 72). From someone that has grown up in the church, I loved how I could personally relate to many of these experiences. Some of my favorites include the roles within a prayer circle (p. 53), suddenly realizing you own too many Bibles (p. 149), occasionally swearing (p. 26), and pressing your eyes during prayer (p. 118).

Acuff also provokes you to think about the evangelical Christian culture. I was personally convicted when he notes that Christians often say “I’ll pray for you,” but then forget about the request. He comments on how Christians are “Slightly Less Nice than Mormons” (p. 27), people judging others for being judgmental (p. 19), and lay people wishing they had an easy job like working in a church (p. 115).

This book provides refreshing insights into the wacky quirks of evangelical Christianity. For pastors, you can see (accurate) stereotypes that others have of Christianity. For those who grew up in the church, this book helps you relive your childhood, both the good and the bad. For those who are not followers of Christ, this book helps show that Christians are far from perfect; we are judgmental, petty, and dysfunctional.

Rating: 9/10