Guest-hosting the "Albert Mohler Program" today, I interviewed Alan Wolfe of Boston College about the shape of contemporary Christian retailing. Wolfe, an unbeliever, told me he finds the kind of "stuff" he sees at venues such as the International Christian Retail show to be indicative of an anemic American evangelical subculture.
Wolfe said in no certain terms that he does not want Christians to "witness" to him about the gospel, but, nonetheless, he sees in Christian T-shirts, breath-mints, and boy bands the reality that Christians don't want to witness to him anyway. Wolfe said that he cannot imagine an unbeliever coming to faith through, say, a Christian bumper-sticker on the car in front of him. Buying the stuff gives Christians an easy conscience that they are carrying the Great Commission without ever having to verbally and relationally engage their unbelieving neighbors.
I suspect he's right. The Los Angeles Times report from the Christian Retail expo is depressing. The makers of a "new genre" of "Christian perfume" rolled out their product, with the promise that it can be an effective evangelistic tool.
"It should be enticing enough to provoke questions: 'What's that you're wearing?'" the marketer said. "Then you take that opportunity to speak of your faith. They've opened the door, and now they're going to get it."
Going to get what? A migraine headache? An allergic reaction? Or the gospel of salvation?
Mentioned in the Times piece also are Christian golf balls with John 3:16 on them, so that, even if you lose it in a sand trap, well, "lose a golf ball, share the gospel." Also for sale are Christian sandals that leave footprints that leave the message "Follow Jesus" in the sand behind them.
Whatever the "evangelistic" selling point of these products, I think the real reason they make money is an American Christianity seeking to form a common community, a common culture. Unfortunately, instead of finding this in churches, with one Lord, one faith, one baptism, we find it the same way the culture around us does: by buying stuff with the same logos.
And, sadly, that's "logo-s" with a small "l" rather than Logos with a capital "L."
In my naive view of the Pastoral Office(which is not always a bad thing), I recall how, many years ago, I was just shocked and appalled at the amount of junk mail that crossed my desk each week. While I now rarely open it, I make it a point to stay out of "evangelical" bookstores, as it tends to be bad for my blood pressure. The Catholic bookstores do not seem to be as full of this sort of "merchandise" in my region of the world.
Witnessing what, and to whom?
Posted by: Pr. Dave Poedel | July 27, 2006 at 08:21 PM
At the instigation of my brother, my family visited a "Christian" bookstore. After about 10 minutes my children asked to leave because "it's creepy, Dad."
I did get an article for Plain Truth out of it though...
Posted by: Bobby Winters | July 27, 2006 at 08:42 PM
The sad thing is the philosophy is much the same as for the Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons. If you think of it primarily in terms of effectiveness then it's clearly silly and senseless. But, from what I can tell in growing up in this world it's not about effectiveness at all.
Within the Evangelical/Fundamentalist culture there is an underlying works righteousness of sorts. This means that what counts is that you are telling the message, that you are spreading the words around, that you are even in a substandard way making it known to all your neighbors that you are being bold for Christ, a risk taker I've heard it called.
This stuff isn't for the unbeliever's eternal benefit. Talk to folks about effectiveness and you get branded a lesser sort of Christian. This stuff is almost solely for the sake of the buyer, the Christian who wants to be branded as a Christian. They want to be identified for their faith, and if they are rejected even better, for it is considered persecution, a Cotton martyrdom of sorts.
Witnessing for many is not about effectiveness, it's a demand for the Christian that more than any other trait defines one's relationship to Christ for others in the community. A bold evangelist is by nature considered the height of Christian progress, and in many cases it is not about how many people come to Christ but how really "sold-out" the person is about proclaiming the Gospel in the most public ways possible.
Obviously, this sort of thing isn't by definition bad, it's based on the model of Paul. However, many Evangelicals want the end result Paul displayed without walking down the path of suffering and maturity he pursued which gave him authority and discernment in his evangelism. By taking these shortcuts and wanting to display themselves as bold it becomes a farce of sorts, but one that can never be actually debated within an such Evangelical churches.
This is also why Evangelical youth groups tend to be among the most popular markets for Christian retail clothing and music. For youth being a Christian is a counter-cultural lifestyle and proclaiming through clothes or other means their Gospel beliefs is their way of cementing what is a very fragile identity indeed.
Posted by: Patrick | July 27, 2006 at 09:05 PM
Patrick:
Isn't it worth asking whether these things are really for the sake of the buyer...or for the seller?
Commerce, people, commerce.
