POPULARITY
Katelyn Beaty is a journalist, editor, and author who's written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, Religion & Politics, and The Atlantic. She is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service), the author of 2 books including her latest: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church (Brazos Press, 2022), and currently serves as the editorial director of Brazos Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Katelyn Beaty joins Amy Fritz for a conversation about what Katelyn learned as she was writing her upcoming book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com In this episode we talk about: How did Katelyn decide who to reach out to for endorsements for a book like this? Proximity as an antidote to implosion. An update on my former pastor who plagiarized most of his sermons and personal stories. Ghostwriting Plagiarism What is the role of the consumer? Featured Guest Katelyn Beaty https://katelybeaty.com Resources mentioned Faithful Counseling https://faithfulcounseling.com/untangled Buy Katelyn's book: https://amzn.to/3AaCGaY Tell Your Friends! If you loved this episode, leave us a review on your favorite podcast app and share it with a friend. Tag us if you share it on social media. Follow Untangled Faith wherever you listen to podcasts Follow on Apple podcasts Subscribe on YouTube Follow on Spotify Follow on Podcast Addict Want to share your thoughts with us or talk about partnering with the show? Email: amy@untangledfaithpodcast.com Follow me on Instagram Follow me on Threads Follow me on BlueSky
The time has come for the church to reexamine its relationship to celebrity. Journalist and author Katelyn Beaty shares from her book “Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church.” *Originally aired June 13, 2023* Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here
In this episode, James sits down with journalist, author, and podcaster Katelyn Beaty to discuss her series of essays on her substack "The Beaty Beat" about the "Evangelical Bro Code." They consider the various components of the bro code, possible solutions to the bro code, and the ways the bro code negatively impact both women and men. For more from Katelyn subscribe to The Beaty Beat at https://katelynbeaty.substack.com/. You can also listed to more conversations from Katelyn on her podcast Saved by the City or purchase Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church on amazon.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
One of the biggest dangers of our obsession with church size is the rise of the Christian celebrity culture. Katelyn Beaty is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Katelyn defines celebrity as “social power without proximity.” In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Katelyn about what that means, why it's a problem, and why we in the church are so susceptible to the lure of celebrity. There's also great hope for those who have been led astray by Christian celebrity culture, whether you're the one following a celebrity, or if you're the one desiring to be followed. Links: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church Karl's new book, De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you've read the book and you'd like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/Contact Me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
One of the biggest dangers of our obsession with church size is the rise of the Christian celebrity culture. Katelyn Beaty is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Katelyn defines celebrity as “social power without proximity.” In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Katelyn about what that means, why it's a problem, and why we in the church are so susceptible to the lure of celebrity. There's also great hope for those who have been led astray by Christian celebrity culture, whether you're the one following a celebrity, or if you're the one desiring to be followed. Links: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church Karl's new book, De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you've read the book and you'd like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/Contact Me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Author Katelyn Beaty joins the podcast to discuss her recent book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Profits, and Platforms are Hurting the Church. We discuss the history of evangelicalism as it relates to the use of mass media, as well as how the wider cultural phenomenon of celebrity relates to the evangelical movement. How has celebrity shaped pastors' sense of vocation? What are the dangers associated with the megachurch movement and famous pastors? This and much more on this episode.
This week on Ministry Strong Lisa Whittle welcomes Katelyn Beaty, a journalist, editor, and keen observer of trends in the American church. Lisa & Katelyn hit the hard topic of celebrity Christians and go deeper into this topic of why it's not okay and what we can do about it. Links: Classical Conversations Leave a Review for the JOE Show The Path - World Relief Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church JOE S8E6 - Lisa + Friends: Katelyn Beaty Ministry Strong Instagram Connect with Katelyn: Website Katelyn Beaty Books Instagram Facebook
The time has come for the church to reexamine its relationship to celebrity. Journalist and author Katelyn Beaty shares from her book "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church." Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here
Today we're so excited to welcome Katelyn Beaty to the podcast, author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. We'll be discussing Abigail's resistance to corrupt power in 1 Samuel 25, and the ways her example can inform the modern Church. Katelyn will help us look at how we can interrogate our own stewardship of power and look with curiosity and honesty at the structures around us. There's a lot to uncover about the Christian life and ordinary acts of faithfulness. For reference and further reading: 1 Samuel 25 John 10 Check out Katelyn's work: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church A Woman's Place https://www.katelynbeaty.com/ Her podcast: Saved By the City Follow her on Twitter @KatelynBeaty and Instagram @katelyn_beaty Shop our Excavate merch store https://excavatepodcast.myshopify.com/ Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @excavatepodcast To support the podcast on patreon visit: www.patreon.com/excavatepodcast Our patreon perks include new content, zoom calls, and the opportunity for our higher tier options to invite us to your small group.
In this episode we're talking about Celebrities for Jesus with Katelyn Beaty, who is the editorial director for Brazos Press and who previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today. She's also the cohost of the Saved by the City podcast, and the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church (published by Brazos). In our conversation with Katelyn, we discuss the allure of celebrity in American evangelicalism, the lack of interrogation of whether church growth is an automatic work of the Spirit, whether institutions are irreparably flawed, and how the rise of celebrity in the church connects with Enneagram personality types, among many other interesting things. Team members on the episode from The Two Cities include: Dr. John Anthony Dunne, Dr. Madison Pierce, Rev. Dr. Chris Porter, and Dr. Sydney Tooth.
