Found an interesting tidbit in an article in "The Church Bookstore" (a kind of trade journal, mostly directed to evangelicals). It indicated that 36% of sales in the average Christian bookstore are in the "Christian Living" category. It didn't mention what the other percentages would be, but clearly they would be divided among things like Scripture, Children, music... I think our highest selling category is "Spirituality." And we have categories that the average Christian store wouldn't have: Mariology, Liturgy, Lives of Saints... I don't know what our percentages are (maybe when we get our new computer system--in February, God willing--I will be able to figure out how to get information like that), but it seems to me accurate that Catholics, in general, are really into reading books on prayer and spirituality, but the Christian Living stuff...a bit less so. And in a way, there is something "correct" about this. Despite the stereotypical images of Catholics as fixated on works, our sales history indicates that prayer is a priority, and that we expect prayer to bring forth the fruits of "Christian living." In other words, Christian living isn't something we can just bring about by force of will!
What is your favorite category of books in the Christian/Catholic bookstores you frequent?
5 comments:
Yes, the protestants shine at Christian living books: how to be a good husband, how to be a good wife, how to raise your children biblicly, how to live happier, etc.
Those topics are harder to identify in Catholic publications because they are "secondary" topics. That is, if you understand the church's teachings, and the sacraments, if you develop a prayer life and spirituality, if you draw inspiration from the Saints, those Christian living "how to's" would be taken care of. As a Catholic, it is difficult to find (though I haven't looked very hard) a Catholic "how to live happier" to give to a Protestant ... especially if "living happier" means embracing the cross.
Being always short on $$, I don't buy books. But I think I'd enjoy books on the Saints, apologetics, maybe some biographies and bible studies. Much can be found on the web, but it does get tiresome staring at a screen.
You'd probably be welcome to sit and read a while in any Christian (Pauline!) bookstore...as long as you're not one of those people who grab a book and open it so wide you break its backbone.
We have a few "regulars" who spend their day off here perusing the books.
For me, I have always found the Pauline Book and Media Centers a good place. The wide variety of offerings usually fits wherever I might be within at the moment. Overall, I guess I could say I tend to be drawn to (auto)biographies although not necessarily of the most famous (although sometimes them, too). For instance, I was so moved by a book called "A Priest Forever" written by Fr. Benedict Groeschl about a young man, Gene, who so wanted to be a priest that special permission was granted and he was ordained on his deathbed. Truly a saint for our times, right from within our midst!
One important component for me is that a "bookstore" not only have music available (that is, music one listens to) but also "sheet" music.
In the absence of a Pauline Book & Media Center, I have in the past enjoyed the "Faithful Source" Christian Bookstores that were around in the late 1980s/early 1990s (they subsequently changed names and I don't know if the new company still exists).
The difficulty with the "other" bookstores is they tend not to carry Catholic stuff (although I found a pretty good one in Columbus GA a few years ago) so sometimes finding reading selections is difficult because things don't quite meld with Catholic thinking and so one has to do more (home)work at fitting what one has read with Church teaching and Catholic thought.
I like inspirational books. These are the kind that help motivate me to persevere in faith and hope. They give me the sense that I'm not alone in my struggle to be a faithful disciple of Our Lord.
Thanks for the invite. I feel like I'm cheating if I read the book at the stand instead of buying it.
I know what you mean. I was loaned a book some months ago and was careful to not open the book too much. I wanted to return it "like new."
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