BellaOnline Forums Books and Music Christian Literature "Safe" publishers

If you are not shopping at a Christian bookstore, you really never know what you will find on the shelves under the "Christian" heading. It is not uncommon to find a title like "Prove of Jesus as a Fraud." Though not Christian in reality, it will be found in that section at a secular store. Many of the books are not so obvious.

How can you tell without purchasing the book and reading it if it follows mainstream Christianity?

I am really surprised at some of the stuff that shows up in the Christian section at my local used bookstore. Very open minded pagan spell books sometimes wind up on the shelves there. I am never sure if the staff of the store isn't looking carefully, or if it is someones idea of a joke who is mixing them in on purpose. Generally, the titles sound kinda Christian, but jsut reading the front and back cover gives you an idea.
Personally I think it is important to be open to others, but to know my own position well, so I don't find it offensive, just odd. I do think it couldbe really misleading to new Christians trying to develop themselves early on, though.
Anyway, to answer your question:
look at the books publisher ; if it is put out by Thomas Nelson or Zondervan (or many other known Christian publishers), you know it is a Christian book.

Read the cover: a statement like "questioning Jesus" can have blurb following it that could read something about how the author struggled with concepts he learned growing up at church, then life experience taught him what it was all REALLY about. if the conclusion of the blurb says something like "renewed and strengthened faith in Christ" it is Christian. If it concludes "came to new understanding of how our brains amygdala hard wires us to look for a God who doesn't exist" it is not a Christian book.

The book cover indicates that it covers lots of material from other religions or folklore practices from around the world, AND obviously tries to avoid favoring any particular religious faith, it is not Christian.

If the book refers to God/Jesus/Holy Spirit as "Spirit" it is not Christian.

The book blatantly states in its cover material that it is part of the New Age or another non-Christian movement.

Personally, I welcome all ideas for discussion, but when I am looking for a Christian book, I am looking for a Christian book. It is important to have some way of discerning what is and isn't before you purchase and read.

Rebecca,

Even when you are shopping at a Christian bookstore, there are often un-Christian books and books with very flawed theology. If I find a book that sounds good, but whose author I am not familiar with or if I kind of want it, but have that nagging feeling that maybe I don't need to buy it right then, I will jot down the name of the book and the author and Google search it at home.

I normally read the front and back covers, table of contents, author's bio and read random pages or skim the most interesting chapter. If you pick up on anything that indicates a new age philosophy, all-roads lead to the same God, etc red flags should go up. It also helps to see if the author has any other books on the shelf. Sometimes, one of their other books will clue you in to the fact that the author is outside of the views of biblical christianity.

Hope that helps a little.

My two cents...even long-trusted Christian publishers are no longer any guarantee of quality content. I often do as Lyn suggests, go online and read some reviews before purchasing a title or author I'm not sure of. I really regret it when I end up with a book that's terrible...then I feel I can't even pass it on at Paperback Swap in good conscience!

LeeAnn,

What do you do with them? I've thrown a couple in the trash, and gave another to a friend who is a pastor. I still have some sitting on a shelf at home.

Same problem with what to do with books. The good ones, I can give to the used book store or the library but the ones that are not well written or just plain wrong about spiritual matters - the only thing is to throw them away.

There are a number of crafts you can do with books, and books that are dangerously wrong are a good choice for them.

A faith promoting option is to decopage the book open and then paint the pages and cover (you could glue on a fake hardcover before hand if it's a paperback.) On one page is a poem or bible verse and on the other is a picture to go with it.

Julie

What a great idea! There is one book I wish I hadn't gotten rid of. It had great pictures but terrible theology. I could have used that one.

Thanks Julie,

I watched a craft show the other day and wished I had a book. She took a knife and cut off the cover, then attached it to a wooden box the same size and used it for "hidden valuables". Alternately, with a mini saw, she applied something all around the pages so they'd stick together, and then hollowed out a space in the pages for a valuables compartment.

Does safe = unchallenging?

Ian -

I can't answer for anyone else of course, but I think there is a place for challenging and thought provoking reading and for reading that is simply enjoyable or in a faith content "faith affirming". I read a lot of stuff that other people in this forum probably wouldn't, but I also object to false advertising. There is very little that I think is actually inappropriate, but context is very important. For instance, I love romance novels and I don't have a problem with reading books with sexual content, but if I pick up a romance that claims to be a soft or Christian romance on the cover and ends up having explicit sexual content, I'm upset about the false advertising and would not feel comfortable giving to the thrift store with my other used books because I know that many soft romance readers would be upset or offended by the content. I also will not send out books for reuse that promote violence or hatred. One of the things that I find disturbing in so-called Christian books is condemnation of others who do not share the writers beliefs, sometimes to the point of hatred or promoting violence.

Julie

Ian,

I don't think "safe" = "unchallenging".

The premise of the question was more about discernment. This is especially important in the life of a person who is a new believer or whose grasp of the foundations of Christianity is not yet solid.

When you pick up a book on Christianity, often, it strays from true Christian principles and foundation into a synthesized blend of Christianity, Buddhism, New Age, etc. How do you discern, prior to purchasing, that the book is true to biblical Christianity and not a synthesized blend? The person who lacks a solid foundation and who wants to follow traditional, biblical christianity would then be led astray with bad theology.

You're the Pagan Editor. Paganism originally was a term applied to polytheistic religion. In modern times, it has encompassed Wicca, etc. This is a stretch and may not be the best example, but let me try and relate it to that. If, as a pagan, you believed that the only true form of paganism centered around Greco-Roman polytheism, you wouldn't want a book that you purchased to learn more about it to be all about wiccan rites. Likewise, books on christianity are expected to be foundational and not a mixture of the new rhetoric coming out of the emergent church and other cirlces.

I am not against "challenging" books provided you know what you believe and why you believe it (have a foundation). I read books that express views in opposition to christianity. Going in, though, you know that is what you are reading.