From April 27th's RLC Book Club | Many Christian leaders use their fame and influence to great effect. Whether that popularity resides at the local church level or represents national or international influence, many leaders have effectively said to their followers, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” But fame that is cultivated for its own sake, without attendant spiritual maturity and accountability, has a shadow side that runs counter to the heart of the gospel. Celebrity – defined as social power without proximity – has led to abuses of power, the cultivation of persona, and a fixation on profits. In light of the fall of famous Christian leaders in recent years, the time has come for the church to reexamine its relationship to celebrity. Award-winning journalist Katelyn Beaty explores the ways fame has reshaped the American church, explains how and why celebrity is woven into the fabric of the evangelical movement, and identifies many ways fame has gone awry in recent years. She shows us how evangelical culture is uniquely attracted to celebrity gurus over and against institutions, and she offers a renewed vision of ordinary faithfulness, helping us all keep fame in its proper place. Learn more about Katelyn and her book here To help sustain our work, you can donate here To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Common Hymnal information: https://commonhymnal.com/
Today's Beach Talk begins with a review of the 100th Episode aired last week with guests Darcy McKenzie and Ken Fong. Ken and Betsey turn their attention to the tragic shooting at the Covenant (Elementary) School in Nashville, Tennessee where three 9-year-old students and three adults, including the school's headmaster, were brutally murdered. The shooter was quickly taken out by courageous first responders who arrived on the scene within minutes. The perpetrator used legally obtained automatic weapons to terrorize the school. Ken and Betsey reflect on the reports of the shooter's identity. They affirm that the killer is entirely responsible for the heinous crime, no question. However, the manifesto left behind by the perpetrator indicates that Audrey Hale identified as transgender. It raises questions about the conservative school's treatment of the LGBTQ community and the shooter's experience there as a young student. Right-wing politicians and religious zealots across the country have targeted transgender individuals, young and old, with all manner of restrictive, moralistic and sometimes draconian legislation and policies. Ken turns the conversation to a new subject. He shares his most recent read - Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church by Katelyn Beaty. Ken asks Betsey about here experience with "The Billy Graham Rule" in her role as an editor for Christian organizations. Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/beachedwhitemaleSupport the show
Peace Talks is pleased to welcome Katelyn Beaty to the show! Our wide-ranging conversation with Katelyn began with Christian celebrity and continued to find its way to spiritual formation—particularly how the American church values the fast growth of membership over the quiet, slow growth of becoming like Christ. She reflects on the transactional, consumer-oriented nature of American spiritual formation and laments that we are not shaped to believe that pursuing justice is a part of Christian discipleship.Katelyn Beaty is author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits Are Hurting the Church and the editorial director of Brazos Press. She has written on faith and culture for several mainstream and Christian media outlets and co-hosts the podcast Saved by the City. A native of Ohio and graduate of Calvin University, she lives in Brooklyn, NY.Subscribe to PEACE TALKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-talks/id1590168616About the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace:Justice and peace come from the inside out—from the overflow of a transformed heart. This belief led our founder, Bishop Todd Hunter, to start the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace in 2021. The Center brings together a diverse, interdenominational community of people who want to be formed in love to heal a broken world. Because “religion” is often part of the problem, we've created a brave, Jesus-centered space for dialogue, questioning, creating and exploration. PEACE TALKS introduces you to women and men who are working to undo oppression, leading to lives of deeper peace for all.*Connect with The Center Online!*Visit The Center's Website: https://centerfjp.orgFollow The Center on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerfjpFollow The Center on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CenterFjpFollow The Center on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centerfjp/Support the show
Disciple Up # 298 Dishonest Christian Publishers By Louie Marsh Links used during this Podcast https://estephenburnett.lorehaven.com/pssst-christian-endorsers-of-bad-books-may-not-have-even-read-them/ https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/march-web-only/christian-publishers-book-endorsements-authors-tgc-butler.html https://archive.thinkprogress.org/meet-donald-trumps-new-evangelical-advisory-board-6a5bfc5460d7/ Excerpts from CT article: The Problem with Christian Book Endorsements Publishers and authors have played along by pushing celebrity blurbs—but it's time to rewrite the rules of promotion. KATELYN BEAT As an editor at a Christian publisher, I review multiple book proposals each week. Authors pitching a new project will share a table of contents, a sample of their writing, their bio, statistics about their platform, and—always—a list of confirmed or potential endorsers. It's a strange detail, since most trade nonfiction books aren't already written when the author goes under contract with a publisher. This means that endorsers have agreed to endorse something that doesn't exist. Authors and agents are simply playing the rules that publishers set, and in Christian publishing—as with all book publishing—it's about who you know. Many authors hate seeking endorsements; it feels self-promotional and vulnerable. But endorsements are simply part of the deal, going back to at least 1856, when Walt Whitman had Ralph Waldo Emerson's letter praising Leaves of Grass published in the New-York Tribune prior to the book's second edition. It's a risky thing to do—especially when an endorser hasn't read the book. Last week, The Gospel Coalition published, then unpublished, an excerpt from the forthcoming book Beautiful Union: How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything. Readers criticized the author, Joshua Ryan Butler, saying he misconstrued the marriage metaphor in Ephesians 5, making it pornographic, male-centric, and