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Travis VanVoorhis Mr. Harrell English Comp. 16 Oct. 2013 Building The Bridge in Uncharted Water In the book The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinners Semester At Americas Holiest University, author Kevin Roose purposely puts himself in a difficult situation when he attends Americas holiest university. Throughout the book Roose finds reasons why Liberty is complete opposite from what he is used to, but he also finds reasons why Liberty students are more like him than he had anticipated. There are many events that drew Roose closer to Liberty; almost to the point that he liked it. Many times when Roose just wanted to get out of there. Ultimately, because of events like the anti-gay moments, the idea of purity, his trip to Florida, and his relationship with Falwell, Roose was able to bridge the gap between the secular and holy. The first event that has maybe the greatest importance in his autobiography is when Roose first attends Thomas Road Church. Roose meets a few Liberty students and realized he had no idea how to interact with them. Roose writes, I replay those fifteen minutes over and over in my mind. Every time, I got more frustrated with myself. Why wasnt I able to hold down that conversation (9)? Roose knew that in the real world, these are people he may work with, or live next to someday. Why couldnt he hold a conversation with them then? This is the initial event that sparked the idea of going to Liberty for a semester. This event is the very reason Roose wrote The Unlikely Disciple.

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One of the first events that changes the way Roose feels about Liberty is when he meets Anna. While Roose is talking to Anna he realizes that although she seems like a typical Liberty student, she is not like he thought. Roose writes, She talks candidly about her distaste for our schools strict rules (Liberty is a pretty ironic name for this place huh?) and gives me good advice for getting settled (56). She also explains to him certain ways that he can get away with certain things. Roose learns that there are many students who do not follow the Liberty Way, and not only do they not follow it but they hate it. This is completely different than Rooses initial thoughts of Liberty students. The idea that some Christians live similar to the way he does is new to him, and I think this helps Roose to want to learn more about Christians. Roose goes into his Liberty adventure wanting to learn about every aspect of Liberty students lives. In the beginning Roose writes, Do they date (10)? When Roose meets Anna it opens his eyes to the way Liberty students interact and have relationships. This also helps Roose understand more about the view of other Liberty students. The relationship topic gets brought back up again at Valentines Day, or as Roose learns, the National Day of Purity. Roose writes, But at Liberty, romance has its limits, because today also doubles as the National Day of Purity, a conservative Christian holiday designed to promote abstinence before marriage (69). This is completely different than a secular college. Roose is used to pre-marital sex being accepted as the norm. The idea of abstinence is a big part of many students lives, and that affects the way Roose has relationships at Liberty. Now contrary to abstinence, Roose finds out not all Liberty students are that way. Roose writes, I know so many girls who have had sex, she said. Even some of my best friends (202). Roose realizes now that relationships for Christians are a lot more like secular than he at first thought. Finding out about relationships are important to Rooses experience because it

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opens him up to the students more. It helps him not feel so out of place. Learning that some Liberty students do have sex, among other things, is way that Roose bridges the gap. One topic that occurred many times throughout the book that affected the way Roose felt and interacted with people was homosexuality. The topic made Roose feel so out of place that he wanted to leave. One example is when Roose writes, Dont even talk like that he barks. I hate faggots. If something like that happened to me, I would do something about it. I would snap somebodys neck or something (108). Its ideas like these that Roose is against, and neither side is going to change their minds. When it comes to gays there will be no understanding or bridging the gap. This is just one way that Roose will never fit in with at Liberty. This affects his experience greatly because there are some people, such as Henry, that Roose cannot get close to because of it. Roose learns more about an issue that he is sensitive to from Pastor Seth that he wouldnt learn from students. Roose writes, He clarifies: same-sex relationships and homosexual acts are defiantly forbidden under The Liberty Way, but the university doesnt automatically expel gay students (183). Roose now realizes that there are some gay Christians. Before he thought all Christians despised gays. This is important because Rooses goal is to learn about the Christian views and culture, and this is a major part of the Christian view. I think meeting with Pastor Seth was important for Roose. Roose writes, Im actually sort of excited about being Pastor Seths disciple (138). This was important because Roose is trying to bridge the gap between the Christian and the secular world, but he was only looking at the students views. Meeting with Pastor Seth opened his mind to some new ideas and gave him angles, on Liberty and certain views, that he wouldnt have had without Pastor Seth. Roose would not have got the same experience by just befriending Christians; he needed to get more in depth with the actual religion

