The Problem with Celebrity Christians (and Christian Celebrities)

What do Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Britney Spears and Shia LaBeouf
have in common (besides being famous)? All four of these
celebrities made waves by announcing they had become Christian in
recent years. Rightly or wrongly, we ordinary Christians often
celebrate when a high-profile figure joins our “team.” But what
should we think when our church leaders become celebrities? It’s a
question Katelyn Beaty explores in her new book Celebrities for
Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church.
Katelyn looks at the phenomenon of “celebrity Christians” in the
evangelical church, but the trend of priests and pastors gaining
massive followings—online and IRL—exists across many denominations
and in the Catholic Church. (After all, who’s a bigger celebrity
than the pope?) We ask her the dangers of having a faith that is
centered on charismatic individuals, how social media is changing
the ways we relate to church leaders and how people in the pews can
build real community in our celebrity-obsessed era. In Signs of the
Times, Zac and Ashley break down some of the top Catholic news
stories you might have missed while on summer vacation. Links from
the show: Support Jesuitical by subscribing to AmericaMagazine.org!
Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are
Hurting the Church Pope Francis releases new letter on liturgy:
Catholics need a better understanding of Vatican II’s reforms Full
text: Pope Francis’ apology to Indigenous Peoples in Canada ​​Pope
Francis names 21 new cardinals, including Bishop Robert McElroy of
San Diego Lessons for evangelization from Britney Spears’ journey
with the Catholic Church The missing piece of Shia LaBeouf’s
conversation with Bishop Barron: the stories of abuse victims
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