Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church
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- Create Date：2022-08-26 06:51:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Katelyn Beaty
- ISBN：1587435187
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Reviews
Melissa Sivels
，
This came at exactly the right time。 Katelyn does an excellent job at addressing the key issues with a mix of heart， humility， and humor。 Her voice is like a balm over some of the hurt we’ve all experienced in recent years。 It’s oddly comforting to see someone acknowledge the damage done while also offering hope to avoid these patterns in the future。
Angela
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How can a book be both gentle and uncompromising？"An award-winning writer shows how and why celebrity is woven into the fabric of the evangelical movement， identifies many ways fame goes awry， shows us how we all unwittingly foster a celebrity culture， and offers a vision of faithfulness to the Messiah who was despised and rejected。"It's easy to find criticism against the American Church。 It's difficult to find an opinion balanced with both a deep love for The Body of Christ and deep concern for How can a book be both gentle and uncompromising？"An award-winning writer shows how and why celebrity is woven into the fabric of the evangelical movement， identifies many ways fame goes awry， shows us how we all unwittingly foster a celebrity culture， and offers a vision of faithfulness to the Messiah who was despised and rejected。"It's easy to find criticism against the American Church。 It's difficult to find an opinion balanced with both a deep love for The Body of Christ and deep concern for its future。In this insightful and necessary look at how our desire to get close to fame can hinder our search for Christ， turn icons into idols， and trade intimacy for illusion。9。5/10I'll be searching out more Katelyn Beaty， for certain。I was delighted to receive this ARC from NetGalley and Brazos Press。 。。。more
Melanie Springer Mock
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I appreciate Beaty's thoughtful truth-telling in this book， especially her willingness to take on her own field （Christian publishing） and the problematic nature of authors needing to create platforms before their ideas will get any kind of look from publishers。 I also appreciate Beaty's consideration of the costs of celebrity， and its relationship to power。 Compelling writing makes this an easy read， even though the ideas are challenging。 I appreciate Beaty's thoughtful truth-telling in this book， especially her willingness to take on her own field （Christian publishing） and the problematic nature of authors needing to create platforms before their ideas will get any kind of look from publishers。 I also appreciate Beaty's consideration of the costs of celebrity， and its relationship to power。 Compelling writing makes this an easy read， even though the ideas are challenging。 。。。more
Michael Tabet
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Celebrities for Jesus is a fantastic book for our cultural moment。 I appreciate how Beaty built her argument in three phases。 First， describing the history of the Christian celebrity movement。 Second， describing the three temptations of celebrity culture for Christian leaders。 Wrapping the book up with some simple （it's been said before and will be said again） yet， often overlooked advice on the power of being proximate with people。It is an important book for anyone that has grown up in the grip Celebrities for Jesus is a fantastic book for our cultural moment。 I appreciate how Beaty built her argument in three phases。 First， describing the history of the Christian celebrity movement。 Second， describing the three temptations of celebrity culture for Christian leaders。 Wrapping the book up with some simple （it's been said before and will be said again） yet， often overlooked advice on the power of being proximate with people。It is an important book for anyone that has grown up in the grip of the evangelical subculture with an emphasis on Christian celebrity。 。。。more
Lindsey Thomas
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Interesting， quick and easy read， well researched。 I wasn’t exactly the target audience but I am glad this book exists and I hope it reaches those who could gain the most from it。
Taryn magnusson
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Listened
Ashlee Eiland
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A sobering and prophetic assessment on celebrity in the Church: from mega-church figures to Christian publishing。 Beaty is honest about not giving readers a packaged set of solutions to fix celebrity in the Church。 Her “way forward” was more implicit。 Personally， I would’ve loved other resources or starting places that might acknowledge readers’ desire for a practical next step forward based on their relationship with Christian celebrity: self， leader within an organization， congregant， etc。 Ove A sobering and prophetic assessment on celebrity in the Church: from mega-church figures to Christian publishing。 Beaty is honest about not giving readers a packaged set of solutions to fix celebrity in the Church。 Her “way forward” was more implicit。 Personally， I would’ve loved other resources or starting places that might acknowledge readers’ desire for a practical next step forward based on their relationship with Christian celebrity: self， leader within an organization， congregant， etc。 Overall， a compelling must-read！ 。。。more
Nikol
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Very timely read for anyone who’s grown up or is currently a part of the evangelical world。 I think the rise of celebrity pastors and Christians has accelerated in part due to the impact social media has had on our lives。 When everything becomes performative， nothing feels real。 Great book！
Zak Schmoll