ripe for abuse. As criticisms mounted, ministry leader Dennae Pierre and pastor Rich Villodas publicly retracted their book endorsements. Pierre said she had written hers “based on training Josh had done for local pastors” and had done a “quick skim” of the book. Villodas said a mutual friend had invited him to endorse the book: “I agreed to the favor, but in poor judgment, read only 25-30% of it.” It was good for Pierre and Villodas to admit they hadn't fully read a book that will feature their names, at least on the first printing. Their retractions are a wake-up call for book buyers: Endorsements aren't always about quality of writing or theological soundness. In practice, they aren't even always an honest assessment of someone else's work. Rather, in an age fixated on platform, endorsements are about establishing the market appeal of an author based on their connections to famous people. As such, endorsements are usually driven by celebrity, mutual back-scratching, and power consolidated through loose social, professional, and ministry networks. There's a reason that endorsements come through the marketing team (not editorial): Endorsements are marketing tools, not editorial reviews. Of course, many endorsers offer blurbs for good reasons. They want to support friends and acquaintances. In a market where sales often boil down to platform, many famous people want to share the spotlight, or shine it on emerging voices. Plus, a Christian culture of niceness—and the blurring of lines between friendship and commerce—make it hard to say no to endorsement requests. (Note that Villodas said he agreed to a “favor.”) After all, whoever blurbs sparingly will also be blurbed sparingly, for God loves a cheerful blurber. I consider it a red flag that some faith-based publishers will write an endorsement for a celebrity who doesn't have time to write it themselves. Let me repeat that: A publishing team member, coveting a celebrity's name on a forthcoming title, will contact them or their team and say, “We know you're very busy because you're very important and clearly called to do big things for God, so you probably won't have time to read this book. But we would be so honored to have your support. Might you say something like this? [fill in endorsement].” Then the celebrity or their assistant signs off on the wording or tweaks it before it appears on the book. Imagine if the blurb appeared as it was written: Timely and compelling message! —Famous Pastor —Marketing Intern It doesn't have the same ring, but at least it's honest. Likewise, it's mostly up to blurbers to be honest about their blurbs. Personally, I would love to see more blurbs that include praise and critique; one needn't agree with every detail in a book to commend it as worth reading. It would be unorthodox, from an industry view, for faith-based publishers to drop endorsements on principle of resisting celebrity. But it could also honor the central task to which Christian publishers are called: to edify Christian readers and deepen the faith of everyday believers, not to serve as an avenue for aspiring leaders to boost each other's careers. Christian publishers have been implicated in scandals around ghostwriting, plagiarism, and extending the platforms of unhealthy and abusive leaders. If they are also asking endorsers to essentially lie to book buyers, we have deep problems to attend to. Katelyn Beaty is editorial director of Brazos Press, a division of Baker Publishing Group. She is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. ANOTHER ARTICLE: At The Gospel Coalition, Joe Carter summarized who said what: On Tuesday, several evangelical leaders drew criticism for promoting the newest book of Paula White, a prosperity gospel preacher who has repeatedly been accused of teaching heretical doctrines. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said “you might want to check it out.” Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, said to “give it to anyone looking for hope!” Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, declared, “It is powerful. I highly recommend it!” And Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, added, “Paula's life is an encouragement to so many and I'm sure this book will encourage you.” (It's unclear whether these men have actually read the book or if they support White's teachings.) Since then, several of those endorsers have removed their original tweets, such as Franklin Graham's. But here's one annoying secret about book endorsements: Sometimes the endorser has not even read the book being endorsed. This apparently open “secret” leaked some time ago, thanks in part to author Randy Alcorn. In this article, he wrote: I'm often asked to endorse an entire book based on one chapter, and several times I've been sent an-already written endorsement and asked if I would agree to have my name attached to it! Personally, I don't think this is ethical. I've also been told by several Christian leaders they would be glad to endorse my book, and they were having a staff person read it and give me the endorsement under the leader's name. I've had to explain I don't believe in ghost-written endorsements, so no need to send me one because I couldn't use it. That's an awkward situation for everybody. This is one of several objections Alcorn shared about “acceptable” practices in Christian publishing. He also critiques ghostwriting and other practices, such as paid celebrity endorsements for nonprofit groups. Alcorn calls these “the scandal of evangelical dishonesty.”1 Earlier this week, I shared some of this info (along with a little speculation about one old, and since removed, celebrity endorsement of another book). Since then, blogger Julie Roys confirmed that, indeed, one endorser had not actually read Paula White-Cain's book: . . . When pressed about whether he's certain that there's nothing in White's book that supports prosperity gospel, Jeffress said: “My schedule is so busy, I can't read every book word for word. But what I did see was really her autobiographical account of her past and how God redeemed her life.” . . . Yet when I asked Jeffress if he's sure that White's theology is orthodox, and that she is not a proponent of the prosperity gospel, Jeffress said, “All I can say is she claims not to be.” I asked Jeffress whether he's investigated what White teaches for himself and he answered, “No, no . . . I'm too busy in my own ministry to launch an investigation.” Sure, perhaps Christian leaders really are very busy. Perhaps they haven't time to investigate another Christian leader, who has been reputably charged with promoting heresy. But in that case, perhaps you should—at minimum!—avoid endorsing the person's book? Especially if you haven't even read it? And even if you and the professing-Christian author share the same political fandoms?
