Jesusland touched on many of the experiences that I had in church in the early 90's with updates both cultural and political as she is coming at this 15 years later. This made the book for easy reading as I didn't have to strain to understand what she was talking about.

I don't think enough was done to understand "why" certain things were being taught or conducted the way they are. Everything was shown from the perspective of the recipient and context for how we got there was never offered. Perhaps the closest we got was the chapter on the end times in which the Book of Revelation was unfortunately and consistently called "Revelations".

There are numerous books coming out to critique and deconstruct the church of our youth. This isn't the worst nor the best.

A rare DNF for me the author seemed to not add much beyond a rehashing of the pop culture at the time. Got about 50% through and realized that trading on negative nostalgia just does not do much for me.

Joelle Kidd's first book, Jesusland, is a personal memoir of her growing-up years. Her engaging account easily pulled me into her world (the pop-evangelical Christian subculture of the 1990 to early 2000's). The book is reminiscent of Kristin Kobes Du Mez's "Jesus and John Wayne," to which Kidd often touches base. The difference is that Du Mez writes as a historian. Kidd writes her experience as a memoir with a journalistic flair. She is returning to the scene of her school-aged experience with evangelical Christianity - trying to make sense of it all. She picks up some of the literature of that time to help her process and reminisce. From Narnia to the Left Behind series to Focus on the Family's Brio Magazines and beyond, she digs through the layers of evangelical culture that left their mark on her adolescence - for better or worse. Having experienced the same culture, albeit as an adult and a Youth Pastor at the time, I nodded my head often while reading. Sometimes I rolled my eyes. Looking back on the popular, commercial Christian culture of the 1990's leaves one wincing. Some of what Kidd's generation experienced in the church culture was done for the right reasons, hoping to inspire faith and discipleship in the next generation. It must be admitted, however, that money and politics played too large a role.

It is fascinating to read Kidd's experience with it all. She is not your typical evangelical kid from that time period, emigrating from Eastern Europe to Canada - and attending Christian school. While the book is a memoir of sorts, it is also a not-so-veiled allegation against evangelicalism. Kidd comes across as one who purports to have outgrown the cringeworthy, damaging errors of her upbringing to discover the Promised Land of left-wing freedom. As if there will not be memoirs written in days to come besmirching what is happening to adolescents in our current moment. Kidd avoids preaching, and leaves the reader to strike the final gavel.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Kidd's perspective. As one who was brought up in the evangelical culture of the 70's and 80's, I have also had to sort through some of the commercial debris of that time. At the bottom of the bathwater, however, there is a baby. I pray for Christian Kidds of the 90's, that they will be able to deconstruct and reconstruct their faith in the genuine Jesus Christ.

Thank you to ECW Press via NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this review.

In Jesusland, Joelle Kidd writes about Christian pop culture and the Canadian evangelical climate through the lens of her own adolescent experiences in the early 2000s. Blending cultural criticism, religious studies and personal memoir, Kidd shines a light on this subculture and provides insight into how evangelical activities of twenty years ago shape broader North American social and political contexts today.

I came to this book primarily due to my own interests in the history of pop culture. Although the book dovetailed from this idea to broader discussions on evangelical issues, I found the combination of subjects both interesting and illuminating. The nine included essays vary in tone, from musings on the Christian movie business, to poignant explorations of purity culture.

Kidd writes about religious doctrine and activities in a way that is approachable for all readers, whether they have a background in Christianity or not (my own is shaky). Kidd moves between personal anecdote and fact seamlessly, providing the reader with an emotionally charged yet educational reading experience.

I particularly appreciated reading about this topic from a Canadian perspective. Although less outwardly boisterous, evangelicalism is still alive and well in Canada, so it is interesting to learn more about what's going on in my own country.

Brilliantly written book about North American Christianity and from the author who grew up in it. American Christians are seen as quite bonkers and you can see it creeping into the UK where there are several variations of Protestantism. The tears, the holding hands, it just screeches American.

I had the (mis)fortune of attending such a service once, my fault, because an ex-NFL player was giving a talk and I just didn’t put the two together despite a word of caution from someone close to me. I believed it was innocent but the minute he said non-believers were all going to hell was the minute I realised I’d lied to myself. He even sang and I wanted to cut my own head off.

