PCA votes to launch investigation into Sarah Young's book ‘Jesus Calling’

[Michie]

RICHMOND, Va. — The Presbyterian Church in America has approved a resolution to investigate the influence of Sarah Young's book Jesus Calling on the denomination and might decide to ban it.

Less than a year after Young died at age 77, commissioners at the PCA General Assembly on Thursday morning voted to approve Overture 33, which called on two denominational agencies to investigate the book.

Specifically, the amended overture called on the Committee on Discipleship Ministries to make a report assessing “the book’s appropriateness for Christians in general” and to “outline its reasons for withdrawing the book from its inventory previously and not offering it for sale since.”

Continued below.

PCA votes to launch investigation into Sarah Young's book ‘Jesus Calling’

The Presbyterian Church in America has approved a resolution to investigate the influence of Sarah Young s book Jesus Calling on the denomination and might decide to ban it

www.christianpost.com

 

[AlexB23]

RICHMOND, Va. — The Presbyterian Church in America has approved a resolution to investigate the influence of Sarah Young's book Jesus Calling on the denomination and might decide to ban it.

Less than a year after Young died at age 77, commissioners at the PCA General Assembly on Thursday morning voted to approve Overture 33, which called on two denominational agencies to investigate the book.

Specifically, the amended overture called on the Committee on Discipleship Ministries to make a report assessing “the book’s appropriateness for Christians in general” and to “outline its reasons for withdrawing the book from its inventory previously and not offering it for sale since.”

Continued below.

PCA votes to launch investigation into Sarah Young's book ‘Jesus Calling’

The Presbyterian Church in America has approved a resolution to investigate the influence of Sarah Young s book Jesus Calling on the denomination and might decide to ban it

www.christianpost.com

Wow, my parents had that devotional book in the 2000s, and have not used it in ages, as we are Catholic now, not nondenominational.

 

[Michie]

Wow, my parents had that devotional book in the 2000s, and have not used it in ages, as we are Catholic now, not nondenominational.

Yeah my MIL had it too.

 

[AlexB23]

Yeah my MIL had it too.

It was big in the 2000s and 2010s, that is for sure. Nowadays, I have online Bibles, Mistral AI and this forum to learn about Christianity.

 

[Michie]

It was big in the 2000s and 2010s, that is for sure. Nowadays, I have online Bibles, Mistral AI and this forum to learn about Christianity.

I still like hard copy best.

 

[FireDragon76]

This book has been out for years... why wait till she is dead to condemn the book?

 

[Michie]

This book has been out for years... why wait till she is dead to condemn the book?

There’s been talk of it for years. Just looks like they decided to act upon it now.

 

[AlexB23]

I still like hard copy best.

I like hard copy also, though online Bibles can help me find verses quicker.

 

[Tuur]

Read the article; clicked on "Not Helpful." I read the article not knowing anything about the book, and came away the same as I began. What, precisely, are the controversies? Why does the PCA want to distance itself from the book? Either I missed it, or the article doesn't address it.

Whatever the deal with the book, I can almost guarantee the PCA has boosted sales of it to its members. A check shows that the book is published by Thomas Nelson, a subsidiary of Harper Collins. I doubt Thomas Nelson will drop publication if the PCA condemns it,

FWIW, I'm cautious about theological books by authors I don't know. Some are "out there." with questionable doctrines. In the 1970s, a certain grocery chain was full of such books, and I started calling them "[Grocery Chain Name Redacted] Doctrine." Like a book arguing Christ would return by 1984.

 

[FireDragon76]

I suspect they just have a problem with the fact the book is written by a woman, and "doesn't condemn sin enough" or somesuch boilerplate.

 

[Michie]

The Jesus Calling Controversy in a Nutshell​

https://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/48498

 

[FireDragon76]

The Jesus Calling Controversy in a Nutshell​

https://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/48498

I can't suffer that kind of reasoning. If a book is good, I don't care where it comes from. As Luther said, if Satan himself preaches the Gospel, it is no less worthy to be believed.

Believe it or not, a number of Christian hymns were written under similar "inspiration". Does that make them Satanic or a threat to the Bible?

I hope you see my point.

 

[Ted-01]

Read the article; clicked on "Not Helpful." I read the article not knowing anything about the book, and came away the same as I began. What, precisely, are the controversies? Why does the PCA want to distance itself from the book? Either I missed it, or the article doesn't address it.

Whatever the deal with the book, I can almost guarantee the PCA has boosted sales of it to its members. A check shows that the book is published by Thomas Nelson, a subsidiary of Harper Collins. I doubt Thomas Nelson will drop publication if the PCA condemns it,

FWIW, I'm cautious about theological books by authors I don't know. Some are "out there." with questionable doctrines. In the 1970s, a certain grocery chain was full of such books, and I started calling them "[Grocery Chain Name Redacted] Doctrine." Like a book arguing Christ would return by 1984.

I had never heard of it either and started to google for reviews and ran across this:
GotQuestions take on Jesus Calling book - not sure how folks feel about GotQuestions, but I like it sometimes... other times, not so much.

 

[Michie]

Best-Seller 'Jesus Calling' Is Built on Falsehood, Says Christian Author Randy Alcorn

Author Randy Alcorn has been hesitant to express his concerns about the best-seller devotional Jesus Calling by author Sarah Young But given its popularity and the recent win of its follow-up, Jesus

www.christianpost.com

 

[T.i.m.o.t.h.y.]

I can't suffer that kind of reasoning. If a book is good, I don't care where it comes from. As Luther said, if Satan himself preaches the Gospel, it is no less worthy to be believed.

Believe it or not, a number of Christian hymns were written under similar "inspiration". Does that make them Satanic or a threat to the Bible?

I hope you see my point.

Such extremes of judging against a devotional book amidst christendom upheavals going on when there was no concern about it's content at it's first publishing.. is reactively throwing the baby out with the bath water. What was helpful then is now a reclassified theological hot potatoe that they want to get rid of.
Some church denomination leaders are imo allowing certain alarmist influences to stifle acceptable godly inspiration.

 

[Tuur]

Best-Seller 'Jesus Calling' Is Built on Falsehood, Says Christian Author Randy Alcorn

Author Randy Alcorn has been hesitant to express his concerns about the best-seller devotional Jesus Calling by author Sarah Young But given its popularity and the recent win of its follow-up, Jesus

www.christianpost.com

Thank you. That offers quite a bit more information. No, I don't think I could recommend this book. We're too easily deceived. We know, from scripture, than no less than Peter was cautious about whether a dream was from God or just a dream, and John urged us to try the spirits.