Jen leads a freewheeling conversation with a roundtable of guests, who all reflect on their favorite books that were released in 2022. Also, Joel briefly takes over the episode for a reflection on the state of the ERB podcast after 50 episodes. Enjoy!Books Mentioned in this Episode:If you'd like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) Finding Holy in the Suburbs: Living Faithfully in the Land of Too Much by Ashley HalesA Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits by Ashley HalesThe Life We're Looking for: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by Andy CrouchThe Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in its Proper Place by Andy CrouchThe Church After Innovation: Questioning our Obsession with Work, Creativity & Entrepreneurship by Andy RootJoel's YouTube interview with Andy RootWinters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor ParkerConquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England by Eleanor ParkerCelebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Profits and Platforms are Hurting the Church by Katelyn BeatySmall Things Like These by Claire KeeganA World of Curiosities by Louise PennyBittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make us Whole by Susan CainThe Nineties by Chuck KlostermanSea of Tranquility by Emily St. John MandelCloud Atlas by David MitchellStation Eleven by Emily St. John MandelAn Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed YongThe Book of Minds: How to Understand Ourselves and Other Beings, from Animals to AI to Aliens by Phillip BallIf Nietzche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity by Justin GreggWays of Being: Animals, Plants, Machines: The Search for Planetary Intelligence by James BridleWhen Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness by David Pena-GuzmanBark to the Future: A Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer QuinnInciting Joy: Essays by Ross GayRest is Resistance by Tricia HerseySubversive Sabbath by A.J. SwobodaForgive: Why Should I and How Can I? by Timothy KellerForgiveness: An Alternative Account by Matthew Ichihashi PottsFree of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace by Miroslave Volf
This week we discuss the dangerous trend of celebrity Christian culture and explore practices that can help leaders and listeners maintain a healthy faith walk in the modern media age. If you'd like to connect with me, find me on Instagram or on my blog. If you'd like to help support this podcast financially, there's now a way to do just that, and thank you - visit me on my page at buymeacoffee.com! Thanks as always for sharing, subscribing, rating, and reviewing, as this helps our community to grow! Thanks as always to my friend, Peter Vaughan-Vail, for providing the beautiful harp music you hear in this and every episode. Here are some resources I hope will help you to engage with this week's topic in a deeper way for yourself: 1. Article/podcast: Social media is producing 'celebrity priests' - and it's a problem for their vocations, by Gloria Purvis at America Magazine 2. Organization: Homeboy Industries 3. Interview/podcast: Kelly Corrigan Wonders with Fr. Greg Boyle, Founder Homeboy Industries 4. Song (this is the one I harmonized with on my walk): Clean, by Hillsong 5. Song: Give Me Jesus, by Fernando Ortega 6. Podcast series: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, detailing the story of a Seattle church that should be a cautionary tale for all ministers and churches 7. Song: Wonderful, Merciful Savior, by Selah 8. Article: A toxic celebrity culture has infiltrated the church. We must root it out, by Katelyn Beaty 9. Song: Who Am I (Casting Crowns), cover by Mildred Carriaga 10. Essay: Priests Never Say They're Sorry, by Mary Pezzulo 11. Book: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church, by Katelyn Beaty
Jen has an honest and animated conversation with returning guest Katelyn Beaty and first-time guest Andy Crouch on the perils of power, celebrity, platform and fame in the Christian church.Katelyn Beaty is a journalist, editor, and keen observer of trends in the American church. She has written for a variety of publications and is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast. She's the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church (Brazos Press, 2022) and A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Simon & Schuster, 2016). She lives in New York City.Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. His writing explores faith, culture, and the image of God in the domains of technology, power, leadership, and the arts. He is the author of five books, most recently The Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World. He lives with his family in Pennsylvania.Books/Writing Mentioned in this Episode:If you'd like to order any of the following books, we encourage you to do so from Hearts and Minds Books(An independent bookstore in Dallastown, PA, run by Byron and Beth Borger) Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits are Hurting the Church by Katelyn BeatyA Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home and the World by Katelyn BeatyThe Life We're Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by Andy CrouchThe Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate - Discoveries From a Secret World by Peter WohllebenCan't Even: How Millenials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen PetersonLow Anthropology: The Unlikely Key to a Gracious View of Others (And Yourself) by David ZahlPoetry and Prose in the 16th Century by C.S. Lewis (Oxford History of English Literature)The Embers and the Stars: A Philosophical Inquiry into the Moral Sense of Nature by Erazim Kohak
Guest host Alissa Wilkinson talks with Katelyn Beaty, author of the new book Celebrities for Jesus, about how the dynamics of fame, influence, and new media are changing our experience of religious faith. They discuss how celebrities like Billy Graham set the tone for a lionization of celebrity in the Evangelical Church, why faith leaders cultivate distance from their congregations and build influencer-style social media presences, and share their thoughts on the future of the Church in our perhaps increasingly celebrity-obsessed culture. Host: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), senior culture writer, Vox Guest: Katelyn Beaty (@KatelynBeaty), author References: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church by Katelyn Beaty (Brazos; 2022) "Inside Hillsong, the Church of Choice for Justin Bieber and Kevin Durant" by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (GQ; Dec. 17, 2015) "After Columbine, martyrdom became a powerful fantasy for Christian teenagers" by Alissa Wilkinson (Vox; Apr. 17, 2019) Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Producer: Erikk Geannikis Editor: Amy Drozdowska Engineer: Patrick Boyd Senior Producer: Katelyn Bogucki Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to the Word Made Digital Podcast!---In light of the fall of famous Christian leaders in recent years, the time has come for the church to reexamine its relationship to celebrity. Award-winning journalist Katelyn Beaty and author of "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church" explores how fame has reshaped the American church, and why celebrity is woven into the fabric of the evangelical movement. She identifies many ways fame has gone awry in recent years and shows us how evangelical culture is uniquely attracted to celebrity gurus over and against institutions. She offers a renewed vision of ordinary faithfulness, helping us all keep fame in its proper place.---Learn more about Katelyn Beaty:Instagram: @katelyn_beatyWebsite: https://tinyurl.com/4afk2y72---Learn more about Word Made Digital:Website: https://www.wordmadedigital.com/Connect with us on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/fsycm98mJoin our Facebook Group "Digital Church": https://tinyurl.com/hfwuecm9---Thank you to our Season 9 sponsors:Compassion Canada: https://www.compassion.ca/ Canadian Bible Society: https://biblesociety.ca/ServeHQ: https://servehq.church/---Music: "Good Morning" by Laxcity Musicbed Licensed
Guest Bios Show Transcript Celebrity culture has invaded the church. Pastors, who should be shepherds serving the flock, have become idols attracting adoring fans and commanding six- and even seven-figure salaries. What has happened to the church? How did we get here? And what can be done to counter this truly anti-gospel culture? In this podcast, I explore this pervasive problem with Katelyn Beaty, author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church.
