Untrustworthy The knowledge crisis breaking our brains, polluting our politics, and corrupting Christian community

"We have an epistemic crisis breaking our brains, polluting our politics, and corrupting Christian community" contends journalist Kristian (A Flexible Faith) in this unflinching critique of the pervasive misinformation in American politics. The author highlights how the "knowledge crisis" tears apart relationships and describes how she grew apart from a former colleague in 2020 after he became convinced that Biden's inauguration would bring about civilizational collapse. The author argues that "fake news," "wild populist conspiracism," and "dubious elite expertise" have contributed to the spread of falsehoods and cites as an example the mixed messaging around masks in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. She also blames social media, noting a study that found political content on social media tends to reinforce distorted views about users' political opponents. To build a polity more resilient against misinformation, Kristian urges readers to get involved in their local church and act compassionately. The overview of America's "epistemic crisis" is competent, though it brings little new to the well-trod topic. However, other insights prove more revealing, as when she asserts that fact-checking rarely changes minds and that instead readers should build connections with those one disagrees with in order to be there for them if they start to doubt their beliefs. This sometimes formulaic volume still offers some valuable perspectives. (Oct.)

An iconic line of dialogue from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke--"What we have here is a failure to communicate"--is an apt summation not only of a polarized society but also of journalist and theologian Kristian's (A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today) treatise on the current lack of a shared epistemology. She posits that wildly divergent and seemingly irreconcilable beliefs can be traced back to how people no longer agree on what constitutes knowledge and truth. With sources of information having grown exponentially since the advent of the internet (which makes everyone a content producer), all opinions have grown to be seen as equally valid--experts garner no more respect than anyone else offering a point of view. Kristian believes that this has led to a social state where people can no longer talk to each other without passing judgment, deepening an already cavernous split between political groups, friends, and family members. She does offer some solutions, including detaching from constant social media consumption and eschewing "news" that puts profit above good journalistic practice. VERDICT An accessible and coherent work that brings hope to those who are suffering from the loss of communication and relationships with former friends and estranged loved ones.--Gail Eubanks