Ever since the release and maybe before then. I have found that books like the Person Driven Life and alot of self help books are in christian bookshops.
I am in the Uk and only can speak about the books that I have personally seen come out.
I check through the sections and the only book I may like is say John Bunyan Pilgrims Progress.
Does anybody find the same thing?
Yes, I have found this where I live.
I have, however, heard of a particular bookstore down in the south-eastern part of the US that won't sell many of the popular books today. Can't remember it though... I recall it being quite a small bookstore chain. I would think God would honor that commitment to only sell books that are pleasing to Him.
The few stores here are loaded with false teachings and novelty. The scarey thing is that is what sells where I live.
They order in my books for me though. The girls that work there understand. They say, "Oh, the classics... the good stuff." They know.
It is scarey though.... selling that garbage. I've bought some back in the day.... got home, read a few pages until coming across Scripture taken out of context and other false teachings. I wouldn't re-sell them though.
Too bad I live in a apartment. I miss having a firepit in the backyard. :-P :-o :-?
richie
There is a Christian bookstore in this part of NC that wont cater to the psycho-babble self help books that are the big sellers to the church. However, they are in competition with Family Christian and Lifeway, which are the big boys on the block... so they have steep prices on things just to survive.
Here's my take on Christian bookstores... first off, they charge waaaay too much. I can go buy the same book or CD at Walmart or Amazon for way less. Even lower on Ebay. People say "Well, at least if you buy it at a Christian bookstore your money is going to Christians." No it isnt! It's going to a corporation... a corporation who's goal it is to make as much money as possible. The bottom line for Family Christian and Lifeway is the same as it is for Walmart and Amazon.
Now, thats not necessarily a bad thing. But it is when people think of these corporations as "ministries". Write a letter to the corporate headquarters of one of these bookstores and tell 'em you're broke, but you would like to have a Bible. See how far you get. (The folks at your local store might help you out, but not the corporation)
Secondly... the average Christian bookstore is full of "Jesus Junk" and books by a plethura of false teachers and prophets. There is usually no scrutiny concerning who's book they are selling... unless there is a controversy. Then, perhaps, they may pull a book off the shelf.
I remember when Amy Grant unbiblically divorced her husband and remarried a non-believer, and said God told her to commit this form of adultry. The bookstores pulled her CD's... for awhile. Now they are right back on there.
You can buy Benny Hinn's books... Kenneth Hagin's books... etc etc. False teacher? No problem. If we can make money on it, we're sellin' it!
I personally believe that Christian bookstores are the modern money changers. And there is a church here in town that has a Parables Christian bookstore (a chain store) right in their main building... just outside the sanctuary. How is that any different than what we see in the Bible?
Now... before I end this, let me point out that the folks at your local Christian chain-store are probably very sincere people who believe they are performing a ministry to the local churches. I think they are mistaken, but I'm not against those people. I'm sure they mean well.
HOWEVER... Christianity is [b]BIG
...especially when they see the "12 Apsotles Breath Mints" ... or "Blood of the Martyrs Chewing Gum" for sale up by the register.
Krispy
Amen Krispy!
You make some very good points. I have a friend who bought a movie from Family and since she bought it there thought it must be "family friendly." However with the swearing and taking God's name in vain she was very surprised. In a way it was a good lesson to check things out first but frankly it had no business being in the store except it was "business."
The church I grew up in has grown in numbers very much and has changed even more. They also have a bookstore in the church which does business on Sunday and I was amazed at the kinds of books they carried. Many went against what the denomination stands for yet there they are.
Have a great day!
Luckily I live in Seattle and we have tons of second hand and eccentric bookstores... no Christian ones though, unless you head north or south. Generally though, if you go to find non Christian books at a secular book store you're going to find two things, lot's of REALLY heretical stuff and some good old classics!
One shop I know has a huge section on karma in Christianity and an equally large section of CS Lewis books. So you've got to know how to look.
I also found that Barnes and Nobles has a pretty good section of books, they've got Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ravi Zacharias, Corrie Ten Boom, CS Lewis etc. and they can order just about anything else you'd want.
Generally if you go to a secular bookstore the prices are more reasonable too. A christian bookstore I know sell's a copy of pilgrim's progress for like $10, and I got it used at a used book store for under $1.
Ian... guess where I have gotten a lot my favorite Christian books... [b]yard sales
I collect Bibles at yard sales too. I've collected a lot of antique Bibles, mostly pay about $1 for them.
Krispy
I hear ya, Krispy, thats where I get most of my good books. I like collecting bibles too.
