{"id":6696,"date":"2006-07-26T09:48:34","date_gmt":"2006-07-26T09:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/viamedia\/2006\/07\/jesus-junk.html"},"modified":"2006-07-26T09:48:34","modified_gmt":"2006-07-26T09:48:34","slug":"jesus-junk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/viamedia\/2006\/07\/jesus-junk.html","title":{"rendered":"Jesus Junk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, CBA has wrapped up in Denver – no one from this house went this year – we usually don’t go unless it’s on the way to or near family (read: Atlanta or Orlando). And for me, going once every three years or so is enough to observe the trends, get ideas, do hard thinking about the differences between the Catholic and evangelical markets, and get alternatly inspired and depressed.<\/p>\n

Interesting memories of CBA’s – saw Hal LIndsey in a wheelchair on the show floor, then that night went to a Bahama Breeze, and saw him in a lovely tropical shirt, enjoying his (probably non-alcoholic) tropical drinks, sans <\/em>wheelchair. A miracle! (In all fairness, perhaps he’s got leg problems, and those shows are massive). Met Tammy Faye Bakker, have a photo of us together somewhere. Seen Jenkins, LaHaye, Michael’s seen Chuck Norris with weirdly dyed hair (is Chuck Norris at CBA or is the CBA around Chuck Norris?), Kathy Lee Gifford in an amazingly low-cut shirt, etc.<\/p>\n

Here’s one of my reports from the 2004 CBA in Atlanta <\/a> and here, in which I reflect on the really fascinating confluence of events – <\/a>the CBA was going on in the Congress Center, and many participants were staying in the same hotel as we were, of course, a hotel which was hosting, at the very same time, the national convention of the National Federation of the Blind. The Christians and the blind – and since there was a pilgrimage to Milledgeville (Flannery O’Connor’s place) as well…lots of food for thought, and wondering, "What would Flannery say?"<\/p>\n

Anyway, what got me started on this was tmatt’s highlight of the LATimes coverage of the convention by Stephanie Simon – a reporter<\/a> we’ve noted here before for her excellent reporting on the abortion issue. A reporter to watch. <\/p>\n

As it always is, the tension is in figuring out the relationship of the Christian and the Christian product to the world. When you go to a CBA, what you see is the Christian evangelical pop culture aping secular pop culture. I entitled one of my 2004 posts "The Maker’s Guide to a Great Body and a Hot Marriage." In Orlando, one of the big items was a Body for Life type book the cover of which exactly aped the cover of the real Body for Life<\/em>. Chick-lit was big both times I went, with the same kind of pastelly-covers with stick-type figures in stilletos, carrying shopping bags.  <\/p>\n

The article:<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Most merchandise missionaries say they don’t expect such miracles. They hope instead that their products will light a spark. When a co-worker helps herself to a fish-shaped mint, maybe she’ll remember she hasn’t been to church in years. When a hunter sees the crucifix on his buddy’s cap, perhaps he’ll feel comfortable asking about Jesus.<\/p>\n

"It’s about picking people up at their level of interest," said Bill Anderson, president of CBA, a national trade organization representing more than 2,000 Christian stores.<\/p>\n

The retail show offered Christians plenty of ways to provoke such discussions.<\/p>\n

Skintight scoop-neck T-shirts for teenage girls bore slogans that practically begged those not in the know to ask questions. "Wood & nails \u2014 a powerful partnership," one read. On another: "Life without you is not an option."<\/p>\n

Would-be evangelists can carry little plastic key chains printed with the slogan "Got Christ?" They can serve their child’s birthday cake on a paper tablecloth bearing the message "May God Bless You Today and Always." And for rebels with a cause, Good Newz Temporary Tattooz lets kids stamp their love for "JC" on their arms \u2014 and rub it off the next time they shower.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Discussion may ensue in which we will, as we invariably do, wonder about the meaning of all this, and then wonder where Catholic culture stands in relation to it and why Catholic marketing and publishing is such a tiny speck in comparison to this behemoth. And at least one of us will say, "Well, at least they’re trying <\/em>to evangelize!"<\/p>\n

(Which they are.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, CBA has wrapped up in Denver – no one from this house went this year – we usually don’t go unless it’s on the way to or near family (read: Atlanta or Orlando). And for me, going once every three years or so is enough to observe the trends, get ideas, do hard thinking…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nJesus Junk - Via Media<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/viamedia\/2006\/07\/jesus-junk.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jesus Junk - Via Media\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Well, CBA has wrapped up in Denver – no one from this house went this year – we usually don’t go unless it’s on the way to or near family (read: Atlanta or Orlando). 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The Catholicism comes from her side. Amy grew up in a number of places - Indiana - Washington, DC - Lubbock Texas - Arlington, Virginia - DeKalb, Illinois - Lawrence, Kansas - and Knoxville, Tennessee, where the family settled in 1973. She attended Knoxville Catholic High School, then the University of Tennessee where she majored in history. She received an MA in Church History from Vanderbilt University, where she wrote a thesis on the changing role of women in 19th century American Protestantism, and the ways Scripture was used to justify those changes. She worked as as a teacher in Catholic high schools and a Parish Director of Religious Education and started writing for the diocesan press - the Florida Catholic - in 1988. Amy has written columns for Our Sunday Visitor and Catholic News Service at times over the past twenty years. Her articles have been published in venues ranging from Our Sunday Visitor to the New York Times to Commonweal. She has written 17 books. 18, if you included the as yet tragically unpublished novel. Amy has five children, ranging in age from 26 to 4 and was married to Michael Dubruiel, who died unexpectedly in February 2009. 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