This week on Ministry Strong Lisa Whittle welcomes Katelyn Beaty, a journalist, editor, and keen observer of trends in the American church. Lisa & Katelyn hit the hard topic of celebrity Christians and go deeper into this topic of why it's not okay and what we can do about it.Mentioned in the show:The Path @ World ReliefCelebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the ChurchJOE S8E6 - Lisa + Friends: Katelyn BeatyMinistry Strong InstagramConnect with Katelyn:WebsiteKatelyn Beaty BooksInstagramFacebook
We live in a culture infatuated with celebrity, which has infiltrated the evangelical Christian church. How? We look to Christian celebrities and cultural strongmen for leadership and validation. And we have seen many celebrity pastors, ministry leaders, and cultural icons fall from their lofty celebrity platforms because they didn't have the needed spiritual maturity or accountability. On this episode of the Reintegrate Podcast, we are honored to have award-winning journalist Katelyn Beaty. Her new book from Brazos Press, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. Get this book from independent Christian bookseller, Hearts & Minds Bookstore. You can order online through their secure server or call 717-246-333. Mention that you heard about these books on the Reintegrate Podcast and get 20% off! Katelyn Beaty is a journalist and editor. Check out the podcast she co-hosts, “Saved by the City,” and her previous book, A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Simon & Schuster, 2016). >> Thanks for listening! Your hosts for the Re-integrate Podcast are Dr. Bob Robinson (@Bob_Robinson_re) and David Loughney (@David_Loughney). Go to re-integrate.org for the latest articles on reintegrating your callings with God's mission and online resources for further learning. You can also find out about a Bible study book that you can use in your small group or individual devotions: Reintegrate Your Vocation with God's Mission. On Reintegrate's podcast page, you'll find more episodes and ways to email us to comment on this podcast. Music provided by Brian Donahue.
How did the celebrity culture infiltrate the evangelical church and what should be done about it? Writer Katelyn Beaty has written a thought-provoking book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. She traces the history of the celebrity pastor, mega-churches, publishing deals, and stages and screens; and exposes the dangers of fame without accountability and spiritual maturity. This is an important topic and Katelyn doesn't come to it as one with a vendetta, but as one who loves the church, loves Jesus, and is concerned about where we're headed. We should be too.
Start your morning with God's word as Dawn and Steve in the Morning share a devotional from Blackaby Ministries International about the importance of studying the Scriptures! For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess. Deuteronomy 32:47 In addition, author Katelyn Beaty joins the conversation to give us insight into the challenges we have in the church regarding celebrity culture. Katelyn offers a renewed vision of faithfulness in her book Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Katelyn is a 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 is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service) and previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today. She is also the author of A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Simon & Schuster, 2016).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This episode is for any Christian who wonders how many more ministry leaders we have to see fall from grace in the headlines. Katelyn Beaty uncovers the love for celebrity at the heart of our churches and ministry, and she has thoughts about how to overcome it. We discuss: why Christians love celebrities the difference between how men and women use celebrity power Bill Hybels and Carl Lentz why we shouldn't rush to put leaders back into positions of spiritual authority Katelyn Beaty joins us to talk about what Christians should watch out for next (her answer may surprise you), and it's available for partners only. Get it here along with a Purity Culture News episode about Andrew Thorburn's resignation as CEO of the Essendon football club in Melbourne. Full show notes 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 Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church and A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World. Connect with Katelyn on Twitter and Instagram.
“Spiritual depth and personal transformation are more important than impacting others.” In the age of YouTube stars and social media influencers, it's easy to find our identity in our online presence. You may find things that temporarily fill your spiritual buckets, but are left once again dry, anxious, and weary. In today's podcast, author Katelyn Beatty and Joanna talk about dangers to avoid surrounding celebrity, social media and public ministry. Katelyn shares common pitfalls that arise for church leaders in today's fame-obsessed culture. Join us as we dive into a deeper understanding of the troubles the church is facing today and how we can navigate the current age by holding on to God's sovereignty. Important Takeaways from the Show We can get so wrapped up in our visibility that we abandon our real life relationships that are more authentic. Sometimes accountability can be a name-only thing. Leaders must be willing to ask those around them to comment on their character. Don't confuse numerical growth on social platforms with God's blessing or the validity of the message. It's easy for us to set up today's Christian leaders on pedestals and over-prioritize public gifts over more private ones like hospitality. All spiritual gifts are needed in the body of Christ. When a leader falls, it's an opportunity for us to examine our own hearts and uphold them in prayer. We must resist our negative impulses to become contentious and backbiting on online social platforms. We are living an a time of profound loss of trust in institutions. We can't solve the deep divides in our culture without viewing our neighbors as made in the image of God. How we do things is as important as what things we do. God is sovereign over our current cultural climate. Links from Show Katelyn Beatty's New Book: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits Are Hurting the Church Joanna's New Book: Embracing Trust: The Art of Letting Go and Holding On to a Forever-Faithful God [Disclosure: I make a small commission from affiliate links used in this post.] Connect with Katelyn Beatty Website | Instagram