You know what makes me really mad? People who have ‘found God’ after living a life of debauchery. You can’t tell me they didn’t have fun for at least a part of it. They’re partied out and people are slagging them off so the next step is ‘the Bible’.

The fame and money hasn’t quite reached American proportions but ‘tithes’ are in operation and quite a lot too. The whole thing just reeks of hypocrisy which is well covered in the book. I really enjoyed this read because although it’s widely known (American Christianity) it’s still nice to have my beliefs reaffirmed. Whilst it’s not good to hold grudges, sometimes holding a grudge against the crazy American Christians is rather mood boosting.

Great read.

Formerly growing up in a youth-group going, Christian "WOW" listening family, I struggle with my feelings about the church. My faith hasn't wavered, but over the past few years, I've really questioned the values I learned as a kid and have taken a long, hard look at the "Christians" I grew up with. This memoir really hit the nail on the head and made me realize I'm not alone in this confusion! Kidd has a powerful and engaging writing style with just the right amount of humor to make it feel conversational and relatable. I know this one will be a hit upon publication day - thanks so much for the ARC!

Jesusland is set for release on August 12, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to an advanced digital copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I believe I’ve seen the relatively mainstream Christian pop-punk band Relient K eleven times. This itself made me an ideal candidate for loving this book. As a former youth group kid who now leans politically left, this book picked apart what it was like to attend church in the early 2000s, and why many no longer do.

Part memoir, part study in millenium-era evangelism, this book takes a critical look at what was a profitable time for Christianity. The early 2000s saw the rise of the megachurch, churches expanding into merchandising, and Christian music hitting mainstream airwaves; God’s messages were prominent in music, film, retail, and schools.

In 1999, Kidd moved from Eastern Europe back to Canada, where she attended a religious school and was immersed in Christian culture. She looks back on the media she was exposed to, from Bibles taking the form of glossy teen magazines to the Passion of the Christ movie and the Left Behind book series.

Now an adult, Kidd has reread some of the things she was introduced to as a child and can now see their messages for what they are: Often hateful rhetoric toward women and queer folk, lacking the depth and humor she found in them as a child.

“Today, when I look back on the 2000s pop culture of evangelical Christianity, I see something dangerous: The subtle (or at times, very loud) messages of shame and hatred that it carried under a sugary-sweet coating.”

The book is split into nine essays, each tackling a piece of Christian pop culture in connection to the author and the world.

I probably highlighted more passages on my Kindle from this book than I ever have, from lines that made me laugh (the author referring to Christian music as WOW, NOT WHAT I’D CALL MUSIC), or cringe (Recalling a 2002 segment with Christian comedian Chonda Pierce lovingly cooking with her son in comparison with a 2023 clip of Pierce rolling her eyes at her “liberal snowflake” son), or think, as I did with this line about the church and money:

“I felt an oppressive sense that money had its claws in everything — that capitalism’s inescapability had made it impossible to divorce the essence of Christianity from the business of Christianity.”

Kidd’s breakdown of purity culture took me right back to being a teen and watching my best friend constantly reminded of the importance of purity because her boyfriend (now husband) attended youth group with us. (He did not get the same level of reminder.) Her points about the church’s view on women and sex, specifically that sex was not to be something they did for enjoyment, made me pause. And her explanation of how “martyrdom” is woven into the very fabric of Christianity could have been a book itself.

I could sincerely turn this into a 15-page review based on all the smart and hilarious points that Kidd made, but I will instead urge you to read this if you’re someone who is currently or has previously deconstructed your faith. Maybe, like me, in part because you are now a parent trying to figure out how faith fits within your family. (Kidd is not a parent, but I found most, if not all, of the book to be helpful from the perspective of a mom hoping her daughter is not subjected to purity culture in the same way I was.)

If you went to church and youth group because you were aiming to be a good and “godly” person, but left feeling guilty about how you dressed, if you’d read Harry Potter, how much you tithed, and whether you went trick-or-treating, this book is for you.

As a final note, the book ends on the subject of Israel and Palestine, and I need to point out that my review is not considering this chapter. It’s not that I disagree with Kidd or even that I don’t find her research complete, but that I simply don’t consider myself educated enough on the subject to share my opinion. I’ve tried to do my own research and asked my history-obsessed husband to explain it to me like I’m five at least four times, but my neurodivergent brain which has always failed to remember important aspects of history has failed me over and over and has once again.