I remember a United Church in our city turned gay, and in the process of time, they lost most of their membership because of it and they had to close it down. This was a massive building and over 150 years old. They had to clean everything out, I remember walking by and saw a dump truck there and I thought I take a gander into see what was going on. They were literally throwing out everything, even their KJV bibles. I grabbed as many as I could get my hands on, most were on the floor being shoveld into bins. Many were as old as the church.
From a used book store, I got a 1785 sermon book, very well preserved, paid $20 for it, it was a steal as far as I was concerned. I got another couple of book of almost the same year for $40. There was some information about holiness that caught my eye.
Our local christian book store, the only one in the city is pathetic, they got nothing worth looking at, I mean nothing, even their music is no good. The anointed materially you have to order in. But I buy most of my stuff online now.
Ahhh, the summer is coming, and I can hardly wait for those yard/garage sales to start.
:-)
Here in Milwaukee Family Christian bookstore only has 3 racks with good books.
As far as Bibles the message and NIV outnumber all the other translations (now I read my NIV as well it's just sad to see the more literal translations outnumbered by the NIV and the blasphemous working of Mr. Petersen)
Also VCY in milwaukee has probably lost Thousands of dollars b/c they refuse to carry crap. PROPs and Prayers to them.
God Bless y'all
"Blood of the Martyrs Chewing Gum"
Your not serious are you? :-?
I hope there isn't such a thing.
Family Christian Bookstores has alot of nonsense and is very seeker sensitive. But also they have a classic section. Where you can get Ravenhill , Spurgeon , Tozer , Bunyan , Augustine , Wesley . Nee , Edwards , Finney and so forth.
... as for the chewing gum, no, I made that up. But if you look around the register area they have things very similar to that. It's what I call "Jesus Junk". I think Keith Green coined that phrase.
Krispy
Family Christian Bookstores has alot of nonsense and is very seeker sensitive. But also they have a classic section. Where you can get Ravenhill , Spurgeon , Tozer , Bunyan , Augustine , Wesley . Nee , Edwards , Finney and so forth.
Ever notice that you are usually the only one browsing that section?
Krispy
Hahah yes indeed I have my friend. I do not think there has ever been anyone else looking at the same section at the same time I was. You will be the odd ball in the store.
Yes, yard sales, garage sales, estate sales and even Christian college libraries are getting rid of their "junk" as they "grow up" which is treasure to me.
Good prices and great reading. Praise the Lord!!
well still you have good Christian books in your own language the only "Christian" books translated now days and sold in my language are Benny hinns and rick warrens, and the emergent church books...ive looked and looked and i cant find one single book worth buying, i found one little booklet by madame guyon, and oh ohh i almost past out when i found a book by Dr Tozer once! and this is one of the biggest Christian bookstores in my country...but i found this old second hand bookstore . i find books about 100 years old...wow... i found them all :-) allll the good old classics... a little rugged at the edges but that only gives them some "charm" . and i can buy twenty books there for one emergent church book....
and then i have SI too :-)
thank God for old used bookstores! and SI
Yes, Praise God for SI.
this brother probably sells the best books on the Faith in the world.
click on auctions and you will see some REAL gems.
My two favorites are "Life Of Brainerd", (to which I mailed you one of my copies, ages ago...did you read it...DOMINICK?) and "Life Together".
many many great missionaries biographies and autobiographies he has to spur you on.
KrispyKrittr wrote:Ever notice that you are usually the only one browsing that section?
Krispy
Yeah, there and the southern gospel section in the music. :-P
I mostly get my books from Family Christian bookstores, Amazon, and used Christian bookstores.
In Grand Rapids, MI there is one good used bookstore run by Baker which has some pretty neat stuff. It also has some of the new stuff that's not worth reading, but you can find some really good, old stuff. We just went there last month and as a family we probably got around forty books.
Jordan
the best bookshop I know is The Protestant Truth Society in London, I got the copy it is a fantastic book and was convicted by reading the first few pages and I found an audio version of it!!, of David Brainard. Thankyou for that!!
Just to add to the conversation...speaking of antique books...I found this website last week. It's an antique dealer that specialises in very old Bibles. Their webpage is amazing as you can see photographs of old Bibles like a handwritten Wycliffe or a Geneva Bible. Wow. I love history so this got me excited. They even do a weekend seminar on Bible history at their location which would be really neat to go to.
Now don't fall over brothers and sisters when you see the prices. This ain't a yard sale.
Blessings,
Sonja
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