Maybe quitting is a good thing. Once you find your passion, vocation and community, leaving can be really hard but moving on to the next chapter and growing is part of life. Today's guest, Katelyn Beaty, found her community as the first female managing editor of Christianity Today. But it eventually came time to move on to the next season of her life. She's now editorial director for Brazos Press and the author of two books, one of which was just released! "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits Are Hurting the Church" (2022) and "A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home and the World" (2016).In this episode, Katelyn shared the struggle of being a woman in a christian workplace and we discussed how your vocation becomes a part of your identity.Learn more about Katelyn Beaty here.-- Love the podcast? Please follow us or subscribe for FREE, rate, and leave us a review! Follow Liz on Instagram: @lizbohannon @ssekodesigns. This podcast is produced by Hueman Group Media. Follow us on IG @huemangroupmedia and Twitter @hueman_media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Maybe quitting is a good thing. Once you find your passion, vocation and community, leaving can be really hard but moving on to the next chapter and growing is part of life. Today's guest, Katelyn Beaty, found her community as the first female managing editor of Christianity Today. But it eventually came time to move on to the next season of her life. She's now editorial director for Brazos Press and the author of two books, one of which was just released! "Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits Are Hurting the Church" (2022) and "A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home and the World" (2016).In this episode, Katelyn shared the struggle of being a woman in a christian workplace and we discussed how your vocation becomes a part of your identity.Learn more about Katelyn Beaty here.-- Love the podcast? Please follow us or subscribe for FREE, rate, and leave us a review! Follow Liz on Instagram: @lizbohannon @ssekodesigns. This podcast is produced by Hueman Group Media. Follow us on IG @huemangroupmedia and Twitter @hueman_media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Does Jesus need more celebrities tweeting and influencing on his behalf?Katelyn Beaty joins the pod to discuss her new book, ‘Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church' (http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/celebrities-for-jesus/406890). Katelyn Beaty is the author of A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Howard Books / Simon & Schuster), and A Woman's Place: A Bible Study Exploring Every Woman's Call to Work (Abingdon Press), the companion group study guide. For nearly a decade she helped to lead Christianity Today, where she served as the magazine's first female and youngest managing editor. An Ohio native, she has written for The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Vox, Religion & Politics, and The New York Times, and has been interviewed about faith, politics, and culture by NPR, CNN, ABC News, Religion News Service, and the Associated Press.Katelyn currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she enjoys exploring the city's parks and museums, live music, and karaoke. She currently works as an acquisitions editor for Brazos Press. Learn more at KatelynBeaty.com.Don't forget to head over to https://www.crackersandgrapejuice.comClick on “Support the Show.”Become a patronSubscribe to CGJ+For peanuts, you can help us out….we appreciate it more than you can imagine.Follow us on the three majors of social media:https://www.facebook.com/crackersnjuicehttps://www.instagram.com/crackersandgrapejuicehttps://twitter.com/crackersnjuice
The Faith & Work Podcast is resuming its series of Virtue and Vice at Work. In this week's episode, Joanna Meyer discusses the importance of developing humility with Katelyn Beaty, acquisitions editor for Brazos Press, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Katelyn has previously served as managing editor of Christianity Today and has written for The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The New York Times on topics such as politics, gender, and theology. She is also the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church.
Episode 69: Katelyn Beaty is the author of the recently published book “Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms and Profits are Hurting the Church”. We talk here about the nature of celebrity vs fame, and how celebrity pastors and ministers have come to take centre stage in the Evangelical/Pentecostal church. As celebrity pastors have flourished, their churches have become mirrors for their own ego. This leads to numerous problems including a lack of accountability, the abuse of power, the pursuit of growth and brand at all costs, and has distorted the central themes of the Christian message. We finish this conversation by reflecting on how Jesus invites us to resist the allure of power and status, a challenge that is central to the Christian faith itself. Follow Katelyn's work at https://www.katelynbeaty.com/ Get in touch: michael@intheshift.com Support In the Shift: www.patreon.com/intheshift
Katelyn Beaty is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the book "a must-read for anyone invested in the fate of evangelicalism." In this episode, Katelyn and Jonathan Rogers talk about the difference between fame and celebrity, the need to challenge (and not mimic) celebrity culture, and the importance of embodied community in an ever more digitized world. Support the show: https://therabbitroom.givingfuel.com/memberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Purchase a copy of Celebrities for Jesus here: https://amzn.to/3S0DWngMany Christian leaders use their fame and influence to great effect. Whether that popularity resides at the local church level or represents national or international influence, many leaders have effectively said to their followers, "Follow me as I follow Christ." But fame that is cultivated for its own sake, without attendant spiritual maturity and accountability, has a shadow side that runs counter to the heart of the gospel. Celebrity--defined as social power without proximity--has led to abuses of power, the cultivation of persona, and a fixation on profits.In light of the fall of famous Christian leaders in recent years, the time has come for the church to reexamine its relationship to celebrity. Award-winning journalist Katelyn Beaty explores the ways fame has reshaped the American church, explains how and why celebrity is woven into the fabric of the evangelical movement, and identifies many ways fame has gone awry in recent years. She shows us how evangelical culture is uniquely attracted to celebrity gurus over and against institutions, and she offers a renewed vision of ordinary faithfulness, helping us all keep fame in its proper place.+++++++KATELYN BEATY is a 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 is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service) and previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today. She's the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church (Brazos Press, 2022) and A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Simon & Schuster, 2016).+++++++Support the Preacher Boys Podcast:https://www.patreon.com/preacherboysPurchase a Preacher Boys shirt, mask, sticker, or other merch to rep the show! https://www.teepublic.com/user/preacher-boys-podcast________________Find more stories regarding the IFB movement by visiting:– preacherboysdoc.com– https://www.facebook.com/preacherboysdoc/– https://twitter.com/preacherboysdoc– https://www.instagram.com/preacherboysdoc/To connect with a community that shares the Preacher Boys Podcast's mission to expose abuse in the IFB, join the OFFICIAL Preacher Boys Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403898676438188Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/preacher-boys-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
I respond to some questions I've received, I recommend Katelyn Beaty's new book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church (Brazos Press, 2022), and I begin talking about the big story of the Bible.
