Rating: 
Summary: Bias shows, but generally decently researched
Review: Bruce Bawer's anti-fundamentalist bias shows itself numerous times in this book; as a self-admitted homosexual, while he doesn't focus overly much on fundamentalist issues with gays, he still shows a tendency to generalize about all fundamentalists when in fact, as legalistic as they all are, they are NOT all a bunch of extremists. There ARE fundamentalists who can show great amounts of love, whether you're one of the "saved" or not, who don't interpret every last line of the Bible as literally true (I know two who think Pat Robertson is wonderful but who nevertheless believe in evolution) and who haven't turned Jesus into a Rambo-style warmonger. Still, it's a decent read and well-researched, in my opinion (and I've been watching and researching the fundies for over fifteen years now so this is not a new issue for me). His profiles of BNFs (Big-Name Fundamentalists) like Pat Robertson and Ralph Reed are right-on. His dissection of fundamentalist belief, when he's not overgeneralizing, is right-on as well. It's easy to see why the fundies are so annoyed with him...in countless cases he hits their issues squarely on the head. There is little refutation, in my opinion, of his contention that fundamentalism by and large IS anti-intellectual, prejudiced and bigoted, and contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Don't rely on this book alone to form your opinions on Christian fundamentalism, but it's a great addition to your library.
Rating: 
Summary: Pre-judging the Issues
Review: Mr. Bawer, in his Law/Love dichotomy, is deaf to the expressions of love one encounters in the fundamentalist churches, and equally deaf to the scalding comments made in the liberal churches. He takes the popular stereotype and cites what evidence he can find. Some of the evidence is informative and intriguing, but the book as a whole doesn't hold up. As a person who argues frequently and forcefully with fundamentalists, I could have been expected to be prime audience material for this book. But I dislike its central premise, that Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild is the "real" Jesus, and any contrary verse quoted by others is only a suspect aberration. What Jesus is he reading in the NT?! The hugely grandiose claims combined with his clear humility -- the condemning confrontation juxtaposed with the rescuing gentleness -- these are what make Jesus difficult to fully grasp. Apparently, Bawer can only grasp one-half of the equation. It is certainly true that if Jesus visited any large collection of fundamentalists today, He would have a long sermon to deliver to them. Unfortunately for Mr. Bawer, this isn't it. This is Bruce's sermon. A spanking good dose of another Anglican layman, C.S.Lewis, would serve folks better.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment.
Review: Although I am not a fundamentalist, I still have my Apostles' Creed-based belief holding that YHWH is a person, not some ``universe power'' you can draw from. Bawer apparently does not.This book is, although slightly more intelligent than, still barely saved from, a stringed-together of name-calling, movie reviews, gay sentiments, and notes from web-surfing. Total disappointment. I was expecting a Christian Left which still holds true to the divine inspiration of the Bible and Apostles' Creed Faith free from arbitrary subjectivity. But Bawer is just as too self-righteous, self-sufficient, and self-justified as the Right he criticizes to do such. I believe such a Christian Left is still possible, though. How does Bawer explain things such as the pillars of cloud and fire, the burning bush, the abomination of idolatry, and basically the whole Old Testament, given that YHWH is not a person? Metaphors? Poetry? Why _not_ miracles? This mystic, new age like, humanist ``religious'' view just annoys me. All in all, this is a stupid book; its only value was to provide a glimpse of the denominations and history of the Church in the U.S., but I am sure there are way better books for this purpose than Bawer.
Rating: 
Summary: A redeeming defense of non-legalistic Christianity
Review: This book is a lucid, succinct, and poignant critique of fundamentalism and its various derivatives. Bawer does an excellent job juxtaposing legalistic Christianity with non-legalistic Christianity. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has been talked out of his or her faith by fundamentalist depictions of God as an amoral, capricious, and wrathful being. Bawer redeems the term Christianity in many respects. I was a little disappointed, however, that Bawer focused his criticisms on such easy targets. It doesn't take a Biblical scholar to figure out that Pat Robertson is more focused on his own ego than on anything that remotely concerns God or Jesus. Based on my friendships with numerous Catholics, I also found fault with his caricature of Catholicism. In sum, the book is a worthwhile read. Recommended to me by my girlfriend, who is currently attending seminary, I hope that more Christians concerned with various fundamentalist and anti-intellectual forms of Christianity read this book and encourage others to do likewise.
Rating:
Summary: All Christians Should Read
Review: It is true that the author's tone about Catholicism can be dismissive, but this is probably due to his unfamiliarity with Catholic philosophy, which doesn't fit neatly into his Protestant "Law-Love" spectrum. However, as a Catholic, I still found his analysis of Fundamentalism extremely shrewd. Millions and millions of Americans are members of fundamentalist "Bible Christian" churches, yet the most important theme of the New Testament--God's Redeeming Love-- has no place in Fundamentalist theology. Instead, the Fundamentalists have transformed God into a kind of Pagan Vengeance Deity who beams his "wrath" on those who don't buy into their modernized, Americanized pseudo-Christianity. If Christianity continues to evolve in the Fundamentalist direction, it won't be long before Jesus himself barely recognizes it. Bawer's lesson is this: Fundamentalists ought to actually sit down and READ their New Testaments in a spirit of Christlike Love. And not just the fragments of Scripture that their Pastors talk about all the time, but the whole thing. They might be surprised by what they find.
