PreachersNSneakers
Authenticity in an Age of For-Profit Faith and (Wannabe) Celebrities
- Ethics, Culture & Social Issues
- Publisher: W Publishing Group (Thomas Nelson)
- Published: 2021
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
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.
Endorsements (7)
“I must have received fifty or so texts and calls the day PreachersNSneakers first posted on Instagram. People that know me knew it would bring to light questions we’d been asking in private for a while. I believe the conversation it began is essential, and few at the time were willing to get it started. The book PreachersNSneakers is a reminder that it’s always easier to seem than it is to be. It’s not just dunking on people. At the core, Ben is keeping people accountable by asking questions that are easier to ignore than confront, and I’m here for all of it.”
“PreachersNSneakers started the difficult conversations around generosity, indulgence, responsibility, and accountability, and it will impact the Christian church for generations to come. Ben Kirby’s book is forcing us to have a conversation about some of the aspects of the social media–driven Christian lifestyle that we are not as proud of, while creating a new narrative that is giving us the hope to create a future culture where we introduce accountability into our spending habits as Christians while understanding that the culture around us has changed. PreachersNSneakers is a book that will help reshape the church during this critical moment for the next generation.”
“The lifestyle described in this book was the house of cards I once lived in—and loved. Whatever your religious affiliation, this is a must-read. The author asks tough questions about those who behave more like greedy celebrities than God’s servants.”
“My dude BK has written a book that will be sure to drive meaningful discussion about money and fame in the church today. This book is funny and is for everyone, not just church folk.”
“As a secular fashion and Sam Harris fan, I was excited to open a @PreachersNSneakers book that simultaneously showcased tons of cool sneakers and made fun of materialistic, hypocritical Christian leaders. Instead, what I got was an engaging, sincere, self-aware, non-preachy, down-to-earth but deep philosophical discussion about contemporary American Christianity that everyone, regardless of political affiliation, would benefit from knowing. Yuck.”
“I came for the jokes, but I was truly impressed with the depth of honest insight and challenging questions. Haters gon hate . . . but this book is fantastic!”
“PreachersNSneakers has managed to do the nearly impossible: be funny and important. Normally one cancels out the other, but Ben, through his content online and in this book, continues to pull it off. I truly believe if there is one thing that can heal us individually and unite us corporately, it’s making fun of celebrity pastors.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem