Book Review: Salvation on the Small Screen

Nadia Bolz-Weber’s first book, Salvation on the Small Screen?, is as provoking as it is gracious and as theological as it is humorous. Bolz-Weber and friends spent twenty-four hours straight watching Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) in an experiment of theological and sociological reflection. Rooted deep in love for both Lutheran tradition and healthy cynicism, Bolz-Weber provides us with a play-by-play theological critique of TBN’s television programming. Benny Hinn, Joel Olsteen, Paula White, the Crouch family and a myriad of Christian television shows are all rightfully questioned in their consumeristic dependency, theological shallowness and their all together sociological weirdness. While wildly entertaining to read Bolz-Weber’s sarcastic, provoking responses, it is her gracious willingness to reflect deeply on her own tradition’s weaknesses that really won me over. While at times I could not prevent myself from bursting out loud in laughter, it is the beautiful conversational approach to theology that left me refreshed. What is perhaps most surprising about this book, is its conclusion. Bolz-Weber’s final arrival is her unapologetic and perhaps even less than hoped for claim: if God can work through me and my own tradition, in all its brokeness, then God must be able to work through TBN and the absurdity of evangelical TV programming. I’m with Nadia…as much as I don’t want to admit it, that is the ever-widening embrace of the gospel!

Information:

$17.00
Seabury Books
Buy it from: Church Publishing or Amazon