This book would seem to be an expose of the dirty behind-the-scenes dealings of the religious right. It would seem to be a startling story of one man's journey from fundamentalism to skepticism. And it has elements of both of those. But Crazy For God is really a memoir and coming of age story, set in a turbulent time for both fundamentalism and evangelicalism.

Frank Schaeffer's father, Francis, is still one of the most influential Christian thinkers of modern times, and in this book Frank provides a valuable look at his father. We see the man, not the figurehead. We see a man who was often angry, sometimes violent. We also get a glimpse of his mother, who became as influential as his father — if not more so — among Christian women. We see them both as people, and we see their flaws. Rather than make us dislike them, they become more accessible to us; they become human, people we can actually relate to.

The Schaeffers' story starts in the '50s, when what we would consider strict Fundamentalism was even more common among conservative Christians. And the Schaeffers were bastions of that mindset: no drinking, no dancing, no movies, etc. But the public image of the family stands in stark contrast to the private moments we get to see in this book — trips to art galleries, the emphasis on higher culture, etc. We really see why Frank would say that his parents were happier when they were doing almost anything other than "the Ministry."

We also get to see the change that happened in the '60s. People who would become called evangelicals later on, wanting to interact with and redeem culture, rather than hide from it as the Fundamentalists wanted, began to gain in influence. And the Schaeffers changed too. Suddenly, rock music is played and analyzed, rather than simply condemned. It was fascinating to me how their lives paralleled the changes taking place in popular Christianity so closely — it was sometimes hard to see whether they were influencing the change or being influenced by it.