Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church

Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church

by Katelyn Beaty
Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church

Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church

by Katelyn Beaty

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Overview

Publishers Weekly starred review

"A must-read for anyone invested in the fate of evangelicalism."--Publishers Weekly

Many Christian leaders use their fame and influence to great effect. Whether that popularity resides at the local church level or represents national or international influence, many leaders have effectively said to their followers, "Follow me as I follow Christ." But fame that is cultivated for its own sake, without attendant spiritual maturity and accountability, has a shadow side that runs counter to the heart of the gospel. Celebrity--defined as social power without proximity--has led to abuses of power, the cultivation of persona, and a fixation on profits.

In light of the fall of famous Christian leaders in recent years, the time has come for the church to reexamine its relationship to celebrity. Award-winning journalist Katelyn Beaty explores the ways fame has reshaped the American church, explains how and why celebrity is woven into the fabric of the evangelical movement, and identifies many ways fame has gone awry in recent years. She shows us how evangelical culture is uniquely attracted to celebrity gurus over and against institutions, and she offers a renewed vision of ordinary faithfulness, helping us all keep fame in its proper place.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781493437030
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Publication date: 08/16/2022
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 208
File size: 5 MB

About the Author

Katelyn Beaty is a writer, journalist, editor, and keen observer of trends in the American church. She has written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, Religion & Politics, and the Atlantic and has commented on faith and culture for CNN, ABC, NPR, the Associated Press, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She also cohosts the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service). Beaty previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today and is the author of A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World.

Table of Contents

Contents

Part 1: Big Things for God
1. Social Power without Proximity
2. The First Evangelical Celebrities
3. Megachurch, Megapastors
Part 2: Three Temptations
4. Abusing Power
5. Chasing Platforms
6. Creating Persona
Part 3: The Way Up Is Down
7. Seeking Brand Ambassadors
8. The Obscure Messiah and Ordinary Faithfulness
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