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This is a thought-provoking book。 It might require a deeper review if I get around to it。First of all， I want to say that I very much appreciate the tone of this book。 Beaty delivers some relatively heavy critiques of the evangelical church， but it felt like she did it from a place of genuine love and concern rather than from a place of taking cheap shots for the sake of selling books。Do I agree with every single critique and conclusion she comes to？ No， I definitely do not。 Do I， in general， ag This is a thought-provoking book。 It might require a deeper review if I get around to it。First of all， I want to say that I very much appreciate the tone of this book。 Beaty delivers some relatively heavy critiques of the evangelical church， but it felt like she did it from a place of genuine love and concern rather than from a place of taking cheap shots for the sake of selling books。Do I agree with every single critique and conclusion she comes to？ No， I definitely do not。 Do I， in general， agree with her argument that celebrity as a concept is extremely dangerous， even when pursued by those with very pure motives？ Yeah， I do。 There are very good reasons to be concerned about our tendency to become fans of celebrity pastors， celebrity converts， and celebrity personalities。 In terms of basic trajectory， I think that her argument is convincing， and she uses a wide variety of examples that most relatively aware Christians will be familiar with。This book should， at the very least， cause us reflect on our own habits and tendencies。 To what extent are we pursuing platforms and notoriety in whatever we do， and to what extent are we actually seeking to glorify God？ Even for those of us who are not really celebrities in any meaningful capacity， it is something to think about。 。。。more
Richard Propes
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It would be perfectly reasonable if you were to expect to open up the pages of Katelyn Beaty's "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas， Platforms， and Profits Are Hurting the Church" and experience a brutal takedown of the high powered， power-seeking， and celebrity-driven culture that seems to have crept its way into evangelical churches nationwide。 After all， one need only visit social media for a few minutes to experience the wide chasm that can exist between Christians and it seems like we're in It would be perfectly reasonable if you were to expect to open up the pages of Katelyn Beaty's "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas， Platforms， and Profits Are Hurting the Church" and experience a brutal takedown of the high powered， power-seeking， and celebrity-driven culture that seems to have crept its way into evangelical churches nationwide。 After all， one need only visit social media for a few minutes to experience the wide chasm that can exist between Christians and it seems like we're inundated with a mass marketing and commercialization of faith， church， and Christianity as a whole。 However， Katelyn Beaty is a journalist and "Celebrities for Jesus" reads like exactly what it is - an incredibly well-researched and remarkably insightful and compassionate exploration of the ways that fame has reshaped the American church， how and why celebrity is woven into the tapestry of the evangelical movement， and a precise， no-holds-barred examination of how all of this has gone awry in a myriad of ways including the allowance of spiritual "gurus" of sorts to hold sway over the actual faith community。 Remarkably， while Beaty isn't hesitant at all to name names， she names names in a way that offers grace and instead of condemnation simply guides us， her readers， toward a return to a more ordinary faithfulness acknowledging gifts without allowing them to build someone into celebrity status and without turning our faith away from Christ and toward the personas， platforms， and profit-seekers who are ultimately hurting the church。 Beaty structures "Celebrities for Jesus" into three sections。 "Big Ideas" for God provides us the framework for Beaty's literary discussion including a working definition for celebrity as "social power without proximity。" She then provides a historical perspective of the first evangelical celebrities and moves into a discussion of megachurches and mega-pastors。 She provides a working definition of megachurch as a church with at least 2，000 members and notes that there are approximately 1，750 nationwide。 For the record， while mine is rather non-traditional I will note that only in the past year have I joined what could be considered a megachurch。 It's a rarity for me having primarily attended smaller churches， church plants， and or served as an interim pastor myself in smaller churches。 The second section of "Celebrities for Jesus" is entitled "Three Temptations" and explores the abuse of power and the chasing of personas and platforms。 For me， this was like a segue from an extensive and thorough history lesson into remarkably passionate and precise discourse。 While I struggled in a few pages as Beaty widened the lens to explore celebrity culture in society and at large， I still found this section riveting primarily because Beaty writes it with such clarity but also with such remarkable compassion。 Finally， section three finds Beaty moving into hope by examining the basic idea that "The Way Up is Down，" a theologically-based call to return to a simpler faith， an ordinary faith， and a Christianity where pastors are content to be， well， pastors。 Beaty examines both familiar and unfamiliar names。 Beaty looks at celebrity culture in the church through a critical lens including multiple current and familiar cases。 Yet， again， what's refreshing is just how remarkably gracious she is throughout the entire experience without compromising her journalistic integrity。 Speaking of which， perhaps the most powerful part of "Celebrities for Jesus" is her own examination of the faith-based publishing world of which， by the way， she is actually part of not just as a writer but having worked within the industry for years and as an employee of the publisher of this very book。 In other words， she doesn't let herself off the hook。 Bravo。This refreshing humility provides a model for self-examination and it was a self-examination that I began not long after having read the final pages of "Celebrities for Jesus。" As I reflected， I began to realize the areas why I'd bought into a toxic faith culture and I began to realize the ways I'd contributed to a toxic faith culture。 I also began to have a deeper appreciation for those Christian writers， singers， and actors I've encountered who at least seemed to be trying to work against it in a myriad of ways。 I reflected， for example， on those writers who reached out to me genuinely （and not to sell books） after an amputation in late 2019 and how their encouragement helped me maintain faith during a particularly challenging time in my life。 Christ taught us that our lives are to be lived for others and that we are to surrender ourselves toward loving one another， a basic tenet of faith that often gets flipped when the idea of celebrity enters our churches and our faith。 While she doesn't necessarily speak out truly "against" megachurches， she presents valid concerns that far too often this culture lends itself toward creating a central figurehead that becomes the public face or "celebrity" of that church。 I thought to myself， for example， of the churches I know here in Indianapolis where there are multiple campuses yet they all gather on Sundays to watch a single pastor on video。 That's just weird to me。 I wish I had read a book like "Celebrities for Jesus" in seminary。 It seems like the overwhelming emphasis these days is on planting and growing and marketing and building and "How can we get more people？" Far too often， that growth and outreach creates toxicity （though， as well， a non-hospitable， closed church or cliquish church can do the same）。 Unsurprisingly， "Celebrities for Jesus" often reminded me of the works and writings of Kate Bowler， another writer I deeply respect and also a research-based writer。 I'm not sure what I expected from "Celebrities for Jesus，" but I'm absolutely sure I got so much more and I'll be chewing on this book for quite some time。 Beaty is also author of " A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office， the Home， and the World" and co-host of the "Saved by the City" podcast - both of which I'll be checking out in the near future！ 。。。more
