Almost no one in the blogosphere seems to have noticed that last week Pat Robertson interviewed Tim Keller on “The 700 Club.†The Redeemer pastor was there to promote his new book, Counterfeit Gods.
The reason for calling attention to Keller’s appearance with Robertson is not to raise questions about would-be unholy alliances between conservative Presbyterians and Pentecostals. The appearance was a good way for Keller to promote his book, and talk shows like Robertson’s are good ways to do this. (Anyone who has watched the HBO series, “The Larry Sanders Show,†knows how the talk-show formula is supposed to work.)
Instead, the question that arises from the Keller appearance is one about the trajectory of the New York City pastor’s celebrity. Back when The Reasons for God came out and Keller gave a talk at Google as part of the company’s Authors@Google series, the pastor’s fans lit up the blogosphere with links to and comments on the event.
But with his new book, Keller is apparently settling for CBN and Robertson, and his fans do not seem to notice. (It may actually be a healthy sign that New Life Presbyterians are not watching CBN.) From Google to “The 700 Club,†from the blogs agog to silent bloggers, one wonders if we are witnessing the first phase of contemporary Presbyterianism’s brightest star’s burn out.
Old Life 
Michael Horton appeared on the 700 club and a network news segment on Osteen. What does that mean? Nothing.
It almost sound like you are hoping his star fades. Keller is a great voice on the stage. Here’s hoping he’s listened to for a while.
LikeLike
Maybe it just has to do with the fact that The Reason for God was the right book at the right time given the releases of the anti-theistic books by Dawkins and Dennett in the same time-span. Popular debate sells books. Maybe there just aren’t many pro-idolatry books grabbing the public’s attention. Regardless, how much mojo can a Presbyterian pastor actually have?
LikeLike
Here’s the link to the appearance of Michael Horton (author of Christless Christianity, as reads the caption beneath him) on The 700 Club’s news service, CBN News:
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/June/Meeting-to-Establish-Anglican-Church-in-N-America/
Wow, a paleo star among Pentecostals? Given your assessment of what Keller’s appearance says about him, I guess we should starting writing the obit for Horton’s ministry.
LikeLike
Does this then put you then in the category of “silent blogger”?
LikeLike
PS. Sorry about the Phillies.
LikeLike
Dr. Hart,
Forgive me for my ignorance as I am new to reading the blog but would you be willing to clearly explain your “beef†w/ Dr. Keller? Why do you seem to relish a diminished interest in his perspective? I’ve read the Reason for God and your book Seeking a Better Country. I benefited from both of them.
The Reason for God got a hearing from secular platforms because it was an intellectually articulate explanation of the rationality of Christian theism. It seems unsurprising, to me, that his book on idolatry will not get the same hearing among unbelieving people that the previous book did.
LikeLike
If you benefitted from Seeking, it must have been the parts written by Muether.
Look, I don’t think you can read that post as relishing a diminished interest in Keller’s books, unless of course you think that the slightest questioning or criticism is a form of relish. It seems to me an interesting piece of information that almost no one who commented on Keller at Google did so about Keller on the 700 Club.
For some of my beef with Keller, I’d refer you to the little exchange he and I had her at oldlife under Whose Ox, Which Gore?
LikeLike
Horton has his Frame, Keller has his Hart.
LikeLike
Maybe, but practically all of the attention on the blogosphere to Reasons for God was from people who already had reasons for God. In other words, Keller’s Christian following was very enthusiastic about his appearing at Google. They seem to be yawning about 700 Club.
LikeLike
Was Robertson wanting to discuss ‘Covenant and Salvation’?
LikeLike
Aren’t there more serious problems to talk about than Keller?
LikeLike
I’m unconvinced that bloggers paying more attention to Google than The 700 Club indicates something about the guest’s popularity trend instead of the blogosphere’s natural regard for each medium. But the application of “among unbelieving people” to the buzz over the book with the Authors@ invite is the most curious thing to me here. Google isn’t the church, but when did it become Canaan?
LikeLike
So, you’d rather me talk about Keller and the regulative principle of worship (second commandment) or keeping the Lord’s Day holy (fourth commandment)?
LikeLike
Being a Glass-is-not-half-empty sorta fellow myself…
#1) I take it as a _good_ sign, that Keller’s ‘fan club’ apparently _aren’t_ wasting their time watching The 700 Club, and…
#2) I take it as a _good_ sign also that Keller’s ‘fans’ don’t seem to be following his every move so that they’re interested in who’s today’s guest on Pat’s panel.
Mebbe that fan club is more figment than phenomenon.
LikeLike
Isn’t *Counterfeit Gods* this month’s selection in Oprah’s book club? Or maybe I have the wrong book, or perhaps the wrong talk show … oh, never mind.
LikeLike
Keller’s book is called _The Reason for God_. Definite article in there.
LikeLike
Jed are questioning my mojo now as well?!?! haha You can be presbyterian and have mojo…but those with mojo are more the exception than the rule! Hope things are going well for you!
LikeLike