Sadly, celebrity is big business in American Christianity.  For example, Christian publishers don’t typically publish the very best books, but the ones by authors who have a large platform.  Indeed, platform is one of the buzz words in the industry.  And don’t miss that most Christian publishers are an industry not a ministry.  

Recently, Mark Driscoll, one of the more popular “young, restless, and Reformed” pastors was on the Janet Mefferd show.  Mefferd pressed Driscoll on the issue of plagiarism.  Driscoll was not pleased.  For the record, I am not sure Driscoll knowingly plagiarized.  Motives may not matter for non-Christians, but they matter a lot for Christians.

What did strike me and I found depressing, is how the celebrity culture of American Christianity seems to trump issues of accountability and scrutiny.  The well-respected historian and author, Carl Trueman, weighs in with sage insight:

http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2013/11/if-the-top-men-take-over-who-w.php