How do celebrities for Jesus hurt the Church? Is it not a good thing to use celebrity pastors, preachers, and professors to draw in the crowds in order to listen to the gospel preached to the masses? Didn't Paul say in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he would "become all things to all people" that people might be saved through the gospel? Well, the arguments are compelling that God could use anyone, especially flawed individuals to draw people to Him. That said, would God approve of the Church copying the ways of the world in the name of ministry? Does the ends justify the means? It all depends on motives. It also depends on which is the greater influence: Culture or Christlikeness? In this book that reflects on the virtues and vices of fame and celebrity-style ministries, we reflect on the root values that are driving people to do what they do. Three dangerous temptations lie at the root of the worldly celebrity mindset. The first temptation is the unholy use of Power. Beaty names how the famous (or infamous) Ravi Zacharias was able to captivate large audiences with his persona and persuasive words in public. Yet, his private life is filled with shameful abuse of power. Before his death, he was accused of sexual impropriety. After his death, his organization broke down after in-depth investigations exposed a history of cover-ups and multiple abuses of positions and power. Other celebrities include Mark Driscoll, whose charismatic preaching drowns out other accusations of abuse. Another charming celebrity involved in sexual scandals is the lead pastor of the famous Hillsong Church, Carl Lentz, who deceived not only his congregation but also his own family. Prosperity gospel preachers often gravitate toward the rich and the influential at the expense of the poor and needy. Their motive is the very thing they often preach about: Health and Wealth. Beaty reminds us that celebrity not only deceives people, it shields one from being investigated, and eventually isolates themselves from people.

The second temptation is about chasing platforms for fame and recognition. Some do it through publishing while others look at profits as their driving factor. If one can get famous, it will draw more people to pay attention to them. Unfortunately, when fame takes priority over the promotion of Christ, the ministry suffers eventually. Associated with fame is also the power factor. Once authors become famous, they use their name to negotiate better deals with publishing houses, especially the bigger ones. From the desire for fame lies other associated temptations like plagiarism, deception, and using dubious sources like ResultSource to gain the upper hand in the ranking of bestseller lists. The point is: Be aware of anyone using publishing to look impressive on the outside.

The third temptation is about creating persona for recognition and personal gain. The aim is to look good and project an image that people like. Such people typically try to hide their inner insecurity with impressive outer shells. While people admire such people from the outside, deep inside, one pays a high personal cost, the chief of all is loneliness.

When one yields to one or more of these temptations, eventually the ministry and the Church suffers.

My Thoughts
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Katelyn Beaty has given us an important reminder that the higher one climbs, the harder one falls. Ministry leaders are often faced with a stark choice: Are they serving God or are they self-serving? Let me offer three thoughts. First, ministry leaders must ask themselves: Do they want ministry success via celebrity-style or integrity-style? Before one can choose integrity, one needs to resist the temptation to chase after celebrity status. One could argue that they could do both, justifying a win-win scenario for Christ and for themselves. This is the way of the business world. Whatever the means, if one gets the result, why not? Celebrity-style ministries tend to minimize the virtuous means as long as they get the result they wanted. Captured by the temptation for success, they substitute personal integrity for public fame. Beaty warns us that while celebrity conversions can make Christianity cool, they unwittingly lead people to bark up the wrong tree. Worse, they entice others to copy what they do, repeat what they say, and imitate how they look. Integrity-style however stays true to the ways of Christ. Resisting the temptations of the world, integrity keeps one grounded in the Truth of the Gospel.

Secondly, ministry leaders must ask: Is their ministry platform built upon their identity in Christ or the worldly persona they crave after? Beware that their icons of fame do not become idols of the world that distract people from the Christ they preach or claim to preach for. With identity, one grows out of a truthful self. Otherwise, the danger is to let persona eat us up from the outside in. There will come a time in which worldly success if it comes will have no inner foundation to stand upon. Like the famous phrase, "Empty vessels make the loudest noise," if our inside is empty, what we say may become hollow words that not only lead people astray, it destroys us further.

Thirdly, we are to ask ourselves if our motivations for ministry is humility-led or pride-driven. This calls for us to consider our motives right from the start. Even then, we need to regularly do self-examinations to clear the weeds of pride. As Beaty points out to us at the end of the book, we need to take heed of what Henri Nouwen calls, the temptations of relevance, being spectacular and powerful. All of these feed off the root of pride. Instead, the way to humble ministry lies in resisting all of these.

There are lots of good stuff in this book. If you are a ministry leader, you need to read this book. If you are aiming for greater recognition in your ministry, let Beaty's book bring you back down to earth, to walk in the ways of Christ.

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.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

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This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Academic and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

A needed book for this time, Beaty wrote 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).

