I am wrapping up my latest book - and need help with a title.
Please read end of this post for sub-title options.
I could use your opinion on which of these titles and sub-titles you think is best!
Here's the 2 title options we are considering right now.
1) Adventures in Churchland
2) Would I Like the Church If I Wasn't A Christian?
This book is a follow-up to"They Like Jesus But Not The Church" - however, this is not directly a church leaders book like that one was. This is what is called a "trade" book, which means it is for the average person, not specifically church leaders as all my other books have been.
This book addresses the same issues that were covered in "They Like Jesus But Not The Church" which is how the church can be or seen as (organized religion, male dominated, homophobic/hateful, judgmental, biblical literalists, arrogant about thinking they are the only truth and true religion). So to some degree it is an apologetics book which addresses these issues. And it is also a book which is both an apology and an apologetic for the church.
On the other hand, it is somewhat of a personal narrative. So it is filled with some personal stories of bizarre experiences and encounters I have had with Christians and the church. I weave my own story of not being a Christian - and how I was in a punk/rockabilly band and I began exploring church and entered what felt like a very, very strange evangelical Christian world. So I share a bunch of stories of how incredibly weird and disconnected I felt to "Christianity" and had to explore these big issues of faith and culture today. It is a book of hope as I try to give ways to respond biblically to these critical issues.
It is written for Christians to give some ways to respond to these pressing and uncomfortable questions about Christianity and the church. However it is written in a way that I believe would not be embarrassing whatsoever to give to someone who has either given up on "church" or is not a Christian. To have something for someone to read that admits both the weirdness and damage that church/Christianity has done at times - but paints a hopeful picture of vintage Christianity and the joy of knowing and following Jesus and why we need the church and why the church needs us.
So... the marketing folks at Zondervan Publishing and I have been talking and we have a few ideas. It is hard to communicate the ideas without visuals quite honestly. With the "Adventures in Churchland" title we have thought of covers that may reflect those vintage "Greetings from..." postcards like seen here. So whatever title we use, the artwork will be significant in conveying the title and vibe. So the title alone is hard to simply say.
But here are two directions we are going in with titles - and certainly can use some help with what do you feel is the better direction.
1) Adventures in Churchland:
subtitle options:
a) How I discovered that we can like both Jesus and the church
b) How I came to like both Jesus and the church
c) Discovering that Christianity is more than a judgmental-homophobic-male-dominated-Biblical fundamentalist-organized religion
2) Would I Like the Church If I Wasn't A Christian?:
a) Exploring Christianity Beyond The Stereotypes
b) Exploring the Uncomfortable Questions about Christianity
c) Exploring Common Objections To Christianity
If you could quickly simply post here which number #1 or #2 for the title you feel is best - that would be very helpful.
And if you want to also select a sub-title (1a... 2b etc.) that would also help or combos or other ideas. But if you could at least quickly say which title 1 or 2, that would be great. We are trying to nail down a title by next week! And then we go into art direction for it.
You can post here on the blog or on my Facebook wall. So if you have a minute, please just give your gut reaction. Zondervan will be reading these and your input is extremely important to me!
Thank you!!!!!
