Deidre Reilly. The Pretend Christian. CrossLink, 2020.

The title The Pretend Christian might suggest to many of us a kind of religious hypocrite: someone who acts the part but whose life really is something else. That is not really what this book is about. It is the author’s own testimony presented in artfully written vignettes from her life.

Some chapters involve her thinking questions that all philosophers consider; for example, one chapter title is “The Problem of Evil.” Another suggests something more lighthearted: “Can Religion Cause Rashes?” Regardless of the specific incident or topic, readers should be able to empathize, if not identify, with the author.

She writes that her family attended church until she was about eight and then lapsed until she was about sixteen. In her teens, she went to a youth group party sponsored by the church. She says the kids were friendly, the couple who hosted were lovely, but someone decided to play a Bible trivia game. She was embarrassed because she knew nothing of the Bible. We get it. No one intended any harm, but she felt left out.

Another time later as an adult, she witnessed an event that was an answer to prayer and can only be described as a miracle—God overriding the natural order. (Read the book to discover it!) That proved to her that He was real, but was it enough for her to start following Him?

Each chapter presents a problem, normally a problem Mrs. Reilly faced, but one which most readers can probably relate to on some level. All the while, she is questioning God. Does He exist? Is it worth becoming a Jesus follower?

Notice even here, church language can mystify or alienate some people. I could have asked the question this way: Is is worth to become a disciple of Jesus? What does that mean? Weren’t there just twelve disciples? Is the word disciple related to discipline?

One thing stood out to this reader. Mrs. Reilly had four grandparents who were all committed Christians. She knew they were real about their faith. And she saw how loving they were. There had to be something to this belief. But what about those church scandals and embarrassments?

Not only does Reilly tell her story well, but she is aware that she might have different people in her audience. Each little story ends with two observations, one she calls for the Searcher, a person like her in much of the book who has questions and may even be turned off by Christianity. The other is for the Christian, the Bible believer who perhaps needs to see something about the way others see him or her or the way other people understand or misunderstand the faith.

We also see the importance of family in faith—not just the believing the grandparents but also others who perhaps understand some things a bit differently. By the end, the readers feel she has found her place, both in a church and, more importantly, in the Kingdom of God.