Celebrities for Jesus is an incisive look at “how personas, platforms, and profits are hurting the church". I greatly admire Katelyn's voice and seem to align with her theology. I am a fan of her first book, A Woman's Place, and appreciate her style of both objective journalism and humor about Christian culture.

The first section of the book dives into a history of evangelicalism, megachurches, and evangelical celebrities--Billy Graham being the first. Beaty defines celebrity as "social power without proximity." The second section describes three temptations of celebrity: abusing power, chasing platforms, and creating personas. Beaty defines power as "the innate human ability to steward the world to glorify God and bless creation and fellow image bearers."

It was interesting to read Beaty's perspective on ”Christian celebrities" as she is an insider in the Christian publishing world and has a public platform as well. Pop culture fans will enjoy the stories about Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and John Mulroney that parallel the stories of Bill Hybels, Carl Lentz, Ravi Zacharias, and Mark Driscoll. I admired how Beaty manages to make a book critiquing Christian celebrity culture surprisingly hopeful and positive. She always draws readers back to the example of Jesus Christ, the ultimate leader with power who rejected celebrity. Beaty challenges us to "recapture a vision of ordinary faithfulness, a vision of the Christian life that begins and ends with producing 'little Christs'".

In this timely, gracious-yet-truthful critique of the American church’s relationship with celebrity, journalist and editor Katelyn Beaty pulls back the curtain on the human heart and its love of fame—for those at the top, and those in the pews. Thank you to NetGalley and Baker Academic and Brazos Press for the advance e-copy.

Let me just start by saying, this book is crucial for the Church. Who of us have not been touched by celebrity in some way? Whether our own platform and influence are growing, or we’re fueling this dangerous position of “social power without proximity”—a false sense of intimacy—we aren’t immune to the power of fame. Beaty describes how we can adore leaders to the point we’re following them instead of Christ, where our Christian identity is wrapped up with fallen people. It’s dangerous for everyone involved: leaders are not held accountable, and our faith is so tied to them that if they crumble, our faith does, too.

Beaty delves into the first Christian celebrities, showing how mega-evangelists built up their “brand” even before the age of internet and social media, and how their celebrity power and traveling crusades eclipsed “God’s Plan A” for the world: the local church. She talks about temptations Christian leaders face: to chase platforms in the name of “doing big things for God” and “reaching more for the kingdom,” and how people’s personas (the image they project to the world) can leave those behind the personas feeling more unknown and isolated than ever—a recipe for disaster.

I love that Beaty finishes this book by highlighting the lowly obscurity of Jesus’s entrance into the world and the humility of his ministry. He didn’t seek fame; he came to serve us all. And in that, he became the most famous person who ever lived.

This is a must-read for church leaders and laypeople alike.

(note: I'll post this on social media closer to the publication date.)

When I first heard about this book, I didn't realize just how timely and relevant it would be in our present time. This is a fascinating look at the history of celebrity pastors/Christians and how they affect the Church. I will be recommending this to our patrons and those in the church.

A timely and necessary critique that pulls no punches but avoids cynicism and cruelty.

Almost everyone will agree that white evangelicalism has a Christian celebrity problem. Most critiques go no further than that or have no idea of a better way forward. This book explains how this phenomenon began and the ways that it is damaging the body of Christ.

If you are hoping to rage against celebrities and dive into an expose, then you will be disappointed. The book critiques plenty and does not mind naming names. She goes into detail to explain the destruction caused by some of the biggest names in evangelicalism. But she also shows grace. She by no means makes light of their sin nor excuses it. She describes it in harsh terms. But the focus of the book is not to look at how terrible "these people" are. Instead, it takes a wider view of the destructive power of this system that creates and platforms them in the first place. I was surprised to see how the book shows the destruction of a Christian celebrities own life. This phenomenon is not just bad for the church generally, but for their own souls.

There is a chapter that is dedicated to the Christian publishing industry's complicity in the creation of celebrities. This chapter is worth the price of the book alone. I've thought about the Christian celebrity complex plenty, but her insight into the publishing world is worth the price of the book.

What I appreciate most about this book is that it looks right at the darkness and destruction, but never loses hope. Criticism is necessary and needed, but we also need to see a better way forward. I left this book not scoffing at other celebrities and their destruction of the church. But it forced me to consider how I personally am complicit in creating them. And to ask myself if I am willing to do anything to reverse the trend.

In the end, this book is brilliant. It's short and packs a mighty punch. It provides a much-needed critique that I pray the church hears.

Timely book about the rise (an inevitable fall) of “celebrity” pastors. The author provides so much insight and wisdom as to where it all went wrong as well as citing her extensive research. In the end she points it all back to Christ. A must read in this day and age!