Jesus called.
40 million people answered.
The popular “Jesus Calling” devotional has now sold more than 40 million copies, de acuerdo a Publishers Weekly, an influential trade magazine.
First published in 2004, the book has become a publishing phenomenon, spawning a television series, a podcast and a magazine. In 2013, the book outsold pop-culture phenomenons “Lean In” and “50 Shades of Grey,” according to the Daily Beast.
The book’s publisher, Thomas Nelson, reportado in 2019 that “Jesus Calling” had sold 30 million copies and has continued to sell since then.
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A follow-up book, “Jesus Listens,” has sold half a million copies since its October 2021 release.
“I hear over and over again from regular people and celebrities alike who say, ‘It’s like it was written for me,’” Michael Aulisio, a Thomas Nelson vice president who oversees the “Jesus Calling” brand, told Publishers Weekly. “It speaks to various situations — the grief of losing a child, divorce, addiction or giving thanks to God for the good days. That really appeals.”
Author Sarah Young, who has largely remained out of the public eye due to health problems, began writing the books in the 1990s while a missionary and counselor in Australia. After a difficult case, where Young counseled a woman who claimed to be a victim of satanic child abuse — during the so-called Satanic Panic — she began “jotting down what came to mind” during her devotional times, when she focused on listening to God. Those journal entries were eventually compiled into “Jesus Calling.”
The book was rejected at first before finally being released in 2004. Sales started slowly — with just under 60,000 copies sold in the first three years, according to Christianity Today magazine, before taking off in 2008.
In 2015, Calvinist blogger Tim Challies labeled “Jesus Calling” a “deeply troubling book” in a blog post pointing out what he saw as serious problems with the book, including that “she mimics occult practices” and “speaks for God.” Early on there were other critics, but any controversy over the book has faded.
Young said in a 2021 email interview that she still sees herself as a missionary. She also said her health issues make her focus on God more.
“When I sit down to write, I always ask God to connect His infinite sufficiency with my utter insufficiency,” she said in an email. “So, my health struggles help me rely on Jesus and work collaboratively with Him.”
Bob Smietana es reportero nacional de Religion News Service.
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8 Respuestas
Automatic writing. It’s an occult practice. Maybe one should be cautious. If I recall, on one occasion, she claimed to hear from God but changed the words later.
Controversy over the book has definitely not faded, this book was used as a case study in my seminary class last Fall, on how Christianity has been incorporating New Age and occult practices in recent years. It’s deeply troubling that the publisher has tried to hide this by removing the author’s references to where she learned her methodology in later pressings of the book, which were the psychics that wrote “God Calling.” They also removed her supposed revelations received by Jesus in later editions as well. Clearly they thought these things would be a red flag for Christians, but still continue to sell it, just trying to hide them better. It’s all about the almighty dollar. Julie should do a story on that.
I’m not being mean to her, but she speaks in the place of God, and that’s not cool. It is creating a God in one’s own image, rather than honoring or communing with the true, living God. How is that better than Kat Kerr, or the rest of those Trumper false prophets, who speak “for” Jesus, putting words in His mouth? It isn’t.
I don’t know whether she imitates occult practices, but it is not cool to speak our own thoughts as God’s thoughts. This school of Christian thinks it’s okay. They must think that God’s just the Noble Lie, always subject to renovation, by God makers who know the ropes.
I had never heard of this book until one of our home church members gave a copy to everybody a few months ago. I got as far as the introduction, where she states she is writing as Jesus speaking to us directly. No thanks, if I want to hear Jesus speaking I read MML and J.
The criticism of this book by biblically solid Christians has not faded. What the author must have meant is, “big name celebrity Christians or media are no longer addressing the danger of this book.”
The title of the article tells us a lot about the trajectory of the culture of American Christianity. It’s everything but the Bible.
Courtney B,
“It’s everything but the Bible.”
Exactly, Christians would rather hear from a man or woman about following God, instead of reading directly from the source. That would require them to have to face some difficult truths about themselves, what they support, and the lifestyle changes they would have to implement.
Mark 7: 21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Mt 15: 18-19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies
Jesus does not blame Satan for our sins and points directly to personnel responsibility (10 Commandments), which the modern church no longer preaches or practices.
“Jesus Calling” reminds me of the old comedy album, “Waiting for the Electrician(Or Someone Like Him)” . This is a product. No wonder we were reminded how many copies have been sold!
Check out “The 5 Most Ridiculous Christian Best Sellers” by Tim Challies, a video on YouTube. Challies points out that the author’s voice sounds much less like a first century Jewish man and much more like the author. I agree. “Jesus Calling” is heavenly tourism without the heaven part.