Amanda Jones
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As the adult daughter of a now-retired pastor， and a woman who deeply loves Christ's Church， I feel that this book brings about a much-needed discussion about the current state of Evangelical church culture。 I've become increasingly uncomfortable with 'Celebrity Christians'， and am saddened by each new story of abuse of power， manipulation， and leadership failure。 Katelyn Beaty does an excellent job in guiding this discussion with humility， grace， and hope。 As the adult daughter of a now-retired pastor， and a woman who deeply loves Christ's Church， I feel that this book brings about a much-needed discussion about the current state of Evangelical church culture。 I've become increasingly uncomfortable with 'Celebrity Christians'， and am saddened by each new story of abuse of power， manipulation， and leadership failure。 Katelyn Beaty does an excellent job in guiding this discussion with humility， grace， and hope。 。。。more
Meagan
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This ended up being a surprisingly quick read--both， I think， due to its length （short） as well as Beaty's compelling writing style。 I found the topic surprisingly interesting and relevant。The first section of the book was， to me， more interesting and， frankly， more documented/balanced/"equal opportunity issues" noted on both sides of the political aisle。 The second section fell into more op-ed piece and felt much more biased against conservatives， in both politics and religion。 Yes， the example This ended up being a surprisingly quick read--both， I think， due to its length （short） as well as Beaty's compelling writing style。 I found the topic surprisingly interesting and relevant。The first section of the book was， to me， more interesting and， frankly， more documented/balanced/"equal opportunity issues" noted on both sides of the political aisle。 The second section fell into more op-ed piece and felt much more biased against conservatives， in both politics and religion。 Yes， the examples/issues are there--but they're on the left， too， and I didn't feel that both sides of the aisle were equally represented， nor was it entirely unbiased。 Beaty and I both grew up in the 80s and 90s， with all that entailed across entertainment/mainstream culture and the American Christian church--and grew into who we are today a tad bit differently。 Which is fine; it certainly prompted me to think quite a bit， and I am just as susceptible as the next person to follow a celebrity more than I should。 I'll entirely own that， lol。 I would have simply liked to see more room for dialogue across the aisle and across the board in the second section， along with more fleshing out of "okay--we shouldn't idolize peeps--so what _should_ we do instead？" The book ended a bit abruptly on that front， and I feel it would have benefited from more。I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Tammie Gitt
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In this brilliant and timely book， Katelyn Beaty draws on her background in journalism （she served as print managing editor at Christianity Today and has written in a number of publications） to take a closer look at the scandals that make headlines。The book is written in three parts。 The first defines celebrity and traces its origin in the evangelical church from the early celebrities to today’s megachurches and their famous pastors。 Beaty moves seamlessly from this review of history to the temp In this brilliant and timely book， Katelyn Beaty draws on her background in journalism （she served as print managing editor at Christianity Today and has written in a number of publications） to take a closer look at the scandals that make headlines。The book is written in three parts。 The first defines celebrity and traces its origin in the evangelical church from the early celebrities to today’s megachurches and their famous pastors。 Beaty moves seamlessly from this review of history to the temptations that come with power， platform and persona before landing in part three’s exploration of how the church can embark on a new direction。Beaty’s writing is clear and well-sourced， creating a fascinating look at the interconnection between celebrity， the often-toxic culture it creates and the average church-goer。 I appreciated the historical piece as it showed how the seeds of scandal-ridden culture were planted decades ago as Christians toyed with access to power， and have only continued to grow。 Hopefully， books like this can serve as a warning and a call to refocus。 。。。more
Brad Sargent
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A vital resource for diagnosing toxic evangelical celebs and their harmful ministry platforms。In recent years， we’ve seen a steady release of excellent books on identifying and dealing with aspects of systemic abuse in Christian settings。 These new resources significantly advance our understanding of abuse as survivors， those who support and counsel them， and leaders who seek to create constructive ministry spaces。 Celebrities for Jesus by Katelyn Beaty is the best yet for spotlighting the disti A vital resource for diagnosing toxic evangelical celebs and their harmful ministry platforms。In recent years， we’ve seen a steady release of excellent books on identifying and dealing with aspects of systemic abuse in Christian settings。 These new resources significantly advance our understanding of abuse as survivors， those who support and counsel them， and leaders who seek to create constructive ministry spaces。 Celebrities for Jesus by Katelyn Beaty is the best yet for spotlighting the distinctive problems of toxic celebrities in evangelical Christianity。In it， she defines celebrity as “social power without proximity。” Celebrities for Jesus examines the dynamics feeding into misuse of power in evangelical circles。 