We often get excited when a celebrity comes to faith in Christ—they can use their platform for the gospel. But what happens when pastors and Christian leaders become celebrities in their churches and communities? Isn't there also a dark side to Christian celebrity? Is that an oxymoron, or should it be? We'll answer these questions and more with our guest Katelyn Beaty in her new book Celebrities for Jesus.Katelyn Beaty is a 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 is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service) and previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today. She's the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church (Brazos Press, 2022) and A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World (Simon & Schuster, 2016).==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Read a transcript of this episode at: xxxxFind all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video
The Gospel According To... is the first and only podcast looking at the intersection of pop culture and Christian faith. On today's episode, the guys talk Christian Celebrity! We are giving away a copy of Katelyn Beaty's Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. Details on the giveaway can be found on our IG. What draws us to celebrity? How do we guard against the pitfalls of putting others on a pedestal? Dave and Dan look at these questions and play two, TWO, games - Celebrity Pastor or CEO and Red Flag or You're Being a Drag Be sure to follow us on social media so you can watch our rise and fall with fame and celebrity. And as the Lord commanded, be sure to help us spread The Gospel (According to) with your friends who have the most followers so we can get some clout. Instagram | Twitter And send us your mailbag questions: tgatpod@gmail.com.
What do Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Britney Spears and Shia LaBeouf have in common (besides being famous)? All four of these celebrities made waves by announcing they had become Christian in recent years. Rightly or wrongly, we ordinary Christians often celebrate when a high-profile figure joins our “team.” But what should we think when our church leaders become celebrities? It's a question Katelyn Beaty explores in her new book Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Katelyn looks at the phenomenon of “celebrity Christians” in the evangelical church, but the trend of priests and pastors gaining massive followings—online and IRL—exists across many denominations and in the Catholic Church. (After all, who's a bigger celebrity than the pope?) We ask her the dangers of having a faith that is centered on charismatic individuals, how social media is changing the ways we relate to church leaders and how people in the pews can build real community in our celebrity-obsessed era. In Signs of the Times, Zac and Ashley break down some of the top Catholic news stories you might have missed while on summer vacation. Links from the show: Support Jesuitical by subscribing to AmericaMagazine.org! Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church Pope Francis releases new letter on liturgy: Catholics need a better understanding of Vatican II's reforms Full text: Pope Francis' apology to Indigenous Peoples in Canada Pope Francis names 21 new cardinals, including Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego Lessons for evangelization from Britney Spears' journey with the Catholic Church The missing piece of Shia LaBeouf's conversation with Bishop Barron: the stories of abuse victims What's on tap? Dirty gin martinis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In the second episode of Viral Jesus season 3, Heather discusses on #blessed the latest news out of The Village Church about Matt Chandler stepping down for a leave of absence due to an inappropriate relationship with a woman who wasn't his wife in his DM's on Instagram. Heather and Seth discuss the concept of what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior for married people in the DM's. If you have thoughts on this please @viralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and let us know. In her conversation with author Katelyn Beaty, Heather listens to Katelyn explain the problems that arise when celebrity pastors experience some type of major failure. How do we help hold them accountable? How do we help people who feel their trust has been deeply abused by the covering up of abuse at their church institution? What does celebrity look like, and how does it function in churches? Should there be a thing such as Christian celebrities? Heather and Katelyn want you to heal from toxic celebrity church culture, and maybe the best way to do that, is to admit what has gone wrong. Guest Bio Katelyn Beaty is a 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, and NPR. She is also a former editor for Christianity Today magazine. She is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service) and she's the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church Mentioned in This Episode Matt Chandler Steps Aside After Inappropriate Online Relationship Host Bio Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It's Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday. Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath Producer: Loren Joseph Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps Mix Engineer: Alex Carter Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My guest this week is Katelyn Beaty, an editorial director for Brazos Press. She loves words and believes they can change the world. Katelyn is a Midwest native living in New York City and has written for The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The New York Times on topics such as politics, gender, and theology. She is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast and previously served as print managing editor at Christianity Today. She's the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church and A Woman's Place: A Christian Vision for Your Calling in the Office, the Home, and the World. 2:48 – Katelyn 101 Katelyn's an oldest child and an INFJ/Enneagram 3w4. She was excited to head to Italy to spend some time with girlfriends. 7:10 – Passion for writing She loved reading the newspaper as a child and learning what was happening around the world. Katelyn was the kind of student who enjoyed writing papers in high school and college. 10:00 – College newspaper In college, Katelyn loved writing op-eds in the college newspaper. Students came up to her and said they appreciated her articulating what they had been thinking. 20:30 – Celebrities for Jesus book It's not a light, breezy topic, but it's hopeful. Don't center ministries on one charismatic individual. Spiritual leaders need accountability, especially those with big platforms. 45:10 – Forgiveness You need to make things right when things are broken. Restitution is important when you have done wrong. Avoid apologies that sound like PR statements, and sit out longer than you think you need to. 1:03:29 – Get to know you Weirdest pet peeve? Standing on a moving walkway FEATURED QUOTES I enjoy helping authors steward their message well. I was the kind of student who, in high school and college, enjoyed writing papers. The bigger your platform, the more accountability you need. CONNECT: https://www.katelynbeaty.com/ Thank you to our partners of the show! Are you looking to clean up your household cleaning products this year? MamaSuds would like to help! The best way is to simply start with one product. Every time you run out of a specific cleaning product, replace it with a non-toxic one. Another tip, purchase a product that has multiple uses. The MamaSuds Collection has many multiple use products (castile soap or the toilet bombs are just a few!). Their blog has lots of great tips and a castile soap recipe that you can print and make a lot of your own effective cleaners! Give them a try at www.mamasuds.com and don't forget to use the coupon code MOLLY for 15% off your order! I'd like to thank our other partner of the show and that's Tradlands. Tradlands is an INCREDIBLE sustainable fashion brand that believes in clothing that you can live in NOW and love forever. Clothing that not only makes you feel like your best self, but also fits in a way that flatters. Their gorgeous dresses, pants, tops, and more are designed to move with you throughout your busy days. Their Nico dress is my dress in a love language —not only does it have sleeves, but also POCKETS and you know how I feel about dresses with pockets. I love how comfortable and stylish each piece - and they come in colors like classic neutrals or vibrant hues. One of the things I love most about Tradlands is their focus on sustainability and creating small batch clothing that lasts… they never over produce what they make and focus on only the highest quality materials. And you know how much I love supporting small businesses, too. Check them out at https://tradlands.com/businesswithpurpose and use the code MOLLY20 for 20% off!
