I found this book (with it’s curious warning label) yesterday at Books-A-Million:
Could this be a reaction to a rash of returns from unwary Protestants? Did those Protestants list “Didn’t know it was a Catholic book” as the reason for return?
Or could it be something more disquieting than the merely comical: could it be that because of the currently blurred focus of the modern evangelical movement, a title like “The Imitation of Christ” just seems to fit right in with “What Would Jesus Do”, such that the message of evangelicals has now become utterly vague and indistinguishable.
At any rate, I wasn’t aware that anyone needed to be warned that The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis is “Catholic” (the title AND the author would seem to give that away), but I would love to have a roll of “Heretical” warning stickers and an afternoon to use them on some of the other selections on that same aisle (which includes plenty of Osteen and McLaren, but not any Zahl).
Do any of you frequent used bookstores? I love to peruse their religion aisles because I find it’s a great way to find out which heresies du jour are losing popularity. A while back the “Prayer of Jaebez” was piling up, and lately “The Celestine Prophecy” and “The Purpose Driven Life” have done the same thing. Would anyone care to guess which might be the next “religious” book that will find itself relegated to the used book aisles en masse? Perhaps Osteen, or maybe McLaren…
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The last time I was in Half Price Books I saw TWO copies of N.T. Wright's "After You Believe"…(insert ironic comment here).
I like looking at used books ( goodwill stores, friends of the library type stores ) for religion books. The older the better I say 🙂
I love the used bookstores myself. I can usually find great stuff like old JI Packer, Paul Maier and the like for PENNIES. And it's fun to pick through the melange of quirky theological garbage there in search of such treasures!