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PreachersNSneakers

Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Founder of the phenomenon social media account PreachersNSneakers tackles how faith, capitalism, consumerism, and (wannabe) celebrity have collided and asks both believers and nonbelievers alike: how much is too much?

What started as a joke account on Instagram has turned into a movement. Through this provocative project, the founder of PreachersNSneakers is helping thousands of Jesus followers wrestle with the inevitable dilemmas created by our Western culture obsessed with image and entertainment.

In PreachersNSneakers: Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities, Ben Kirby approaches many of the difficult questions plaguing countless Christians' minds, presenting experiences and input from both sides of difficult questions, such as:

  • Should pastors grow wealthy off of religion, and can their churches ever be too large?
  • Do we really believe that divine blessings are monetary, or is that just religious wallpaper to hide our own greed?
  • Is there space in Christendom for celebrities like Kanye and Bieber to exist without distorting the good news?
  • What about this: Is it wrong for someone—even wrong for author Ben Kirby—to call out faith leaders online and leverage "cancel culture" to affect change?
  • PreachersNSneakers will navigate these challenging questions and many more with humor, wit, candor, and a few never-before-published hijinks. Each chapter will explore the various sides of the debate, holding space for us to make up our own minds. This book is not about finding the perfect, "right" way to do something, but instead learning how to articulate what we believe, why we believe it, and what to do when we want to stand up against cultural norms.

    This book will doubtlessly become a staple for church small groups, college ministries, and book clubs, emboldening struggling believers who want to live a more genuine faith. After all, the Lord works in mysterious colorways.

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    • Reviews

      • Publisher's Weekly

        April 19, 2021
        Ben Kirby, the once-anonymous author behind the PreachersNSneakers Instagram handle, which is dedicated to chronicling the extravagance of celebrity pastors’ lifestyles, raises worthy questions about the church’s entanglement in “capitalism, consumerism, and celebrity culture” but offers few answers in this underwhelming analysis. Is it appropriate, the author wonders, for a pastor to be a celebrity and have an entourage, or for a celebrity who becomes a Christian to be treated as a pastor? In all cases, the author diffusely answers: “maybe, but it’s hard.” The author suggests Christians need to strike a balance between using social media and displaying humility, and seek wisdom “from scripture... and wise counsel” to achieve that balance, but never expounds on what that means or where to learn. Perhaps the most insightful chapter is one dedicated to expensive sneakers and the resale market for them: “When a hobby becomes your god or causes others to envy or feel less than, it’s time to ask tough questions about its place in your heart.” While the author aims to address both non-Christians and Christians, this cursory analysis doesn’t provide enough context for outsiders to follow the critiques. This strident complaint that the pursuit of fame is diluting the gospel falls flat.

    Formats

    • Kindle Book
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    • EPUB ebook

    Languages

    • English

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