Gospel Prism

We are blessed to have Jerry Bridges come and speak to us again.  We’re co-sponsoring an event with Castro Valley First Baptist Church.  But perhaps an equal blessing is the fact that we’re going to be selling great books at great prices.  Our goal is to at least beat any online price.  And when I say great books, I really mean it.  The question is, “Why can’t the local Christian bookstore actually sell good books?”

There’s a local Christian bookstore called Lighthouse, and walking through there is a reminder of why Evangelicalism is clouded with unsound doctrine.  There are trinkets galore, everything from Christian candy to shoes with crosses on them.  It’s easy to criticize such stores, and I admit I have scoffed at them.  But reading this article made me realize that economics play a greater role in deciding what is sold.  The margin for trinkets far exceed any book.  And the margin on Christian ‘pop’ books is also greater than the good books.  So unless these bookstores sell such items, they wouldn’t be able to stay in business.  But with the Advent of Amazon and online book retailers such as Westminster Seminary books and Monergism, perhaps the closing down of such stores is not a bad thing after all.