Kevin Roose, Author of ‘The Unlikely Disciple,’ to Speak at Ashland University

9/13/12 ASHLAND, Ohio - Kevin Roose, author of “The Unlikely Disciple,” will speak at Ashland University on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in the John C. Myers Convocation Center on the Ashland University campus. The event, which is co-sponsored by the Religion Department and Religious Life as well as The Honors Program at Ashland University, is free and open to the public.

Roose’s book, “The Unlikely Disciple,” is based on his semester abroad when he went undercover as a transfer student in the most foreign culture he could imagine: Liberty University, also known as Rev. Jerry Falwell’s “Bible Boot Camp” for young evangelicals. Roose was a sophomore at Brown University when he attended Liberty University.

Liberty University is the world’s largest evangelical Christian college. There, Roose received a world-class education in modern Christianity, the God divide between believers and non-believers, and his own capacity for tolerance. During his time undercover, he discovered the shocking true natures of America’s culture war.

“I selected Kevin Roose to deliver the Fall Honors Program lecture as he is the author of the 2012 Honors Program summer reading,” said Dr. Christopher Swanson, director of the Honors Program at Ashland University. Swanson said the book was selected because it presents an interesting viewpoint on tolerance, the complexities of faith and America’s culture wars.

A.J. Jacobs, who is the author of “The Year of Living Biblically,” called “The Unlikely Disciple” a remarkable book. “Fascinating, funny, and nuanced—just what the culture wars need. Hallelujah for Kevin Roose,” he said.

Liberty Journal said this “highly readable, entertaining and thought-provoking narrative offers an insider's account of fundamentalist Christian culture from an outsider's secular perspective."

Ashland University, ranked in the top 200 colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report’s National Universities category for 2012, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.