I Sold My Soul on eBay, by Hemant Mehta

Now here's something you don't see every day.  In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen it: a book by a professed atheist published by a Christian publisher.  WaterBrook Press stepped out into some interesting territory by publishing Hemant Mehta's I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith Through an Atheist's Eyes.  Mehta, the self-described "friendly atheist," wants Christians to be better Christians, and wants churches to be better at representing Jesus and his teachings.  For I Sold My Soul, Mehta visits churches around the country and reports back here.

The premise for the book is rather amusing.  Mehta realized that although he was an atheist, he didn't have much exposure to Christianity.  He decided to explore the Christian faith, but wanted to document and share his experiences.  After hearing about eBay auctions of the grilled-cheese Virgin Mary, and the guy who auctioned off his forehead as advertising space, he thought  eBay would be the perfect venue.  He offered the auction winner the right to determine where Mehta would go to church; every $10 would get one hour in church.

The winning bidder, Jim Henderson, had long been paying atheists and other non-Christians to go to church, sort of like a secret shopper service for churches.  So Mehta's project was a great fit.  Henderson sent Mehta to churches around the country, a mix of large and small, famous and not-so-famous.  Mehta took extensive notes and records his experiences and critiques.

Many of Mehta's observations are quite humorous.  His book is helpful in that, as the subtitle suggests, we  can benefit from looking at our church culture through the eyes of a total outsider.  One Sunday he realizes that two churches he attended read the same verses of scripture.  The pastor explained the use of the common lectionary.  But what about the fact that both churches sang "Open the Eyes of My Heart"?  That's just a popular song, she explained.

Mehta's suggestions and reflections frequently reflect his ignorance about the church and biblical teaching, but he does offer some ideas worth considering.  To an atheist, the most important expression of church, as a social organization, is an impact in the community.  I don't agree, but I do agree that churches should have an impact on the community as an outpouring of the Spirit's work in them.  He thinks we sing too much, but we know that worship through song is integral to biblical worship.  On the other hand, he observed many who arrived late for church, missing the singing, or didn't participate in the singing, as if singing were just a warm-up for the "main event," the sermon.  That sort of rudeness irks him (and me, too, sometimes!).  He also says churches show "a lack of sensitivity to nonreligious people."  He's right, that we should always be seeking to build healthy relationships with people who are not Christians, and we should have civil dialogue with those with whom we disagree, but I think the exclusive claims of Christianity will be offensive to any who are not Christians.

There are some good nuggets of truth in Mehta's book, which can help us to be more effective in reaching unbelievers, but Mehta's writing calls out for a response.  At many points, he expresses his perplexity at some point to which any Christian could bring clarity.  I hope someone filled him in on what he was missing.  From an entertaining premise (hiring oneself out for worship attendance) to a worthy goal (helping churches become better churches), Mehta can help you become more aware of how you relate to that stranger in the next pew.

For more info, including an excerpt, visit the publisher's site.