Review: In the Land of Believers by Gina Welch

Title: In the Land of Believers: An Outsider’s Extraordinary Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church
Author: Gina Welch
Released: March 2, 2010
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
Pages/format:352 (Hardcover)
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Source: I purchased my copy.

Quick Synopsis: Atheist Gina Welch recounts her experiences at Thomas Road Baptist church, where she went undercover to find out what Evangelicals are really like.

Full-Length Synopsis:

Ever since Evangelical Christians rose to national prominence, mainstream America has tracked their very move with a nervous eye. But in spite of this vigilance, our understanding hasn’t gone beyond the caricatures. Who are Evangelicals really? What are they like in private, and what do they want? Is it possible that beneath the differences in culture and language, church and party, we might share with them some common purpose?

To find out, Gina Welch, a young secular Jew from Berkley, faked a conversion experience and joined Jerry Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church. Over the course of nearly two years, Welch immersed herself in the life and language of the devout: She learned to interpret the world like an Evangelical, weathered the death of Falwell, and embarked on a mission trip to Alaska intended to save one hundred souls. Alive to the meaning behind the music and the mind behind the slogans, Welch recognized the allure of evangelicalism, even for the godless, realizing that the congregation met needs and answered questions she didn’t know she had.

Note: Evangelicalism is often loosely defined nowadays as a political culture or conservative school of thought. Contrary to this common misperception, an Evangelical (capital E) is a person who believes in the inerrancy of Scripture, particularly that the only way to attain salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, by grace. This accurate definition is what I am referring to when I use the word Evangelical in this review.

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When I read the book’s synopsis, I knew In the Land of Believers would, at the very least, be riveting. Which is why I plunked down $16.50 to buy it off of Amazon the minute it was released. I was right, it was riveting. But after two weeks of being glued to the pages, I came away unsure of how to rate a book like this. I felt a gamut of emotions while reading–intrigue, humor, pity, repulsion, compassion, embarrassment–and sometimes I was downright offended. All in all, it was extremely eye-opening to view Evangelical culture and belief through the eyes of someone whose beliefs are the polar opposite of my own.

Positives: The biggest plus of this book is Welch’s writing style, which is quirky, intelligent, and thoroughly engaging. Few writers stand out in my mind as having styles 100% their own–Max Lucado, Anne Rice, Charles Dickens, and now, Gina Welch come to mind. Welch’s wry humor (when not directly offensive to my faith) sat well with my New England upbringing. I was also impressed with Welch’s dedication to her undercover project, going to far as to jet to Alaska with a small missions team from Thomas Road, and even help lead a little girl to Christ–whose divinity Welch doesn’t even believe in. The lengths that Welch went to made the book much more interesting than your typical “I went to church and observed thus and thus” story. She got involved, formed deep friendships. At least as deep as she could when she was lying about her identity. Unscrupulous and unethical? Yup, and I sure wouldn’t do it. But it makes for a rip-roaring read.

Negatives: Welch undertook this undercover quest in part to challenge the unabashed arrogance that many liberal atheists show towards Christians and their faith. Yet she displays this same arrogance, sugar-coating it with her observation that Evangelicals are nice, well-meaning people. One glaring example of Welch’s arrogance is her conclusion that “If somehow Evangelicals were forced to co-exist with gay people–if everyone who came out didn’t immediately have to flee to a less closeted place–Evangelicals would eventually learn that their ideas about gayness were wrong. Their opposition to homosexuality would go the way of their opposition to suffrage and school integration.” Um. Excuse me? Sorry, but I’m pretty sure segregation was more of a north vs. south deal. Devout Evangelical Christians were some of the first abolitionists and most ardent supporters of integration. Oh, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions of African Americans, both from the pre and post slavery age, held Evangelical views. And I’m pretty sure they were against segregation.

This (and other) gaffes aside, Welch still seems to view all Evangelicals as closeted, unrealistic, confused people who, were they exposed to the “real world” more often, would undoubtedly accept her sound reason that there is no God, no afterlife, no absolute truth. Likable, sure. But a pitiable and undereducated lot nonetheless. This ignorant stereotyping really got my goat, and bumped down Miss Welch’s rating from four stars to three. I’m glad I bought the book. It sits on the third shelf of my bookcase at home and I intent to keep it there. It’s a fascinating piece, and for all of Welch’s ignorant misconceptions and faulty conclusions, her report of the people, places, and events she experienced during her time at Thomas Road is something Christians can learn from.

About Gina Welch:

Gina Welch, a 2001 graduate of Yale University, teaches English at George Washington University. Her writing has previously appeared in Meridian and Time Out New York.