Every once in awhile you find a book that gives you something to sit with, think on, and continue processing long after you've closed the last page. I think Beaty has provided just such a book with her new offering Celebrities for Jesus.
The lure of harnessing celebrity for Jesus is certainly not a new approach. I appreciated Beaty's recognition of this by giving readers a quick, but well-laid out, introduction to evangelicalism long standing interwoven relationship between business, celebrity, and their approach to the gospel. I found the history from Moody through Graham fascinating and certainly not a hard leap to the parachurch moguls, megachurch personalities, and social media influencers that permeate church culture today.
From there, Beaty looses no time highlighting the dangers and pitfalls of celebrity intermixing with the gospel pulling out current examples from RZIM to Mars Hill, ministries that, by all accounts, had started with sincere intentions and hopeful footing before allowing themselves to be swept into the pitfalls of fame.
I personally found these real life illustrations helpful and sobering (especially having read A Church Called Tov earlier this year, I found these two books to complement each other surprisingly well). Although it was disheartening that Beaty had so many real life examples to choose from, some that have even continued to be revealed since printing, it was eye opening to see just how easily a ministry can get swept away and how evangelicalism does seem to have some built in weaknesses to celebrity due to its early partnership with business practices.
I also appreciate how Beaty doesn't try to wrap up the issue into a tidy ending . While she does bring the book to its conclusion well (I enjoyed Beaty's writing style throughout the book), she also acknowledges there isn't a quick fix or formulaic solution. I appreciated Beaty's willingness to sit in the mess that is the balance between fame and celebrity, the lure of celebrity for the kingdom, and acknowledgment that there is no easy fix in a socially saturated culture that is always evolving.
4 out of 5 stars.
Book was provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. and Baker Publishing Group.
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