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and living it. Pastor Seth helps him do that. One issue that Pastor Seth helps Roose with is lust. Roose writes, I mean, I look at girlslustfullysometimes (214). Pastor Seth says in response, Its a widespread struggle (215). This is important because Roose is struggling with a common Christian problem, so by getting help he gets to experience a Christian problem. It brings better understanding of the lifestyle Liberty students live. Rooses experience at Daytona Beach for Libertys spring break missions trip was very eye opening. Roose writes, I felt a familiar intrigue, the one that brought me to Liberty in the first place (146). This is important because it gives Roose a look from the Christian side. The whole time Roose was studying Christianity from a non-Christian view, but now he is on the Christian side looking at the non-Christian. Roose learns that Christians face many challenges from many people. Roose used to think that Christians judge others unfairly, but the same goes for non-Christians. Roose writes, Well, I dont want to hear it, thanks very much. Man, the Bible-thumpers are the ones you gotta watch out for. Theyre some sick assholes-no offense (153). This is typical of many of the responses they got in Daytona Beach. People are not very kind, or willing to listen to the Liberty students. Roose sees that spreading Christianity is not an easy task. Roose starts to get angry when he realizes how hard it is to evangelize. Roose writes, After this rejection, I start to get angry. How could Scott make evangelism seem so easy? Doesnt he see that this is torture (157)? Roose starts to show frustration from being rejected so many times. It shows Roose how committed you must be to your faith to evangelize. Going on the trip makes Roose have a little more respect for those who continue to spread the word despite all of the criticism and rejection. Roose learns that the struggle Christians face is the same one that gays, blacks, or any other minority face. Roose writes, By the end of the week, you get the point-you are going to be mocked for your faith, and this is the way its supposed to be (163).

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Roose sees that being a Christian is not easy, and criticism is very common. Just as Christians frown upon homosexuality, many people frown upon Christianity. A major reason Roose came to Liberty was because Jerry Falwell intrigued him. But Roose didnt know whether he liked Falwell or not, and he did not know how to feel about him. Roose writes, Spending time alone with Dr. Falwell in his office hasnt made me convert. When I look at him, I still see a man who has used his charisma and razor-sharp business acumen to spread the worst form of religion (260). Rooses feelings about Falwell do not change very much after meeting him. This surprised me, I thought after meeting Falwell Roose would understand Falwells point of view a little better than he did before. Although Roose still does not like Falwells ideas, he does understand why he is so loved by many. Roose writes, Realizing that Dr. Falwell isnt a fraud-as troubling a notion that is-has helped me solve one of the greatest mysteries of this semester (261). Who is Jerry Falwell? That is one of the main things that Roose has been wondering this whole time. Had Roose never meet with Falwell, the semester at Liberty as successful as they were for him. Learning more about Falwell was very important to Roose, and there was no better way to learn about him than to meet him. After Falwells death Roose draws a lot of attention because he was the last person to interview Falwell. Roose writes, I am having conflicted feelings about the article I wrote for the Champion (298). Roose was unsure about how he felt about his interview with Falwell, and now he is even more confused. Even though Roose doesnt know how he really feels about it, or Falwell, he still becomes the unlikely disciple. Roose had no intentions of becoming a disciple of Falwell. Roose came into this project to learn more about Libertys disciples, not become one. Overall, Rooses time at Liberty was a success. He set out to find out more about Christians, and Falwell and he did both. I think his understanding of it all is still a little unclear

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now, but it was a good experience. All of the things that happened showed Roose different sides of Liberty, but in the end, he realizes the gap is not as hard to bridge as he had thought.

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Works Cited Roose, Kevin. The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinners Semester at Americas Holiest University. New York: Grand Central, 2009. Print.

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