The Gray Area with Sean Illing

The church of celebrity

Dec 15, 2022

In this engaging conversation, Katelyn Beaty, author of "Celebrities for Jesus" and former managing editor at Christianity Today, dives into the intersection of celebrity culture and evangelicalism. She uncovers how figures like Billy Graham shaped the church's celebrity landscape and the ethical dilemmas this trend creates. Beaty sheds light on the emotional complexities of celebrity influence, the experience of loneliness among public figures, and the evolving quest for community outside traditional religion. A compelling exploration of faith in a fame-obsessed world!

57:05

Episode guests

Katelyn Beaty

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Episode notes

Intro

4min

The Intersection of Celebrity and Evangelicalism

20min

Christian Celebrity and Embattlement

3min

Billy Graham: The Evangelical Icon

7min

Celebrity Influence in Faith

4min

The Celebrity Paradox

18min

The Evolving Search for Community Beyond Organized Religion

2min

Guest host Alissa Wilkinson talks with Katelyn Beaty, author of the new book Celebrities for Jesus, about how the dynamics of fame, influence, and new media are changing our experience of religious faith. They discuss how celebrities like Billy Graham set the tone for a lionization of celebrity in the Evangelical Church, why faith leaders cultivate distance from their congregations and build influencer-style social media presences, and share their thoughts on the future of the Church in our perhaps increasingly celebrity-obsessed culture.

Host: Alissa Wilkinson (@alissamarie), senior culture writer, Vox

Guest: Katelyn Beaty (@KatelynBeaty), author

References:

Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church by Katelyn Beaty (Brazos; 2022)
"Inside Hillsong, the Church of Choice for Justin Bieber and Kevin Durant" by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (GQ; Dec. 17, 2015)
"After Columbine, martyrdom became a powerful fantasy for Christian teenagers" by Alissa Wilkinson (Vox; Apr. 17, 2019)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Patrick Boyd
Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

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