Boy 'Who Came Back From Heaven' Recants Tale

[Jerome]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ame-back-from-heaven-going-back-to-publisher/

Tyndale House, a major Christian publisher, has announced that it will stop selling “The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven,” by Alex Malarkey and his father, Kevin Malarkey.

It was the 'Pulpit and Pen' blog (J. D. Hall/Reformation Montana) that obtained the boy's confession and broke the story. It appears they're exploiting it to attack the SBC's Lifeway Christian Resources:

http://pulpitandpen.org/2015/01/13/...en-recants-story-rebukes-christian-retailers/

 

[T Alan]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ame-back-from-heaven-going-back-to-publisher/



It was the 'Pulpit and Pen' blog (J. D. Hall/Reformation Montana) that obtained the boy's confession and broke the story. It appears they're exploiting it to attack the SBC's Lifeway Christian Resources:

http://pulpitandpen.org/2015/01/13/...en-recants-story-rebukes-christian-retailers/

That's sad. There's already enough ammo available for that.

 

[Jedi Knight]

His last name, Malarkey ......says it all.

 

[T Alan]

His last name, Malarkey ......says it all.

Ha! good one.

 

[Jerome]

LifeWay Christian Resources has stopped selling all "experiential testimonies about heaven"

"Last summer, as we began developing LifeWay's new structure and direction -- what we've now identified as One LifeWay -- the role of heaven visitation resources was included in our considerations. We decided these experiential testimonies about heaven would not be a part of our new direction, so we stopped re-ordering them for our stores last summer," LifeWay spokesman Marty King told Baptist Press in written comments.

"Now that we've begun implementing the new direction, the remaining heaven visitation items have been removed from our stores and website and will not be replenished.

 

[Baptist Believer]

There is an appalling lack of discernment throughout the "Christian" publishing industry and retail stores.

I was in my local Lifeway recently and was stunned by the very small area devoted to books while much of the store was devoted to tacky religious knick-knacks.

As a balance, I must admit that they have about the same amount devoted to books as the other "Christian" bookseller on my side of town. Fortunately, they had the N.T. Wright book I needed to get my hands on that day (loaned out my copy and it apparently found a new home) so I could put together some inter-testamental period chronologies for a Bible study handout.

That's more than I can say for the other bookstores in the area.

That said, the brick-and-morter bound book business is dying a slow death. Lifeway needs to start thinking about the future of their retail stores.

• Why do they exist? (They are not a regular business, but an arm of the SBC.)
• What products do they need to supply "same day"?
• Who are their customers?
• Why does it make sense to offer "same day" products to these customers for a premium price?
• Is this the best use of the SBC's financial resources?