On this episode of the podcast, Ruth Clark and I chat with Katelyn Beaty about her new book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. Among the topics we discuss: Why celebrity culture is a uniquely modern phenomenon. What it means to say that celebrity is a "feature, not a bug" of the evangelical movement, and the spiritual implications What it might mean to resist the values of celebrity culture in the church and in the Christian publishing industry Why obscurity and ordinary faithfulness are so important for followers of Christ Get Katelyn's book: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/celebrities-for-jesus/406890 To read Ruth Clark's review: https://inallthings.org/reckoning-with-status-and-realigning-our-hearts-a-review-of-celebrities-for-jesus/
Evangelicals are no longer the largest religious group in the South. Russell Moore says they've been replaced by a dangerous new kind of southern secularism. These MAGA-vangelicals don't attend church, don't follow the moral teachings of the Bible, and are fixated on politics and conspiracy theories but still call themselves “Christians.” What role does the church have in mitigating the danger of this new sect? Plus, a church in Texas faces legal trouble for performing an evangelistic revision of the musical Hamilton without a license. Then, Katelyn Beaty is back to discuss her new book Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. She explains why we keep manufacturing more Christian celebrities despite their high failure rate, and why accountability structures aren't enough. Also this week, Phil eulogizes Freya the walrus, and a man sues after five years of flatulence. Patreon Bonus with Katelyn Beaty: The ugly side of Christian publishing - https://www.patreon.com/posts/70617486/ News Segment 2:45 - Freya the walrus update 9:42 - News of the Butt 15:25 - Church production of Hamilton 25:55 - The new secular south 42:48 - With God Daily https://withgoddaily.com/ Interview with Katelyn Beaty “Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church” - https://amzn.to/3wb3aqJ 44:10 - Interview intro 46:15 - Why this book? 50:45 - Fame vs. celebrity 58:13 - When accountability doesn't work 1:04:27 - Celebrity and an illusion of intimacy 1:13:29 - Christian celebrity and discipleship 1:19:41 - Credits Other articles and resources mentioned: “When the South Loosens its Bible Belt” by Russell Moore (Christianity Today) - https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/august-web-only/russell-moore-white-evangelicals-bible-belt-south-church.html “Fighting Flesh and Blood” by Kristin Du Mez - https://kristindumez.substack.com/p/fighting-flesh-and-blood?sd=pf “A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing” by Laura McKnight Barringer and Scot McKnight - https://amzn.to/3A4jRF9 News of the Butt - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11041055/Father-stopped-farting-ate-ham-roll-market-five-years-ago-sues-200k.html Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
We live in a fame-saturated culture. Celebrity figures run our largest corporations, media entities, and megachurches. But the characteristics of celebrity—unquestioned authority, dynamic public personas, and tendency toward abuse—make it a dangerous feature in Christian churches. Recent stories about abusive, exploitative celebrity pastors have spotlighted this fact. In this episode, Katelyn Beaty discusses her new book Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. She identifies the key features of fame and celebrity that infect every element of our culture and diagnoses their central issues, including secrecy, self-promotion, anger, and pride. She asks whether the business world has become the model for the church and whether the American church is unique in its elevation of celebrity pastors. The church needs to know the dangers of celebrity and find ways to remain accountable in its pursuit of the gospel. Show notes: 0:00 Seeking versus receiving fame 2:14 Celebrity and self-promotion 4:48 When the platform becomes the point 9:00 Public personality and false intimacy 12:21 Billy Graham and the Modesto Manifesto 18:06 Anger, narcissism, leadership, and celebrity 21:35 Privacy versus secrecy 24:40 Church boards 28:23 American megachurches 34:21 Avoiding celebrity pastors Show notes by Micah Long Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.
Katelyn Beaty joins Amy Fritz for a conversation about what Katelyn learned as she was writing her upcoming book, Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Topics discussed: How did Katelyn decide who to reach out to for endorsements for a book like this? Proximity as an antidote to implosion. An update on my former pastor who plagiarized most of his sermons and personal stories. Ghostwriting Plagiarism What is the role of the consumer? Buy Katelyn's book: https://amzn.to/3AaCGaY Check out Katelyn's site: https://katelybeaty.com Leave a review: https://podcasts.app.com/us/podcast/untangled-faith/id1561001170 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://untangledfaith.substack.com Join us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/untangledfaith Where you can find me: https://untangledfaithpodcast.com https://instagram.com/untangledfaith https://instagram.com/amyhenningfritz https://twitter.com/faithuntangled https://twitter.com/amyfritz https://facebook.com/untangledfaith This podcast is sponsored by Faithful Counseling. For more information and for 10% off your first month, visit Faithful Counseling here: https://faithfulcounseling.com/untangled Host/Creator: Amy Fritz Producer: Michelle Pjanic