I leave you with one more quote:

“Questioning Darwin offers a fairly nonjudgemental view of believers in creationism and so-called creation scientists, merely granting them space to air their beliefs. One interviewee, a pastor named Peter LaRuffa, offers this explanation of his strict adherence to Biblical truth: ‘If somewhere within the Bible, I were to find a passage that said 2 + 2 = 5, I wouldn’t question what I’m reading in the Bible. I would believe it, accept it as true, and then do my best to work it out and to understand it.’”

An exploration through 2000s Evangelical pop culture with a side of memoir, Jesusland felt a little like talking to a friend about what a weird time and culture that was to grow up in. For the uninitiated, Evangelical Christianity had a whole industry of media: music, books, movies, comedians, all specifically religious, to glorify God, to keep good Christians (especially kids, I think) from going astray. And in retrospect, yeah, that was a really, really weird time. My family didn't super buy into it, but I heard tons of messaging about how you shouldn't listen to secular music, you needed to guard yourself from the secular world, all that. Why on earth would God judge your merit as a Christian by what kind of music you listen to?
But I digress. This book provoked a lot of thought and reflection and is, in my opinion, a really good read for people re-evaluating their faith as adults, and unpacking what that was all about. Kidd goes through the whole spectrum, starting at Christian pop stars, discussing magazines published for teenagers, the weird thing that was boys' Bibles and girls' Bibles, purity culture, Christian comics and where that has gone, and the general Evangelical mindset that shaped our lives, best summed up (in my opinion) in the idea she pointed out that Evangelicals both want to rule the world and be persecuted.
It was also reassuring to read this book, to hear that my doubts were shared, that my concerns were not mine alone, especially at a point where I am considering my faith. All in all, I really liked this book and am probably going to be thinking about her points for a good long while.

Jesusland is a great blend of cultural criticism and personal memoir. It’s thoughtful and funny too. A wide range of subjects are covered in depth with the added bonus of content and examples from the US and Canada. If you were a part of North American evangelical Christian culture in the early 2000s or you want to gain some insight into how this seemingly fringe subculture has risen to such power and prominence, this book is for you.

I picked this up while I was waiting to pick up a library book as I thought a non-fiction would be easier to put down.

But I didn’t put it down at all.

I was intrigued by this but wasn’t sure it was for me. I find North American Christianity fascinating but completely unrelatable. I was brought up Catholic but am very much non-practising now.

The first chapter on music absolutely hooked me in. This world is so alien to me that I only found our Relient K - a band I enjoyed in my teens - were a Christian band last year.

I found this utterly fascinating though my favourite chapters were the ones on music, magazines and film and I did find my interest waned in the other chapters.

A perfect mix of personal memoir and retrospective of a world I knew very little about.

4 stars.

This book was so eerily familiar to my childhood. A very insightful read! Highly recommend to anyone who lived the Evangelical life during the early 00’s.

3.5 stars

The copy on this is that it covers Christian pop culture, specifically as it existed in the early 2000s, but there’s a LOT more than Veggie Tales and DC Talk here, which actually makes the book a bit uneven; some chapters are macro, some are micro. Kidd definitely (I think, she’s younger than me, but it appears there was a lot of stuff and she doesn’t even go into the church youth groups, which are HUGE in church culture…or they were for me and I was brought up a Southern Baptist LONG before there were WWJD bracelets.) could have actually filled a whole book with just the pop culture aspects, which is what I thought this would be, but she goes much, much broader on some topics.

Anyway, Kidd was raised an evangelical Christian and was a teenager in the early 2000s. She had lived a fairly secular life in Eastern Europe til she moved to Canada in 1999 then landed smack in the middle of an evangelical school. Soon she was not only getting used to a new country she was faced with Christian girl bands, modest styling tips and was out of step with the mainstream.

In focusing on different areas of pop culture Kidd wants to be clear that some of these things, like purity balls, we’re not victimless crimes. For example, the abstinence quizzes in the Christian teen magazines lay the foundations for attacks on women’s healthcare, gay and trans rights and they create right wing monsters…welcome to America 2025. And the problem is much worse here than in Canada where a far higher percentage of people describe themselves as evangelicals.

Anyway, the book wasn’t exactly what I expected, and a lot of it I had read before, but I still found it worthwhile. Took me awhile to get through it, though.