And it's not just the creators of the stuff. Bookstores make most of their profit from this kind of stuff, not actual books.
It's a business.
Posted by: Matt | July 27, 2006 at 09:17 PM
indeed, but there has to be a market for the business. People are buying this stuff which folks are selling keeping the cycle nice and happy.
Posted by: Patrick | July 27, 2006 at 09:47 PM
What about name recognition? Companies seem to spend a lot of money just to keep their name famaliar. Are not these means of that?
Posted by: Roger Ball | July 28, 2006 at 07:41 AM
I can’t resist the temptation, Russell, to pose the following objections to your posting here in the mode of respondents to some of my own:
(1) You’re just a member of a younger generation that doesn’t understand older ways of communicating the gospel. The only thing that would elevate you to place where your criticism is acceptable would be agreement with those you’re criticizing. Otherwise you lack objectivity. When you're there, we'll listen.
(2) What’s the difference between bands like Screaming, Tattooed Banshees for Christ, whose stuff was marketed at the show, and Handel’s Messiah? On what plausible basis can you judge one superior to the other? Admit it--you're just a snob who from time to time hypocritically dabbles in the likes of Johnny Cash to make himself appear a man of the people. (No offense intended.)
(3) What do you have against Christians using perfume or golf balls, or eating candy? Jesus blessed Christian perfumery (Matt. 26.6f), his “driving” the moneychangers from the Temple (Matt. 21:12f) has always been significant for Christian golfers, and his desire for ripe figs (Matt. 21.18f) shows he had a sweet tooth and would therefore approve of little bags of candy with Bible verses on them. Now I’m not saying that your failure to note these things makes you an ignoramus or a bad Christian, Dr. Moore, but think you spend some time reading the Bible, to which you obviously have had limited exposure, and of which increased familiarity will profit you. I respectfully suggest that it is always good for a dean of a school of theology to know something about the Bible.
(4) The critical tone of your blog gives me the right to call you a prig, a pig, a liar, rake, thief, and murderer, if not in fact then in intention--that being criticism, too.
(5) How dare you call Dr. Al Mohler a heretic, moonshiner, and two-bit flimflammer! This, Sir, is really inexcusable, and gives reasonable people the right to ignore you altogether. No one who knows him believes that he is, at present, a moonshiner.
Have a good day!
Your ol' buddy Steve
Posted by: S M Hutchens | July 28, 2006 at 09:08 AM
Oh yes, and by the way, Eastern Orthodoxy does not approve of any of this. There is no Jesus junk on Mount Athos, you can be sure of that!
Posted by: smh | July 28, 2006 at 09:23 AM
>>>Oh yes, and by the way, Eastern Orthodoxy does not approve of any of this. There is no Jesus junk on Mount Athos, you can be sure of that!<<<
Quite right. We prefer our graven images to be tasteful and of high artistic merit.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 28, 2006 at 09:29 AM
"in the mode of respondents to some of my own"
Ha! Good clean fun, this.
"our graven images to be tasteful and of high artistic merit."
and this!
Posted by: Patrick | July 28, 2006 at 09:35 AM
Getting further off topic, but still relevant to Christian marketing is one of my pet peeves: church web sites. Have you noticed how many have nice graphics which depict happy (smiling and laughing), well-dressed, obviously middle class people all enjoying each others fellowship rather than the suffering Savior on the Cross or the Resurrected Lord? The messsage is clear: "come here and be a part of the club" rather than "come here and worship the Christ who died for you and is risen from the dead." It is all about what is in it for the seeker rather than visiting our web site to be uncomfortable or offended. Joel Osteen has taught us well that the Cross is an offense -- but then again, St. Paul said the same thing. Of course the former (like the designers of the church web sites I mentioned) responded to this observation by putting it out of view; the latter responded by limiting his preaching to Christ and Him crucified. Paul just wasn't a very good marketer.
Posted by: GL | July 28, 2006 at 10:08 AM
The above post should have read, in part:
It is all about what is in it for the seeker rather than about the One whom he or she is supposedly seeking. After all, we wouldn't want anyone coming to church to be uncomfortable or offended.
Posted by: GL | July 28, 2006 at 10:10 AM
"Oh yes, and by the way, Eastern Orthodoxy does not approve of any of this." "Quite right. We prefer our graven images to be tasteful and of high artistic merit."
er, well, not quite. The Onion Dome's Tacky nick-nack shop does sell "Orthodoxy; disorganized reliogion at its finest' bumperstickers. although those are, at least, more humor than anything. And if I actually owned my own car, I'd have one *blush* http://www.cafepress.com/theoniondome
"There is no Jesus junk on Mount Athos, you can be sure of that!" That is true. They don't have women there, either, although to ponder on possible causality might be dangerous.
