Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Jay Jay the Jet Plane & Looking For Mars Hill

I never thought Jay Jay the Jet Plane could provide the foundation for an in-depth discussion on the nature of Christian retail. Boy was I wrong. My coworker, “Don” (not his real name) and I were labeling new Jay Jay videos to put out for sale.

Out of nowhere, Don remarks, “I don’t think a Christian bookstore should be selling Jay Jay the Jet Plane videos. I’ve watched parts of them, and they’re not overtly Christian. They’re probably very moral in what they teach, but I just don’t think it’s right for a Christian bookstore to sell items that are not overtly Christian.”

I should note I am opposed to Jay Jay for purely stylistic reasons. I hate children’s videos that showcase machinery with human faces. It’s just not right. It begs the question, “Why does Jay Jay, a plane, have a big smiley face like a person?” I have come to one of two possible conclusions. 1) He is some weird, demonic plane-human hybrid or 2) Somebody had a bad acid trip and decided to make a kid’s video out of it. Either way I don’t like it.

But I digress.

Don raises an interesting point. His complaint is based on a particular assumption about the nature of Christian retail. I don’t necessarily agree with him, but it did lead to a great dialogue about the question, “What should a Christian bookstore look like.”

I know some people feel Christian bookstores are a waste of space and should be burned to the ground as some sort of physical act of worship. Others believe it is the only place for certain artists, writers and musicians to exist without either “selling out to the world” or being ignored by nonreligious venues. You could also define a third group that may not question the idea of Christian bookstores, but they would question the practical application of that idea.

Depending on a number of factors including how much coffee I’ve had, how many evil customers have entered the store or how many pieces of “art” I’ve sold, I could fit into any one of these categories. After talking to Don, I wonder if I have too easily written off Christian bookstores? Let’s be honest, I have an entire blog devoted to mocking the very thing that helps pay my rent. That’s not a very grateful thing to do. Maybe there is something there.

I tend to believe that Christian bookstores provide a place for Christians to hide from the real world. We have created this infrastructure of marginally well-produced literature, music, film and “art” that seems to sustain us. We have no need to engage with the greater culture, unless we’re picketing to stop gay marriage or to let teenage girls seeking abortions know they’re going to burn in hell with Hitler, Osama and Clinton.

I wonder if I dismissed the idea of Christian bookstores because the vast majority of them are exactly what I described: a safe haven for Christians who forget the parts of the Bible that call us to be active participants in the world around us. Maybe there is hope for a Christian bookstore that seeks to be countercultural instead of anti-culture?

We should seek to engage culture instead of running from it. Carry books that have Christian themes but are not overtly Christian (or are too well written to be described as “Christian fiction.”) Have film discussion nights about films like Magnolia or Big Fish. Have art shows featuring local artists with no religious agenda but exist merely to showcase good local art and to build relationships. Carry music by bands who are Christ-haunted (a phrase I stole from Linford Detweiler of Over the Rhine). Have debates about Christian responses to social injustice in the area. The list could go on.

Maybe the Christian bookstore I envision looks more like the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill instead of Bob Jones University. I’m just throwing things out there. I’m not even sure how to bring about such a store. Some would argue that it sounds like your average independent bookstore that is quickly being driven to extinction. Maybe it is. All I know is that as I spent a long October day putting price stickers on Jay Jay the Jet Plane and the Jump 5 Christmas album, I had to ask myself, “Why are we doing this? Why is this the path we have chosen?”

14 comments:

Michael said...

If it were only for money Christian Book stores would not exist. There is more than the dollar that motivated your owner.
And yet to exist they have to make money.
So we ask ourselves if being a commercial christian does any good?
I see many of your points as you show us the hypocracy. But with all things it's all in the degree. Can't you say it is better than being an x-rated book store? Can't we hope and wonder if the commercial christian crap doesn't at least grab the attention of a non-christian and help them to value other people more?

Check out this link of a link.
Recycle your soda cans and stop thinking you have to be GandhiMakes you wonder,

Take Care
Michael

Cersten said...

I agree with you on Jay Jay the Jet Plane. And that also can be said for Veggie Tales. It's downright scary and if kids aren't having nightmares after watching them. They should be.

It's just not right...

Cersten

Ben said...

A lot of interesting thoughts. I agree with the idea that while money was not the motivating factor in opening a Christian bookstore, my owner still has to take it into account. This is a business. And in the case of the family that owns my store, they are not rich. Whatever profit is not reinvested in the store is donated to various Christian causes such as mission organizations. I greatly admire that committment.

As far as the argument, "Maybe all of this Christian 'stuff' we sell will somehow impact a non-Christian." I suppose, but how many non-Christians actually enter Christian bookstores? Will t-shirts actually change the world?

Some would argue that Christian bookstores exist to serve the needs of Christians. It's a place to buy Bibles and Bible studies, etc. There is definitely a place for that. I just wonder if the Christian bookstore is a symptom of a larger problem in the church: we have created a subculture that is so far removed from the world that we have lost the ability to communicate.

How do we serve the needs of the Christian community and yet not insulate ourselves so much that we are unable to fulfill the Great Commission?