Rating: 
Summary: An eye-opener. All Christians should read this book!
Review: I have struggled with the question "is the Bible literally true" all my life. I could not reconcile the loving God preached about in churches, to the vengeful God who would condemn those who would question. As I read this book, particularly the chapter entitled "No More Gray" where he describes a typical legalistic church service, it mirrored exactly all experiences I have had in the various churches I have attended. I have never been able to find one that I could truly feel at home in, and as I read this book, I finally realized why. Christian churches have become far too political and inclusive, and offer little to no comfort for those seeking the truth of a loving God. I commend Bruce Bawer for his meticulous research and the courage to challenge legalistic Christianity for their misuse and corrosion of Jesus' name for the sake of money and power.
Rating:
Summary: Church of Love has more power than Church of Law
Review: Bruce Bawer's title intrigued me; I had had some similar thoughts myself while I was researching early Christianity for a novel I'm writing. How have the teachings of Jesus become lost and ignored, while the very evils he warned against are being committed in His name? Bawer's book is a real eye-opener. Most amazing, however, is the loving tone he achieves, even as he presents a keen objective analysis of religious life in America. Clearly the Church of Love has triumphed over the Church of Law in his experience, and he offers us hope that the new millenium can hold such an authentic spiritual experience for all of us.
Rating:
Summary: A Caveat to Catholics
Review: The author does an excellent job of describing how Fundamentalists "steal" Jesus and make him theirs and theirs alone. However, Catholic Christians should be warned that Bawer's representation of their faith, ironically, manifests the same sort of ignorance and narrow-mindedness that one encounters among Fundamentalists. He provides several examples of interactions with Catholic Christians from his youth--most of them severely negative. He also misrepresents the Catholic Faith's teachings on Works by describing them as actions committed for the purpose of winning "Divine Brownie Points"!!! This sort of talk would be worthy of any anti-Catholic Fundamentalist, and it is a shame that Bawer--an advocate of liberal tolerance--cannot liberate himself from his own dangerous stereotypes and misconceptions about the Catholic faith.
Rating:
Summary: a very thought-provoking book
Review: Bawer's book is well thought-out and thought-provoking. I am an agnostic, and Bawer pinpoints precisely the main problem I've always had with Christian doctrine, namely: a) God is all-loving. He IS love. He loves all human beings unconditionally. b) God has chosen not to provide us with proof of His existance or nature c) If, in the face of this lack of proof, a human comes to incorrect conclusions about religion, God will condemn that person forever to a fiery Hell. I simply cannot reconcile these three premises with each other - I cannot imagine what kind of loving God would do these things. Bawer emphasizes Jesus' message of selfless love as the essence of Christianity, and that makes sense to me. There *are* contradictions in the Bible, making it difficult to believe that every word is literally true. And he points out, correctly, that even "Bible inerrantists" DO for all practical purposes accept some passages over others. Some may use the few biblical admonitions against homosexuality as the basis for supporting policies of discrimination against gays, but may at the same time be wealthy and not feel compelled to give away all their money, as Jesus advised. Not all Christian wives "submit themselves unto their husbands as unto the lord." There are plenty of other such examples. So, given that, why not read the book critically and THINK about which parts you believe and why? So why only four stars? I agree with what others have said here. He is guilty of stereotyping and over-generalizing "fundamentalists". There are many who ARE loving and who DO pay more than just lip-service to Jesus' comandment to "love thy neighbor as thyself." The book would have been so much stronger if he would have acknowledged this fact and not attempted to paint all "legalistic Christians" with the same (very unflattering) brush. But overall, well worth reading. It'll make you think, whether you agree with him or not.
Rating:
Summary: MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON THIS ONE
Review: The writer makes some good points throughout Stealing Jesus, however, I found some inconsistencies: As long as we're talking about love, let's be sure and remember that Jesus taught us to Love our Enemies, right? I've never read any derogatory text on Hal Lindsey, and I was one of those who read his books in the early 70's. I didn't even know that he was a fundamentalist! And lastly, I'm not a big fan of Robertson, but as for his only accepting those who agree with his theology, there was an article in Charisma Magazine a couple of years ago (I still have the copy) on Protestants and Catholics. In one of the articles, Pat robertson and Chuck Colson were reported to be working towards unity in these two groups. All in all, it is a very interesting and evidently con- triversial book. It certainly was informative regarding the history of fundamentalism.
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