Dr. Moore, that was a great post. Thank you!
Posted by: luthien | July 28, 2006 at 11:05 AM
Please tell me this is all just an atheistic conspiracy to denigrate the Kingdom of God!
Posted by: Bill R | July 28, 2006 at 11:17 AM
Just thinking...I've heard of "witnessing" with perfume. She poured it on the Lord's feet, as I recall...
My least-favorite category of "Jesus junk": items which imitate successful commercial logos, such as the Savior's name written in Coca-Cola font with "He's the Real Thing" afterwards. At first glance there's a certain cleverness - with repeated iterations it becomes clearer and clearer that the real message is:
"Christians: Imitators of the World (and Nearly As Cool)".
Posted by: Joe Long | July 28, 2006 at 11:36 AM
>>>er, well, not quite. The Onion Dome's Tacky nick-nack shop does sell "Orthodoxy; disorganized reliogion at its finest' bumperstickers. although those are, at least, more humor than anything. And if I actually owned my own car, I'd have one *blush* <<<
I like "Honk Forty Times If You're Orthodox". There have been times when I have been tempted.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 28, 2006 at 11:42 AM
>>>Getting further off topic, but still relevant to Christian marketing is one of my pet peeves: church web sites. Have you noticed how many have nice graphics which depict happy (smiling and laughing), well-dressed, obviously middle class people all enjoying each others fellowship rather than the suffering Savior on the Cross or the Resurrected Lord? The messsage is clear: "come here and be a part of the club" rather than "come here and worship the Christ who died for you and is risen from the dead."<<<
Most of the Church sites on my favorites list open up with an icon, usually of the Crucifixion or the Resurrection (though some vary according to the festal season). As to the "be part of the club" part, well, that is indeed part of the concept of Christianity: "For you are a chosen nation, a priestly people set apart". Christians are the People of God, members of a rather unique club of those who have died with Christ and risen with Him in baptism. Unfortunately, most people have not read the terms and conditions that come with membership.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 28, 2006 at 11:46 AM
Re: not reading the terms and conditions that come with membership
Stuart,
The weird thing is that we ignore and/or don't embrace the benefits that come with membership!
Posted by: Gene Godbold | July 28, 2006 at 11:50 AM
>>>The weird thing is that we ignore and/or don't embrace the benefits that come with membership!<<<
Not having read the fine print, most people think the benefits come delivered by FEDEX Next Day Service.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 28, 2006 at 12:30 PM
Joe wrote: Just thinking...I've heard of "witnessing" with perfume. She poured it on the Lord's feet, as I recall...
I don't know that I would call that witnessing. She was annointing the living Lord, making an offering and sacrifice of sorts. I don't think she was waiting for someone to ask her what scent that was she used, or where she got it, and why she bought it.
Posted by: Ranee Mueller | July 28, 2006 at 03:02 PM
"They don't have women there, either,"
Luthien, are you saying women are responsible for kitsch?
I would wager there's some pretty strong feminine influence guiding the UnmovedMoverBlogging that we've heard so much about recently too!
Boy, once they got started offering an apple from the tree these women just keep at it.
Posted by: Patrick | July 28, 2006 at 03:29 PM
It isn't possible to post a picture on here, is it? I have a BMP file y'all would appreciate....
Posted by: firinnteine | July 28, 2006 at 04:50 PM
I'll have to say that I have laughed most of the evening about the "Honk Forty Times If You're Orthodox" bumpersticker.
In my circles, I've always been partial to the bumpersticker that reads,"Warning: In Case of Rapture, This Car Will Be Driven by an Amillennialist."
Posted by: Russell D. Moore | July 28, 2006 at 05:43 PM
>>>In my circles, I've always been partial to the bumpersticker that reads,"Warning: In Case of Rapture, This Car Will Be Driven by an Amillennialist."<<<
Not bad! Here are some more of my favorite Orthodox bumper stickers:
Othodoxy: Faithfully maintaining the tradition started at the Tower of Babel.
I’m so Orthodox I don’t even change my oil.
Horn broken. Listen for anathema.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 28, 2006 at 08:09 PM
Good ones, Stuart. Have you seen: "Idle talking, secret eating, frivolous laughter."? You really have to be in the club to get that one.
