Comments on: Faith Invisible

By: peg

peg — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:12:10 +0000

I associate these “end of year” lists with the New Year celebration rather than with Christmas. Specifically, I think of the old year (thin elderly man with a long wispy beard leaning on a cane) that must give way to the new (chubby infant).

I have already seen the list of notable deaths in 2012. To me, this book selection is of a piece with that.

By: Ronald Knox Fan

Ronald Knox Fan — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 05:03:09 +0000

Joseph Epstein mentioned that he read E. Waugh’s biography of Ronald Knox.

By: Daniel Propson

Daniel Propson — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:22:09 +0000

As the brother of one of said editors, I can assure you that this omission tells us nothing about the editors. It isn’t worth throwing stones about, that’s for sure.

As for not mentioning Christmas, if I am not mistaken, the article did not even mention gift suggestions.

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:49:11 +0000

The rationale was that if these religious titles were included they would somehow “skew” the totals, and you wouldn’t get the latest most popular books, but instead the Bible would always be on the list.

First, bestseller lists are usually divided into fiction and nonfiction. How would you classify the Bible?

Second, bestseller lists are usually divided into paperback and hardcover. Paperback books are often divided into trade and mass market.

The Bible is sold in hundreds of different editions and translations. If you look on Amazon.com, you can see the true sales rank of each version. Supposing all the various editions and translations of the Bible, when added together, actually outsell any other book. (I am not at all sure this is true.) Should, say, the New York Times in compiling its bestseller list say, “Let’s see, if we add the hardcover version of the Scofield Study Bible, KJV, with the
Life Application Study Bible NIV, Personal Size, with the The Catholic Youth Bible,Third Edition, New American Bible Revised Edition, with the . . . etc., etc., etc., …. that will make “The Bible” the number 1 selling book?

By: David Nickol

David Nickol — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:31:25 +0000

The New York Times—the focus of evil in the modern world—included in its 100 notable books of the year:

WHEN GOD TALKS BACK: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship With God. By T. M. Luhrmann. (Knopf, $28.95.) Evangelicals believe that God speaks to them personally because they hone the skill of prayer, this insightful study argues.

By: slats grobnick

slats grobnick — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:01:23 +0000

I was once told that the New York Times best seller list is computed by first removing “religious” books like the Bible (and perhaps other similar books) from the mix being compared.

By: Emina Melonic

Emina Melonic — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:25:46 +0000

The society is theo-phobic, that’s for sure.