The Christian Bookstore Rejects
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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Christian reconstructionism
11 min read
The article critiques the 'American-white-evangelical-Christian-nationalist-conservative-patriarchal' machine controlling Christian bookstores. Christian Reconstructionism is the theological movement that underlies much of this political-religious fusion, advocating for biblical law in civil society. Understanding its origins and influence illuminates why certain authors are excluded from these spaces.
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Christian media
14 min read
The author discusses being excluded from Christian bookstores despite being a bestselling Christian author. The history and structure of Christian publishing as an industry—including how gatekeeping developed and which companies control distribution—provides essential context for understanding why progressive Christian voices face systematic exclusion.
Hi friends,
I had another post planned for this week but well, that old blogging feeling of just wanting to write, not overthink, about something struck me and here we are.
I’ve been away for a few days on a writing retreat. I’ve got a new book project due very soon (more on that… eventually??). I’m caught between the panicky “oh, my goodness, will this project ever be finished?” and “gracious, I love this and I love what I do and I love God and I love everyone!” and “Actually, I think this book may be an abomination unto the Lord.” It has been a very productive few days and I am heading home satisfied, typing away here at the departure gate.
Of course, one can only sit in a suburban hotel room or a coffee shop synthesizing experience, research, and thousands of prayers into something coherent for so many hours a day and so, to mix things up, I would go for a long walk outside every day and to the local bookstores and thrift stores for my breaks.
I went to a couple of local bookstores where my own books were in stock - always a thrill. It never gets old to see a book you wrote on an actual bookstore shelf, whether it’s a big box store like Indigo or a small indie bookstore or a library, all of which happened here. I have gotten a lot of quiet support from bookstores over the years, particularly from my fave Canadian bookstore McNally Robinson out in Winnipeg when my last book was released, and I never, ever take that for granted.1 Bookstores are havens for so many of us.
While out and about, I happened to drive by a Christian bookstore several times and one day, on a whim, I pulled into the parking lot to go inside. It has been literal years since I went to a Christian bookstore and I was suddenly curious. After saying hello to the staff, I wandered through the aisles, taking my time, seeing what was on the offer here. And sure enough, I ended up a bit sad and angry.
Why?
Well, personally I’m always a bit sad about Christian bookstores in general because I am a devout Christian author who writes books geared for Christians and yet I am almost never stocked in
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