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...something crazy is that I was looking up lyrics from Over the Rhine and stumbled across your blog. And I couldn't help but read your comments on working in a Christian bookstore. Some really good thoughts. I just started Bethel this Fall and found it simply nice to know someone else was a bit disallusioned by the Christian subculture and the lack of interaction with society(other than the "ministry" programs Bethel offers).
I like the idea of a non-mainstream Christian bookstore--something bigger than a place that sells "Testamints" and poor literature. A place that intrigues the seekers instead of smacking of Christian elitism and isolationism.
Joy

Anonymous said...

Hey did this "post" generated some comment.
I'd love to see Christians that ran bookshops with a really comprehensive Christian Spirituality section. I struggle with the safe clique mentality and even more when Christian bookshops ban certain titles.
I'm really encouraged that on Amazon I can buy theology and fiction, best sellers and devotional, humour and Bibles all from the same place. If that can be done in virtuality why not in reality?
Youthblog

Anonymous said...

well, i've forgotten my password and can't get it to return to me via email, so alas, i'm anonymous.

someone above asked this question: "I think the idea of an independent Christian bookstore sounds really interesting. I wonder if any actually exist?"

the answer is: why, yes! and i'm so glad you asked, because the progressive, thoughtful, christian bookstore does exist in the small and unlikely town of dallas, pa.

hearts and minds bookstore, anyone?

i realize the site's not much to look at, but it's one of the greatest bookstores around. i try to order everything i can from them, even though it's a little bit more expensive. i'd rather support these people who are really engaged in their community and who are trying to make excellent literature available to christians. also, it's great to place an order and receive a personal email confirming your purchase, with a little note from the owner, byron, describing why it's one of his favorites on that subject. you can't get that at amazon.

by the way, byron is also a writer, and he regularly reviews books for the CCO (coalition for christian outreach). you can read them here.

-kate b.

Anonymous said...

I fully agree with this sentiment. Personally, I believe that He's been working in my life through the channels of hard liquor and loose women.Wow.

That's all, just wow.

I'm pretty sure we could make a music video for "Awesome God" and use this line as an inspiration for the drama behind the music. Whaddya say?

Just a thought.

Brandon

Ben said...

jwb-

I can accept, to a certain degree, the idea that what we buy and consume reflect who we are. I have a harder time accepting your line, "Purchasing and consumption reinforces and even provides identity." I wonder how much that view is steeped in a decidedly Western worldview. In other words, can you say that the same concept is true in the poverty stricken third world? If a poor person is unable to buy anything, then do they not have an identity?

So, if what we consume reflects who we are, does that mean that the majority of Christians believe theology is only valid if it can be reduced to bumper sticker form instead of being nuanced? I would also question whether these "Christian" things people buy at a Christian bookstore are truly Christian.

While your view on consumption and a commercial language might express a particular reality within the Western world, how do you fit in the idea that Christians are called to live differently? I guess what I'm asking is do we control the consumption or is the consumption controlling us?

Anonymous said...

A really good general bookstore ought to be able to carry a reasonable selection of theology and ecclesiastical history and specialized poetry and fiction, but few do, and those few are generally the independent non-chain stores near universities.

Any decent independent music store ought to be able to carry classical, traditional, or gospel music. I can walk into just about any music store with the most puny classical section and pick up a copy of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Christian rock makes me choke, just like any other rock, so I can't speak to its availability in secular stores.

The secular (BN, Borders) chains seem to do mostly popular devotional books, with a small sprinkling of others.

I have to admit that the chain Christian bookstores are more than a bit disappointing for a serious reader. Too many knick-knacks and Left Behinds, too little of substance. One visit was enough. I see a better selection at my local independent, with about one-twentieth the shelf space devoted to specifically Christian-topic books.

Vals said...

Have you ever checked out Wild Goose Publications from The Iona Community? Their website is http://ionabooks.com/homepage.asp and I really like their offerings. You might, too.

Anonymous said...

I share your aversion for Jay Jay...I saw it on PBS while channel surfing once...truly obnoxious.

Anonymous said...

Hello, and welcome to Eighth Day Books. Their website is concentrated almost exclusively on their religious offerings, but inside the physical store, they have an impressive collection of both new and used books on "matters of timeless interest." Literature, history, science, etc. It was one of my favorite bookstores even when I was going through my most anti-Christian rebellion phase.

-Jen

Anonymous said...

In my town recently, a coffee shop/bookstore was opened by an Episcopal Church downtown. It is really cool, and has books from a lot of different spiritual traditions as well as meditation aids such as icons, bells, singing bowls, etc. They see it as a mission and welcome anyone, even the homeless people wandering around downtown, to come in and sit as long as they want, no purchase necessary. Last time I was in there they appeared to give several homeless people some food and a drink. That is the coolest to me, but probably not what most people would consider a "Christian Bookstore".

Anna

Anonymous said...

A note on "Christ-haunted": there's an excellent book that came out this year about Flannery O'Connor, called _Flannery O'Connor and the Christ-Haunted South_. I believe the title comes from a comment she made about how the South was not so much Christ-centered as it was Christ-haunted. I have the entire quote around here somehere, but I can't find it. I'm not saying she invented the term, but people who write about her get a lot of mileage out of it.