Beaty—formerly a Christianity Today managing editor and now a book acquisitions editor—gives us a 150-year history of how evangelicals， media， and celebrityship became a thing so that now， “Celebrity is a feature， not a bug， of the contemporary evangelical movement。” She offers memorable concept frameworks for understanding the inner workings of celebrity power， platforms， and personas; and how these make avoiding accountability far too easy for them。She also considers the fandom side of these issues， unveiling what’s underneath questions like:•tHow do those we fawn over turn us into pawns？•tWhy do we grant influence over ourselves to people we don’t/can’t personally know—even if we feel we know them because of the image they project？ •tDo Cool People Christians really make our beliefs more culturally relevant and Jesus more personally attractive？•tWhat happens to Christianity’s image if they fail and fall？ Beaty’s research is meticulous; her writing style， accessible and personable。 She masterfully interweaves details from abuse survivors and academic experts， news reports and personality profiles， and both secular and Christian pop culture。 She includes insights from trauma psychologists， sociologists， historians， counselors， denominational leaders， and more—plus illuminates her astute analysis with theological principles and practices for discerning toxic situations and developing safer/healthier ones。Her descriptions and diagnostics are relevant to all theological/cultural rivers in Christianity。 But， she maintains her promised focus by illustrating issues across multiple streams that feed into the river of evangelicalism。 I was especially impressed with how Beaty navigates the unfortunately wide range of abusive evangelical celebrities。 She selects an insightful set of negative examples that are not just among the most prominent （and widely destructive） in recent years， but that typically have yielded years to decades of documentation exposing specific tools and tactics each used in their particular forms of misconduct and in silencing their victims。I also deeply appreciate the new perspectives I learned from her chapter on persona。 These include dynamics of （self-）deception and how the inner workings of “character splitting” and “parasocial relationship” set celebrities up for isolation and adulation。As Beaty herself has stated， the emphasis in Celebrities for Jesus is on problem diagnosis。 However， she does use the last two chapters to explore practical solutions。 In them she shows the value of everyday discipleship， serving with humility， laboring in obscurity。 She touches upon these themes in earlier chapters， making her concluding section a hope-filled springboard for applying all that she has shared。As a futurist， I’m attuned to how generational dynamics play into transformation for individuals， institutions， and populations。 My work includes scanning cultural horizons for emerging troubles and trends， patterns and possibilities that affect preferable ways forward。 The roots of over-relying on celebrities in evangelicalism go back 150 years。 Such deep-seated paradigm flaws will take several generations minimum to fix。We’ve seen the seeds of breaking through this stagnancy in the growing abuse survivor and deconstruction movements。 Will we undertake the challenge to change our reliance on those “known for well-knownness”？ Celebrities for Jesus is a first-rate field guide to equip us for discerning our best pathway ahead。Full disclosure: I received a digital Advanced Reader Copy of Celebrities for Jesus for being on Katelyn Beaty’s book launch team。 。。。more
Jonathan
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I'm predisposed to be on board with this one， but Beaty's book is well researched and well argued。 She asks the question， "Why do Christians keep putting people on pedestals？。。。 Why do our icons so easily become idols？" I found her answer insightful: "When Christians feed on a story of persecution and cultural embattlement， they're prone to take any Christian in the public spotlight as a kingdom win。" This isn't a book with a big solution， but I think it's asking the right questions， and not jus I'm predisposed to be on board with this one， but Beaty's book is well researched and well argued。 She asks the question， "Why do Christians keep putting people on pedestals？。。。 Why do our icons so easily become idols？" I found her answer insightful: "When Christians feed on a story of persecution and cultural embattlement， they're prone to take any Christian in the public spotlight as a kingdom win。" This isn't a book with a big solution， but I think it's asking the right questions， and not just of celebrities themselves but of the larger cultural forces that allow celebrities （those who have "power without proximity"） to develop in the first place。 。。。more
Elizabeth Blood
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This is a compelling and timely book。 As a Christian who has been part of many types of communities （from Evangelical to mainline， etc。） and is invested in the life of both the local and global church， I found it a great read。 I highly recommend it for anone interested in the church and related social / cultural commentary。 I am a fan of the “Saved by the City” podcast， of which Katelyn Beaty is a co-host， and have eagerly anticipated this book — and was not disappointed。 Beaty is an excellent a This is a compelling and timely book。 As a Christian who has been part of many types of communities （from Evangelical to mainline， etc。） and is invested in the life of both the local and global church， I found it a great read。 I highly recommend it for anone interested in the church and related social / cultural commentary。 I am a fan of the “Saved by the City” podcast， of which Katelyn Beaty is a co-host， and have eagerly anticipated this book — and was not disappointed。 Beaty is an excellent and insightful writer and I was impressed with her fair and thorough treatment of the subject。 I was fascinated by the topic itself and her lively writing。 Written in three parts， the book begins with some history of American Evangelism — with perceptive portraits of key figures like Dwight Moody， Billy Graham and others — and how it intersects with celebrity and fame。 Beaty then explores the world of Christian publishing and platforms， offering many interesting insights。 While much of this is critique， she offers hope and encouragement。 The closing chapter is entitled “The Obscure Messiah and Ordinary Faithfulness。” In it， she lifts up all of the ordinary， everyday folks that are following Jesus’ message and living in “integrity， humility and simplicity”， offering examples from her own life。 I finished the book feeling edified， encouraged and grateful to have read this thoughtful book。 。。。more
George P。
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American Christianity has a celebrity problem。 It runs deeper than the well-publicized moral failures of high-profile leaders， however。 In Celebrities for Jesus， Katelyn Beaty argues that celebrity is toxic for leaders and followers alike。Her argument unfolds in three parts。 Part 1 defines celebrity as “social power without proximity” and shows how it has long been part of American evangelicalism， predating the rise of megachurches。 Part 2 identifies three temptations celebrity poses: “abusing American Christianity has a celebrity problem。 It runs deeper than the well-publicized moral failures of high-profile leaders， however。 In Celebrities for Jesus， Katelyn Beaty argues that celebrity is toxic for leaders and followers alike。Her argument unfolds in three parts。 Part 1 defines celebrity as “social power without proximity” and shows how it has long been part of American evangelicalism， predating the rise of megachurches。 Part 2 identifies three temptations celebrity poses: “abusing power，” “chasing platforms，” and “creating personas。” Part 3 exhorts Christians to resist the temptations of celebrity and to practice “ordinary faithfulness。”Let’s consider each part in turn。Beaty opens by distinguishing fame from celebrity。 “To be famous is to be known — or at least known of — by far more people than you can ever know，” she writes。 People can become famous by accident （such as being born to well-known parents） or accomplishment （such as leading the struggle for civil rights）。Celebrity， on the other hand， is “a distinctively modern phenomenon fueled by mass media，” writes Beaty。 Social media influencers are good examples。 They don’t need famous names or notable achievements， just followers。 Often， they get those by posting entertaining videos on TikTok。 They are “known for [their] well-knownness，” as Daniel Boorstin put it。Evangelical Christians have a long history of using mass media — which today includes social media — to advance the gospel。 Think of Martin Luther’s use of the movable-type printing press， Amy Semple McPherson’s use of radio， and Billy Graham’s use of TV and film。 We employ these media as tools for evangelism。There’s even a biblical rationale for doing so。 As the apostle Paul wrote， “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” （1 Corinthians 9:22， emphasis added）。 Mass media is simply a new means。It is not a neutral means， however。 The reality is that mass media creates the illusion of intimacy between leaders and followers， rather than the real thing。 This is what Beaty worries about when she defines celebrity as “social power without proximity。” Unlike the pastor next door， whom we know， flaws and all， we only see a carefully curated image of a celebrity leader。Celebrity tempts leaders in three ways:First， to abuse power。 Beaty defines power as “the innate human ability to steward the world to glorify God and bless creation and fellow image bearers。” It can be stewarded wisely。 However， it can also be used by leaders “not to bless but to dominate。” The temptation of celebrity leaders is to use their power as social influencers to “exploit， crush， defeat， gaslight， ridicule and silence，” Beaty writes。 “In their presence， others feel disempowered” （emphasis in original）。Most of the well-publicized scandals involving Christian leaders over the past few years have involved an abuse of power。 Beaty highlights cases where leaders have used demeaning language， cultivated lavish lifestyles， and taken sexual advantage of followers。 The organizations these Christian celebrities lead are supposed to hold them accountable， but too often， they become abusive toward followers in order to defend their leaders。A second temptation for celebrity leaders is what Beaty calls “chasing platforms。” When used properly， media can be a platform for ministry。 That’s the way evangelical Christians have always justified their usage。 They are a means to an evangelistic end。The problem is that over time， the means can become the end。 Beaty is editorial director of Brazos Press， a Christian book publisher。 She uses scandals in the Christian book trade to illustrate this problem。Today， publishers want to make sure their books are profitable。 So， one of the criteria they use to assess manuscripts is the authors’ social media。 Recognizing this， some Christian celebrities have actually engaged third parties to purchase fake followers。 Or their churches have bought numerous copies of their books to get them on The New York Timesbestseller list。Worse， some celebrity leaders present material as their own which was actually ghost written or even plagiarized。 The use of professional writers can be done ethically， especially when they are compensated fairly and named。 It seems unethical to blame those writers when plagiarism is uncovered， however， but this is what often happens among celebrity Christian authors。 Celebrities have become the platform， and they cannot appear flawed。Finally， celebrity leaders are tempted to create a persona。 “A persona is the self-presentation that all of us take on in various settings and roles，” writes Beaty。 The more well known a Christian leader becomes， the more likely he or she is to create a public persona that is at odds with who they are in private。 Why？ Because they need to project an image that we will follow。Here， Beaty broaches a problem that critiques of celebrity Christian leaders often overlook。 It’s followers who create celebrities。 Especially in an increasingly post-Christian culture where believers feel marginalized， it’s cool to have a celebrity who shares our faith。But where does that leave our faith when a celebrity leader fails morally？ Too many today are answering that question by deconstructing their faith or leaving Christianity entirely。Beaty concludes Celebrities for Jesus by making the case for what she calls “ordinary faithfulness。” If celebrity is social power without proximity， ordinary faithfulness takes a different tack。 Such faithfulness pares back our influence， such as it is， to an intimate level， where we can know and be known by others。“In a time when large swaths of the American church have merely mimicked worldly concepts of power， going for bigger， louder， and glitzier， we have to return to the small， the quiet， the uncool， and the ordinary，” Beaty writes。 And when you think about it， the most influential Christians in your life are probably people you know up close， not celebrities you admire from afar。I recommend Celebrities for Jesus to Christian readers， especially pastors and other congregational leaders。 Many books expose the moral failures of celebrity Christians， but this one rightly turns the focus inward。 Do we strive for social power without intimacy？ Do we need famous people to validate our faith？ Those are the questions we need to ask ourselves continually。Book ReviewedKatelyn Beaty， Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas， Platforms， and Profits Are Hurting the Church （Grand Rapids， MI: Brazos Press， 2022）。P。S。 This review is cross-posted from InfluenceMagazine。com by permission。 。。。more
