Kudos to Michael Kruse ( blogger at Kruse Kronicle and member of the General Assembly Council of the PCUSA) who demonstrated strength of character and fair-mindedness this week when he posted a thorough review of the controversial book Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11 by David Ray Griffin recently published by Westminster John Knox press. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to actually read this book and write an objective analysis of it when you are already critical of the decision to publish it. I confess that I have no intention of reading this irresponsible polemic and so am grateful to Mike for his willingness to engage the book and the issues it raises in a responsible and restrained way.
Mike followed this review up with a call to spin off the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation from the PCUSA and require it to change its name so that it will no longer be seen as a denominational publishing house. He cites not only to the 9/11 book but to another controversial book published in 2005 by the PPC, The Wide, Wide Circle of Divine Love by Eugene Marsh. I heard Marsh's presentation of this book at an APCE meeting where it was being actively promoted at a breakfast gathering. Although the Marsh book has not received the noteriety of the Griffin book, it is a refutation of the orthodox Christian belief that salvation comes only by the grace of God through faith in Christ. I was appalled at the time that the PPC would choose to publish and thereby seem to endorse the positions March advocated.
The connection between the PPC and the PCUSA is that the PCUSA appoints the board of directors of the PPC, as Mike explains in this post. The PCUSA does not have any day-to-day control over the operations and publishing decisions of the corporation.
The connection between the PPC and the PCUSA is that the PCUSA appoints the board of directors of the PPC, as Mike explains in this post. The PCUSA does not have any day-to-day control over the operations and publishing decisions of the corporation.
Mike observed:
"... this book (Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11) decimates the good will between the denominational national offices and the members of our denomination.The PPC likes to draw distinctions about the various missions of their imprints and about their carefully delineated status within the denomination. That is irrelevant in the life of the church. The typical PCUSA member, much less those outside the denomination, makes no such delicate distinctions. All they know is that the PCUSA published a book calling their president a mass murderer."This is the crux of the problem. Publishing this book has real consequences for the life of the local church. This week we learned that one of our members is transferring to a near-by PCA church because the publication of this book by the denomination's publishing house was the "last straw". Since the PPC shows no regard for the destructive effects of its choice of publications on the denomination, then it should become in fact what it is in practice: an independent publishing company which does not represent the PCUSA.
Thank you, Mike Kruse.
I'd be interested in how this works for other denominations: Augsburg Press for the Lutherans, Seabury for the Episcopalians, Abingdon for United Methodists, Chalice for Disciples of Christ, Judson for American Baptists, etc. All these publishers are more or less known to be associated with these churches and they all publish a wide variety of books that may or may not delight the average Lutheran/Episcopalian/Methodist/Disciple/Baptist in the pew. What is the "official" status of these publishers vis a vis these denominatations?
ReplyDeleteThat's a great point, and I hope someone in the blogosphere who is knowledgeable about some of these denominational publishers will enlighten us. There may be a good model for the PCUSA to consider.
ReplyDeleteI do think the publication of the Griffin book has created a new level of controversy that I haven't seen with other denominational publishers, but perhaps I'm wrong about that.
I too would be interested to know more about how other denominations run their publishing arms. I think the bottom line to me is having an entity with the denomination's name but no real accountability. In crass business speak, that is like giving someone else license to define your brand.
ReplyDeleteIt either needs to brought in house with greater oversight or spun off without the name. Or maybe we keep Geneva Press (bring it in house) and spin off the rest. The present situtation is just asking for this kid nonsense.
I would vote for keeping Geneva Press. They seem to have more orthodox books, although Calvin's Institutes are published through WJK.
ReplyDeleteBTW, QG and Mike. I used quotes from both of your entries today. Your respective entries have added much to my understanding, and I hope we can see more of such dicsussions throughout the Presbyterian corner of the blogosphere.
Message to PCUSA regarding PPC:
ReplyDeleteLay down with dogs. Wake up with fleas.
While I question the wisdom of publishing Griffin's book, I keep thinking we book-loving Presbyies need our own publishing house. I am very sorry that PP did this book, which I haven't read, which upsets many people.
ReplyDeleteWe are all wound tighter than a tick. Doesn't take much to set us off these days.
Being a "reforming but always reorming sort of guy I'm not ready to t4hrow the baby out with the batwater. WJK has a long history of publishing great books. Somehow of late or atleast since the PPH waas spun of as an independant corporation the quality has slipped a ew notchs. The spin off was basically a way to deal with some folks 1who could not get alongr togeter. Lets brings back in to the fold. Or least change the the members of the boad of directors to the ecezutive commottee of the GAC.
ReplyDeleteThe PCUSA website still has a link to the book (http://www.pcusa.org/marketplace/index.jsp).
ReplyDelete