by Kevin Roose
First published 2009
Kevin Roose faces a problem. As a liberal Brown University sophomore from a secular family, he discovers a vast divide between himself and evangelical students from Liberty University after a chance meeting. Instead of dismissing this gap, Roose makes a bold decision to transfer for a semester to Liberty, the late Jerry Falwell's conservative Christian institution in Virginia. At this 10,000-student campus, Roose must navigate classes like Evangelism 101, follow the strict 46-page "Liberty Way" conduct code, and blend in with students who call themselves "Champions for Christ." His undercover investigation takes him through prayer sessions before every class, guest lectures by figures like Mike Huckabee and Karl Rove, and choir practice at Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church. Roose attends a support group for masturbation addiction recovery, experiences evangelical hip-hop concerts, and joins a spring break mission to Daytona Beach where students attempt to convert partying college students. Throughout his semester at this "Bible Boot Camp," Roose grapples with questions about his own beliefs while conducting what becomes Falwell's final major interview. This immersive experiment becomes both a personal journey and a bridge across America's culture war.
Genres: christian, american, contemporary, non-fiction, biography-memoir, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, undercover
Setting: Brown University, Liberty University, Virginia, Daytona Beach
Period: 21st-century
324 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing (NY/Boston)