Dave Hallahan
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Great book。 Clearly well researched。 Engagingly written。 Full review here: https://www。instagram。com/p/ChNJuomuq。。。 Great book。 Clearly well researched。 Engagingly written。 Full review here: https://www。instagram。com/p/ChNJuomuq。。。 。。。more
Rachel Paige Hamlin
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I was really excited about this book。 Especially in modern times， celebrity pastors and celebrity status among Christian leaders is becoming more common。 With that， the problems it causes are becoming more common， too。 I was excited to see a book finally talk about that。This book didn't quite do it for me， though。 The first section was fantastic。 It was precise and full of examples and explanations on how celebrity pastors rise to fame and the downfalls that have come from their fame。 The first I was really excited about this book。 Especially in modern times， celebrity pastors and celebrity status among Christian leaders is becoming more common。 With that， the problems it causes are becoming more common， too。 I was excited to see a book finally talk about that。This book didn't quite do it for me， though。 The first section was fantastic。 It was precise and full of examples and explanations on how celebrity pastors rise to fame and the downfalls that have come from their fame。 The first section captured the goal of the book well。But somewhere halfway through the book， the energy fizzled out。 The tone was casual and the sharp， hard-hitting points dulled and trailed off。 The number of personal examples and straight opinion made it feel more like I was reading an extended blog post than a reliable source of information。 I didn't see the research to back up what the author was saying and because of that， I felt like the book didn't come full circle and live up the the premise the first section set up。 There were a lot of interesting ideas brought up， but very little follow-through， which was rather disappointing。That said， it's a good intro to the topic of celebrity pastors。 I just wish it had been a bit more in depth and professional。 。。。more
Panda Incognito
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At the beginning of this book， Katelyn Beaty differentiates fame from celebrity， showing that even though fame can be a worthwhile byproduct of a virtuous life， celebrity is a different beast。 At this point， as she perfectly defined both fame and celebrity， I knew the book was going to be amazing。 I was somewhat nervous to read this originally， since I have found the author's Twitter discourse combative and frustrating in the past， but book is so good that it revised my opinion of the author。 Be At the beginning of this book， Katelyn Beaty differentiates fame from celebrity， showing that even though fame can be a worthwhile byproduct of a virtuous life， celebrity is a different beast。 At this point， as she perfectly defined both fame and celebrity， I knew the book was going to be amazing。 I was somewhat nervous to read this originally， since I have found the author's Twitter discourse combative and frustrating in the past， but book is so good that it revised my opinion of the author。 Beaty is thoroughly nuanced， compassionate， and Christ-centered， caring about disgraced celebrity Christians as well as the people they have harmed or led astray。 Instead of just critiquing individual leaders， she calls out celebrity-producing systems in the church， showing how Christians often platform and promote attractive， charismatic people without appropriate concern for their emotional， relational， and spiritual well-being。Powerful and GraciousThis book is a careful study of how our current Christian celebrity culture developed， why it is harmful， and how abuses of power naturally arise when people who start out as sincere leaders become isolated from others， lack adequate accountability， and become used to getting things done through the success of their ministry and the force of their personality。 Beaty isn't afraid to call out specific names， sharing stories from leadership crises most of her readers will be aware of， but she does this with a spirit of grace。In one chapter， Beaty focuses on the role of the Christian publishing industry。 She honors her own and others' work to serve the church through publishing， but she grapples with harsh realities of how secular buy-outs of major Christian publishers and the siren song of profit have caused the Christian book industry to create a gatekeeping， celebrity-driven machine that prioritizes someone's popularity over their spiritual maturity or hard-earned wisdom。 Beaty also addresses issues related to plagiarism， unacknowledged ghostwriters， and attaining bestseller ratings through unethical means。 Her insider knowledge makes this chapter especially hard-hitting。At the end， Beaty offers a call for "ordinary faithfulness。" She deliberately avoids offering a tidy， multi-step solution to fixing this endemic problem， but encourages her readers to consider and follow Jesus's example of faithful， ordinary service in obscurity。 Some readers may wish that she had provided more insight about how to effect change， but she decided against this to avoid the celebrity trap itself， in which someone claims to have all the answers and urges people to follow their program。 I think this is wise， and not a cop-out in the slightest。Additional ThoughtsI have just two critiques worth noting。 One is that even though Beaty correctly labels many issues as the outworking of white evangelicalism， she frequently overuses the term when she is really talking about evangelicalism at large。 As I repeatedly noticed this， I thought about how alienating it could be for some readers， whether they wish she'd acknowledge celebrity culture in the Black church or feel like she's scapegoating white people as the only contributors to a broad-ranging problem。 I wish that she hadn't used the term "white evangelicalism" when talking about general issues that appear in many contexts， and I hope that future works on this subject will address specific Christian celebrity culture issues in other racial and cultural groups。I also wish that Beaty had acknowledged concern for people's souls as a major reason why Christians rejoice over mainstream celebrity conversions。 