Lifeway Placing Warning Labels On Certain Books?

Brad Robertson (HT: Joe Kennedy) tells us that Lifeway is placing warning labels on books that it sells through it's Read With Discernment campaign (read his follow-up post HERE). Apparently, people were complaining about some books by authors like Rob Bell and, ugh, gasp, Donald Miller.  So, Lifeway has started putting labels on certain books to tell people that they are to read these books with discernment because they do not fit with traditional evangelical theology (according to customers who complain to management and Lifeway's trustees).

So, I guess that there's too much money to be made off of Blue Like Jazz or The Shack to pull it off the shelves completely - they're just sticking a "Read With Discernment" label on it. As Brad Robertson cleverly pointed out, shouldn't we read everything with discernment?

If we are going to start with these books (you can actually learn some pretty great things about God from Don Miller, by the way), PLEASE tell me that we are going to put some labels on some of the marriage books and the books on "7 Steps to the Perfect Christian Family" and "5 Steps to Never Having a Problem Again If You Follow These Additional EASY 10 Steps."  Good grief.  Does John Hagee qualify as "historical evangelical theology"?  His "eschatology" books are all over the place in Lifeway stores. Once you start with this kind of labeling, there is really no end to it - especially if you look at what is out there in Christian book stores.

So, here's my idea: I think that we should all go to the closest Lifeway Christian Store and pick up a book that is rather man based and self-help oriented in it's approach to the Christian walk and complain to management about it. Write a letter. Maybe that book will get a warning label put on it and someone might think twice before buying it. This might not be a bad thing after all!

Comments

[Beth]

This, I think, is going to be just a part of a bigger, stranger thing than it first appears. I've gotten into writing (fiction) since we moved back to CO, and hope to get a book published through a new publishing company, Marcher Lord Press, started by Jeff Gerke.

It's a house for Christian speculation fiction--sci fi, fantasy, techno-thriller, etc. Jeff believes the Christian publishing industry is at the verge of a huge revolution. Between independent publishers, web-retailers, and print-on-demand, what will be published and available will broaden out of the control of the traditional Christian publishing houses. That's great for people who want a Bible with their spaceship, but it's going to be challenging for the reader to know that what they pick up will be sound--and to what degree.

Jeff talks about the "little old ladies from Pasadena" who have been controlling the market for years with their money and their complaints (one of whom chastised him on one of his books--she didn't think a Christian book should be "titillating"). They'll still be able to get their monthly RDA of Amish romances, but the field's going to widen significantly. Although, Jeff doesn't think the kinds of books he'll publish will necessarily get into Lifeway or Family. Which will make it harder for the reader to figure out if it's really worth reading, I think.

But mine will be. You should read it. And buy copies for everyone you know.

Writers involved in his forum are trying to figure this one out. I wouldn't want my book picked up by someone who would be horrified about it, but I wouldn't want the front cover to be plastered with a zillion warning labels, either.

Still, gimme a break! Donald Miller? Anne Lamott, maybe, but Donald?

[Doug]

Ouch! I have pretty much steered my church away from Lifeway because of their exorbiant prices. But this takes the cake! If they are going to go down this road the only fair thing to do is to put the sticker on ALL the books, including the Bible (that would be bibical indeed).

[Todd]

Alan,
In a scene from the movie Footloose, the preacher who inspired some members to burn books had to come to the rescue to stop the ignorance. It will likely take a few preachers who note the "read with discernment" required for even the Biblical text. Our pristinated version of the Scriptures often pacifies our modern sensibilities but were we to capture the sense of, say, the Song of Solomon, we would blush. Add to that the prophets descriptions of our righteousness and surely we would clean it up for a mature audience. I linked to Mark Driscoll piece on this subject you may find interesting.

[Jeff Moody]

Alan,

Can you direct me to the historical theology or evangelical theology section at Lifeway? Oh wait, that's right! Most of them don't have one.

Who defines the "Evangelical Standards" that Lifeway lives by and do we trust these people as theologians? Is it Westminster or the BFM or the Book of Common Prayer?

What drives me crazy about this sort of thing is our propensity to shun things that challenge our thinking and surround ourselves with only those that agree with us. If we continue to participate in this egomaniacal behavior, we lose any chance of being challenged. Congratulations again Lifeway on your campaign to make us all the same person.

(I think I get 12 points for using "propensity" and "egomaniacal" in the same paragraph).

Jeff

[Camel Rider]

I think it's a great idea...what can we do next....

"Watch with Caution, movies may contain b movie stars, 1970's special effects and low production costs"....this one could be used on the various "Christian" movies, especially anything starring Kirk Cameron.

"Listen with caution, music may contain boring cookie cutter lyrics and dentist office style music"....Pretty much most of of Christian music but especially Southern Gospel.

"Wear with caution"... Whether it's "Do the Jew", "God's Gym" or "Jesus, the real thing" Lifeway sells it's share of uncreative knockoff Trinity-T's and they definitely need a label.

"Not in line with BFM 2000" This one could be placed on any product not lining up with the BFM 2000 and those of us with denominational agencies. We would be required to re-sign the BFM each time we buy one of these products and would have to carry them out of the store in a plain brown bag.

[Jason Epps]

Alan,

I look forward to your upcoming post on Lifeway's hypocritical decision to pull the magazine with women pastors from the store shelves. Being that there are much more dangerous things sold on their shelves than this, I suppose they'll have an entire section behind the counter before too long. :0)

J