too baptistic?

Not sure what is meant by "your local christian bookstore." Perhaps she meant Lifeway Stores? If so, she is right. These stores are owned by the SBC. They try to appeal to a wide range of people, but at the heart they are very "baptistic." Also, since they do try to reach a wide range of people, they only tend to stock books that a lot of people want. Don't go there with the idea of picking up something of an academic nature. Lifeway does sell academic books in their seminary bookstores but not in the stores found in shopping centers.

 

Bottom line, they're a retail store - a business. They stock what sells, not neccessarily what's true.

 

She confuses "Baptist" with "Dispensational."

 

"Baptistic" is a very broad array of beliefs and practices in this post-modern era. You used to be able to know with certainty what a church stood for and what a church believed when it had the name "Baptist" on the marquee. Now, it is anyone's guess what goes on behind those doors. Some Baptist churches are "Baptist" in name only. They have nothing whatsoever in common with their Baptist heritage.

Therefore, I am also frustrated when I go into my local Lifeway store and find very few resources that I can use.

 

The materials in the Christian bookstore in our city are too Charismatic.
Maybe she should move, if she is non-baptistic. Not every area is alike. Personally, I don't think that she should complain.

 

Personally, I know of half a dozen stores within an hour drive, including Lifeway, and several can be found on-line.

Don't like one? Find another.

Seems simple enough to me.

Ed.

 

Pastor Bob, the name Baptist has had vague concepts from the very beginning. For as long as I can remember, if one said he was a Baptist, almost invariably the response would be, What kind of Baptist are you?

Still, if I wasn't a Baptist, I might be ashamed of myself.

Most bookstores do carry what sells and I get some good bargains because the "good" books are still on the shelf ad often marked down; these are the baptistic books and not dispensational.

Cheers,

Jim

 

That's what I see in most bookstores around my area, with the exception of the more academic/theological sections. Those tend to be heavily populated by Baptist titles, then Presbyterian titles.

 

Maybe someone needs to start her own bookstore.

 

HA! My dad used to say that too. Hadn't heard that in years.

 

We don't have a lot of Christian bookstores in our area, but the few we do have tend to be more charismatic in nature and also carry a lot of fluff items - ceramic angels, etc. We have a wonderful bookstore & libray at our church though. There you can find books by the likes of Stanley, Sproul, Lewis, etc. rather than Joel Osteen.

 

I preached in one "baptist" church in Vermont some years back. After the service, people were invited downstairs to the lounge. The had ashtrays on every table and I was waiting for the alcohol to be offered. As a personal note, they actually deferred the smoking of pipes and all to respect my presence.........Hmm

Cheers,

Jim

 

I was seriously interested in opening a book store once but this topic covers the reasons why I chose against it. How can one sell all the junk that people want and Justify it. I just couldn't bring myself to sell books by Joyce Myer, Joel Osteen and others charasmatic "prophets".