Posted by: Scott Walker | July 28, 2006 at 09:04 PM
>>>"Idle talking, secret eating, frivolous laughter."<<<
I get the urge to prostrate just hearing the words.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 28, 2006 at 09:26 PM
Stuart,
Thanks for the Orthodox bumper sticker slogans! I like the oil-changing one...
http://www.worldtimzone.com/blog/date/2004/06/18/ That's the link to the longest list of Orthodox bumper sticker suggestions I could find. It was originally on the Onion dome, but their old ark+hives have all been taken down. My favoritest is "Orthodoxy: Pro-life, Pro-Christ, Pro-baklava"
Dr. Moore, that's alos a good one:)I like the "In case of rapture, may I have your car?" stickers. The "In case of rapture, this car will be driverless" ones annoy me, though; it's not witnessing, it's the Christian equivalent of wearing conspicuous designer labels or anything else which screams"money";instead of "look, I'm so rich" it's "look, I'm so saved."
"Luthien, are you saying women are responsible for kitsch?" somewhat, yes. We shop more, and are more likely to buy kitsch. This one isn't responsible, since she isn't all that into shopping and dislikes kitsch... but apparently men shop even less, except for hardware store stuff, car stuff, electronic stuff, and last minute presents on Dec. 23 or 24, Feb. 13 (or the morning of the 14th:) and the day before wife or gf's b-day or their anniversary. And they don't make Jesusy cars, tools, electronics, chocolates, flowers, or, for the most part, jewelry. I do think that men are responsible for true love waits rings, which I find very silly indeed-and not just because my dad banned dating and courting, at least until I'm older (30??!!) and didn't get me a pretty ring. The whole conept is silly-if you need a ring to remind you to stay pure...that's a leetle beet scary.
Posted by: luthien | July 28, 2006 at 11:41 PM
I don't know; because we are beings with bodies, and the Incarnation is central to the way we understand reality, isn't it possible that a physical thing (like a ring) could validly serve as a reminder? We seem to think so in the case of marriage vows; why not other vows as well?
I have no idea how many people really are significantly helped by the symbol, but it at least seems possible they could be.
Posted by: firinnteine | July 29, 2006 at 11:44 AM
>>>I don't know; because we are beings with bodies, and the Incarnation is central to the way we understand reality, isn't it possible that a physical thing (like a ring) could validly serve as a reminder? We seem to think so in the case of marriage vows; why not other vows as well?<<<
The critical distinction is whether the symbol in question is viewed as a "doorway" to a greater spiritual reality, or is given "talismanic" properties in its own right. If the former, then the symbol in question can be viewed "sacramentally" as a sign that participates in the reality it represents (this is the foundation of all Christian sacramentalism, and a cornerstone of the theology of icons). On the other hand, if the symbol is viewed as having "power" in its own right, then one lapses into superstition at best and idolatry at worst.
Ancient Christians were known to wear crucifixes around their necks, often together with small cylinders holding parchments or copper squares with scriptural verses on them. The Fathers were ambivalent about the practice. On the one hand, as you say, it served as a reminder of the presence of God and his commandments on a continual basis. On the other, it seemed merely to have taken the place of the Greco-Roman "bulla" worn by people to ward off demons and the "evil eye". Many of the Father preached against the practice, but so deeply engrained was this form of popular piety that, in the end, they gave it up as a "lost cause" and only tried to enlighten and transfigure it to a true Christian belief.
Undoubtedly, many people who wear WWJD bracelets do so as a "fashion statment", while others endow it with the kind of talismanic power against which the Fathers spoke, while yet others gain real spiritual benefit from them. Trying to suppress such things is, as the Fathers recognized, a lost cause. So the best we can hope to do is inform those who buy or wear such things regarding the proper attitude towards them, while at the same time trying to ensure that such articles, having a spiritual purpose, are tasteful and designed and made to high standards, so that they might indeed become a "spiritual offering", not only for the buyer, but the maker as well.
Posted by: Stuart Koehl | July 30, 2006 at 08:11 AM
I saw link to the same article on another person's blog today. It's quite interesting that in my observation a lot (I don't know if most or not) christians in U.S. actually believe that wearing tshirts with christian symbols, names of God, or slogans, will make conversions, at least help start conversations. I saw another article a while ago which was reporting about a christian shop that prints tshirts with "extreme christian messages". I wonder what will be the next big christian "conversation starter".
Posted by: Farennikov | September 14, 2006 at 08:38 PM
"Orthodox Christianity: Not New, Not Improved."
That's my hands down favorite.
Posted by: Ethan Cordray | September 14, 2006 at 09:22 PM