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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Double-Wide Exposé on Get-Rich Theology, February 22, 2010
This review is from: Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?: ('Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV) (Hardcover)
When I first picked up Karen Zacharias' new book, `Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide (`Cause I Need More Room for my Plasma TV)' I figured I was in for some good, light, Erma Bombeck-styled writing with a twist of Christian humor. But as I started reading it I realized that although Karen has a sharp wit and a talent for writing stories, the tone of this book is more serious than I anticipated.
Double-Wide is an exposé on get-rich theology, a frontal attack on the belief system that God's goodness is primarily revealed in our financial well being. In nineteen chapters Karen deconstructs this skewed message, not with outlines and arguments but with rich storytelling. Crisscrossing the country and across peoples' lives, she uses her mini documentaries to build a case against the prosperity gospel. Karen's investigative skills help discover where God's favor may truly lie, and what it may really look like.
Some well-known Christians, who have made a name for themselves with this brand of theology, also have the dubious honor of being described within these pages. Other Christians, who refuse to look at issues of poverty as a curse, are given preferential placement in this book's buffet. But it really doesn't matter if you can identify the personality behind each of the chapters' titles (The Evangelist, The Sister, The Mayor, The Marine, etc...), what matters is in which of these stories you can identify your own beliefs. Karen also provides discussion questions that can be useful for personal reflection or group study.
Consider this statement in the chapter on The Entrepreneur- "Somewhere along the line we've grown confused. We've started mistaking Christianity for capitalism. If this trend continues, perhaps instead of calling ourselves Christians, maybe we ought to call ourselves Consumptionalists... The idea that God's will must involve following one's dreams (selfish pursuits) contradicts scripture and disrespects the millions of impoverished Christians around the world who labor every day to provide for their families."
If you've seen Christians that despite their economic have-nots actually have a rich faith that is impossible to barter for, you'll understand what Karen is writing about. If this is a foreign concept to you, you really would benefit by reading this book. Either way, Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide has important themes that we all could benefit listening to.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Down Home Christianity, March 1, 2010
This review is from: Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?: ('Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV) (Hardcover)
Books bashing the prosperity gospel that is so prevalent these days aren't new, but the approach that Karen Spears Zacharias takes in her new book is. In Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide ('Cause I need more room for my plasma TV), Spears Zacharias takes a long look at the very heart of the prosperity gospel movement: people.
In her refreshing Southern tone, Spears Zacharias shows every aspect of this controversial movement, but it is clear from the beginning which side she sympathizes with. In a touch of originality, each chapter looks at a particular person given a name, such as the Beautician, or the Veteran. Some of the people profiled are ardent followers of the prosperity gospel movement, while others are vehemently opposed to it. But the chapters that are most touching are those based on people who are neither for or against prosperity gospel. The people that are just trying to spread the love of Jesus, such as the Marine or the Redhead, stand out.
Spears Zacharias doesn't try to use flowery language or complicated theories to explain her premise. She uses people, and it works wonderfully. If you're looking for a book that goes against the grain of the self-help, name it and claim it Christianity that is becoming more and more prevalent, but takes a stand with a touch of grace, grab this book.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thought-provoking stories that called me to act, July 28, 2010
This review is from: Will Jesus Buy Me a Double-Wide?: ('Cause I Need More Room for My Plasma TV) (Hardcover)
With a title like this one, I expected a light and humorous read. It's not. (Well, it is a fairly light read, just not the comic relief I was expecting.) It's a book of stories of people whose lives contrast with what the prosperity gospel preaches (with some stories of prosperity gospel preachers' lives in contrast to the true Gospel of Jesus Christ). Each chapter tells the story of a different person, stories from across the country. She points to Christ throughout ("God's love is not evident in our net worth at all. It's found in the same place it has always been, at the foot of a rough-hewn and bloodied cross."). She isn't afraid to call out bad theology where she sees it:
"In essence what Joel Osteen and his ilk are doing is nothing short of sheer exploitation. They've pimped out Jesus like some pale-skinned Puff Daddy. They've rolled out a life-sized cardboard cutout of a slap-happy Jesus under the glaring lights of center stage to better showcase the Rolex and diamond-encrusted bling adorning the Better Christ Now to the squealing delight of the mesmerized Home Shopping Network crowd."
While I had expected it to be more lighthearted, I'm glad it wasn't. Her style and stories made me think. I didn't agree with all of her conclusions or each of the viewpoints represented, but it was a worthwhile read. The humor is there, but her point overshadows it in a good way. The voices are genuine. Her friend, who doesn't receive health and wealth here on earth (but does receive cancer), is quoted in it saying, "I use the pain, fear, and uncertainty as a trigger to practice the presence of God. They remind me to praise God rather than to focus on that which could overtake me easily and negatively." There's a good reminder there.
Also, this is the third or fourth time that I've read something about Love Wins Ministries in downtown Raleigh. I plan to check it out and possibly get involved with some of the work they do, if not directly then indirectly (for example, in reading their blog, I picked up the great suggestion to carry bottled water in my car to hand out to people holding signs because hydration is crucial as we've been hitting triple digit temps lately!). Here's a line from the book in which she quotes the guy who runs Love Wins: "'We don't feed the homeless so that we can preach the gospel to them,' he says. 'We feed them because that is the gospel.'" If a book motivates me to serve God in a new or different way, I can definitely recommend it.
(According to FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book for review purposes from Zondervan. I was not asked or required to give a positive review, only an honest one.)
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