In a new book called Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity, Bruce Bawer provides a thorough review of America's descent into narrow and self-righteous interpretations of religion.

Much of Stealing Jesus explains the story of how this happened, but Bawer does more than just describe the problem. He avoids quick and easy condemnations of fundamentalist beliefs, giving considerable attention to the motives and insecurities that not only make fundamentalism possible, but so disturbingly popular.

Bawer also makes an urgent case for the need to confront and answer fundamentalism on its own ground, not just to dismiss it as a bizarre or temporary phenomenon.

Bawer points out that fundamentalists used to be successfully opposed by educated liberal Christians, but that the secularization of academia and the media in the 20th century has left the them without challengers. Increasingly, the only guidance available to Christian Americans is from the fundamentalists instead of from proponents of more liberal Christian theologies.

Bawer argues that the fundamentalists can be effectively countered with a more realistic and humane view of Christianity.

There can be no doubt that the fundamentalist threat described by Bawer is real. And his antidote, a Christianity closer to its roots in tolerance, compassion and genuine spirituality, can be welcomed by Christians and non-Christians alike.