Vol. 5, No. 12
December 6, 1999
Cover Story
The God of the Bestseller List
He admires us, He flatters us, He wants us to be rich and have everything we desire. He likes us just the way we are. No wonder we love buying books about Him.
By Alan Jacobs
Also in This Issue
- George W. Bush, Author — Andrew Ferguson
This issue examined the phenomenon of bestselling religious and self-help books in America through Alan Jacobs' essay on "The God of the Bestseller List," which critiqued how modern popular religious literature portrayed a deity designed to affirm contemporary desires rather than challenge them. Andrew Ferguson contributed a profile of George W. Bush as an author, likely exploring the Texas governor's literary interests as he prepared for his 2000 presidential campaign. The magazine captured a moment when evangelical Christianity and popular spirituality were reshaping American consumer culture and political discourse.