She clearly， thoughtfully addresses the poor motivations at play within some Christian responses to celebrity conversions， such as looking for cultural currency by association， but I wish she had acknowledged genuine concern for the celebrities themselves as a factor。 She probably assumed that this was implied， but since she doesn't say it outright， she makes it seem like Christians only approach these conversions in shallow， selfish ways。ConclusionCelebrities for Jesus is a powerful， hard-hitting book that exposes major issues facing the American church today。 Katelyn Beaty writes with grace and insight throughout， getting to the root of major issues while still expressing compassion for everyone involved， from the people enamored with celebrities to disgraced celebrities themselves。 Overall， I found this book extremely thoughtful， well-written， and carefully thought out， and I highly recommend it to people who are concerned about the many issues that it covers。 There is nothing sensationalized or one-sided about this book， and Beaty's careful examination of the celebrity problem is a must-read。I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jenna
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NOTE: I am on this book's launch team and was given an ARCI grew up in the Los Angeles area。 I am accustomed to the ways that "secular" celebrities are treated and revered。 It is well past time that "Christian" celebrities be evaluated by Christ's standards rather than clinging to the ways of the world。 This book is SO needed at this time。 As we see White Christian Evangelical leaders fall like flies， Beaty speaks incisively and unflinchingly about the ways WCE leaders have traded Christ-likenes NOTE: I am on this book's launch team and was given an ARCI grew up in the Los Angeles area。 I am accustomed to the ways that "secular" celebrities are treated and revered。 It is well past time that "Christian" celebrities be evaluated by Christ's standards rather than clinging to the ways of the world。 This book is SO needed at this time。 As we see White Christian Evangelical leaders fall like flies， Beaty speaks incisively and unflinchingly about the ways WCE leaders have traded Christ-likeness for Christ-promotion。 She writes candidly about several facets of the WCE machine， but her notes on publishing are especially difficult。 Will folks say that this book is "deconstructionist"？ Of course， but only because they are the beneficiaries of a system that pretends to emulate Jesus but really emulates celebrity culture。 。。。more
Christy Krispin
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Thanks to a cross-country flight， I read the book cover to cover in one day。 Katelyn Beaty is a keen observer and unapologetic truth-teller， calling it exactly as she sees it。 And she sees it clearly， having spent most of her career as a journalist and editor in Christian media。Celebrities for Jesus is timely， chilling， and profoundly essential reading for anyone who senses in their gut that the celebrity culture within Christianity is not only dangerous， but anathema to the pursuit of following Thanks to a cross-country flight， I read the book cover to cover in one day。 Katelyn Beaty is a keen observer and unapologetic truth-teller， calling it exactly as she sees it。 And she sees it clearly， having spent most of her career as a journalist and editor in Christian media。Celebrities for Jesus is timely， chilling， and profoundly essential reading for anyone who senses in their gut that the celebrity culture within Christianity is not only dangerous， but anathema to the pursuit of following Jesus’s example of humility， love， and self-sacrifice。 The most convicting part of this book is the mirror it holds up to me， forcing me to acknowledge how I have played a part in perpetuating the very culture that I now see poisoning the church。 I am convinced now more than ever that going small， investing more in church off-line than online， being fully present to the messiness of flesh-and-blood relationships （I。e。， “friendship”）， and resisting the impulse toward branding and being image-conscious are the only effective safeguards against the toxicity of celebrity in the church。 。。。more
Christy Lynne
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This wonderful book is a necessary part of a needed conversation。 As we look at many fallen celebrities within Evangelical culture， we ask the question “Why？” Katelyn walks us through the why， but doesn’t give a formula for how to fix it。 She just reaches into our hearts and exposes our own desire for fame and power and explains that we have all created this culture。 She challenges us to reach for obscurity and humility like Jesus did。 I will read this book multiple times！
Ericka
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Really enjoyed this book by Katelyn Beaty， who is a thoughtful and fair-minded writer。 Subject matter is extremely relevant and important to discuss among Christians today and she did so with tact and expertise。
Amy
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Coming off last summer's popular podcast "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill，" I was especially excited to receive this ARC。 Although the content of the podcast was both fascinating and incredibly disturbing at times， it left me with questions and thoughts like， "How can a popular Christian leader not see beyond the risky direction he/she is headed and how consequential it will be to themselves and others when （not if） they fall？" Beaty's book seemed to carry that conversation from last summer even Coming off last summer's popular podcast "The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill，" I was especially excited to receive this ARC。 Although the content of the podcast was both fascinating and incredibly disturbing at times， it left me with questions and thoughts like， "How can a popular Christian leader not see beyond the risky direction he/she is headed and how consequential it will be to themselves and others when （not if） they fall？" Beaty's book seemed to carry that conversation from last summer even further。 Beaty's book is very interesting， starting with a chapter on the first Evangelical celebrities and how they arrived at that place。 She then walks the reader through Megachurches and Megapastors， reminding us of the ascent and rapid plummet of their popularity and influence by their consequential life choices。 Part 2 highlights the three temptations that can lead into failure:-Abusing Power （Zacharias， Driscoll， Lentz， Crist， and even Dave Ramsey）-Chasing Platforms （i。e。 