Even the BuzzFeed knows this book isn’t Christian.
An “amalgam of stories, tough-love advice from a woman who has been there, and vaguely biblical encouragement,” Girl, Wash Your Face was the 2nd most popular book of 2018 on Amazon. It has now topped the ECPA Christian Bestsellers list for 15 months straight.
Christians familiar with their Bibles have begun to wonder: Wouldn’t it be better if the top selling Christian book was actually, you know, Christian?
Tim Challies reviewed the book and concluded it was antithetical to the Bible due to its thesis: “You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are.”
Challies writes:
“If the key to the good life is becoming happy and if happiness depends upon overcoming lies, what rule or standard is there to help women distinguish truth from lies? She is never clear on this. She never directs her readers to a single source, guide, rule, or book meant to serve as an authoritative source on what women ought to believe and disbelieve about themselves. Instead, women are left to create their own standard according to either their own criteria or Hollis’s.”
“Satan loves this book,” wrote another Christian blogger, Summer Jaeger. She added:
“Hollis isn’t on the bestseller list because her book shares any great insight, wisdom, or truth. It’s because Hollis’s advice is wisdom to the world. It’s the best the world can offer. Here’s some therapy. Here’s a pill. Here’s some pretendy-God-talk. Feel better about yourself.”
Judging from the rest of the top sellers, Christian publishing is in bad shape.
Here are the top 10 sellers this month:
1 Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis
2 The 5 Love Languages, by Gary Chapman
3 It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, by Lisa Terkeurst
4 The Road Back To You, by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
5 Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey
6 Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young
7 (New) Boss Up! by Lindsay Teague Moreno
8 Boundaries, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
9 It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way (Study Guide), by Lisa Terkeurst
10 (New) Overcomer, by Chris Fabry
Make Christian Publishing Christian Again
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