distraction of making money within Christian Publishing Companies）-Creating Persona （Loneliness at the top， the need to be seen， known， and loved， lack of true accountability with larger than life personalities） Part 3- The Way Up is Down-Seeking Brand Ambassadors （Christian community grabbing hold of celebrities like Kanye West， Bob Dylan， Justin Bieber）-The Obscure Messiah and Ordinary Faithfulness （The benefits of being an "ordinary Christian" serving the Messiah who battled with His own celebrity even when He desperately pursued obscurity）Beaty says， "Readers hoping the final chapter of this book will offer a solution to the problem of celebrity- or at least a solution that is programmatic and easily implemented - will be disappointed and perhaps a bit annoyed。" She may be right。 I don't feel that way after reading it， however。 I can't expect someone to offer a solution to a problem that can be traced back to any other sin we， as Christians， work hard to overcome。 The fact of the matter is we are all flawed and imperfect。 It's just that those same flaws and imperfections as Christian celebrities are far reaching and have more damaging implications and results， than those of us with simple "ordinary faithfulness。" Side note: In recent years， I've realized you cannot count on all Christian publishers to print and distribute content that is in accordance and strongly supports biblical foundations and principles。 There is a lot out there that should never be labeled as "Christian" in category。 I know nothing about Brazos Press， part of the Baker Publishing Group。 After looking up many of its published authors， I recognize very few names， if any。 So my review of this book is in light of knowing little of Brazos and their determination to have their content align with biblically based principles。 。。。more
Mrs C
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Eye-opening accounts of what happens when wealth， fame， and power collide with spreading the words of Jesus。 All of the case studies are non-Catholic personalities but there are plenty of tidbits to be chewed on here on personal conduct vis-a-vis religious activities。 Review copy provided by the publisher。
Amanda
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Note: I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review。In this book Beaty does an excellent job at examining the rise of "celebrity" and the role that it has taken up within the Christian church （in the United States）。 Many Christians are well-aware of public failings of celebrity pastors or ministry leaders， leaving them to wonder "how does this keep happening and what can we do about it？"。 Beaty traces the history of Christian celebrity culture and examines the structures that en Note: I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review。In this book Beaty does an excellent job at examining the rise of "celebrity" and the role that it has taken up within the Christian church （in the United States）。 Many Christians are well-aware of public failings of celebrity pastors or ministry leaders， leaving them to wonder "how does this keep happening and what can we do about it？"。 Beaty traces the history of Christian celebrity culture and examines the structures that enable and support it， such as Christian book publishing （especially interesting as Beaty both writes Christian books and works for a Christian publisher）。 I think it would have been easy to fall into making this a book that points fingers yelling "gotcha！" at specific individuals， but while Beaty is unafraid to mention individuals by name it never feels unfair or pointed， rather they serve as supporting examples of her overall argument calling for a willingness of ministry leaders to be smaller or more obscure， resistant to the temptation of celebrity and power。 As someone who has read the author's previous book and listened to her podcast it does strike me that she in fact has a certain level of "celebrity" herself， which she does recognize towards the end of the book。I may need to end up purchasing a physical copy because I highlighted a bunch of stuff on the Kindle version。 。。。more
Mhughessc
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I've followed Katelyn Beaty on Twitter for several years， so I've been eagerly anticipating this book。 I was not disappointed！ "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas， Platforms， and Profits are Hurting the Church" was an incredibly insightful and eye-opening book。 I appreciated how Beaty researched and detailed all the ways Christian celebrity has brought poison into the church。 She did a particularly good job defining the differences between an icon and in idol。 Beaty finished her book with some I've followed Katelyn Beaty on Twitter for several years， so I've been eagerly anticipating this book。 I was not disappointed！ "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas， Platforms， and Profits are Hurting the Church" was an incredibly insightful and eye-opening book。 I appreciated how Beaty researched and detailed all the ways Christian celebrity has brought poison into the church。 She did a particularly good job defining the differences between an icon and in idol。 Beaty finished her book with some incredibly profound thoughts on the importance of faithfulness， rather than celebrity。 She asserts that the right form of leadership "means casting off the big ideals of living big lives for God and accepting that our greatest moments of faithfulness may be achieved in complete obscurity。 Maybe it means getting back down to the roots -- to something as small as a mustard seed。 To a faith that is hidden and unnoticed， barely visible to the human eye。 The kingdom of God is not coming through bright lights and loudspeakers and impressive buildings and multimedia teaching series and PR specialists and strategic partnerships and viral content。 It is not coming through entertaining anecdotes and polished talks and best selling books。 IT is not coming through any strategy。 It's not even coming through you and me。 We don't build or usher in the kingdom of God。 We merely attest to its reality in our lives。 If only we would get out of the way。"Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kaitlyn Bouchillon
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A needed book for this time， Beaty writes with both honesty and compassion， holding a mirror up and inviting the reader to do the same。 It's truthful but not unkind， a must-read for anyone in church leadership （or， I suggest， Christians in leadership or who attend a church）。 A needed book for this time， Beaty writes with both honesty and compassion， holding a mirror up and inviting the reader to do the same。 It's truthful but not unkind， a must-read for anyone in church leadership （or， I suggest， Christians in leadership or who attend a church）。 。。。more
Conrade Yap
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