“The ancient temptations Jesus experienced in the wilderness have morphed into toxic cultures of celebrity—and this is cause for great concern. Katelyn Beaty prophetically helps us to see the dangers compromising the church’s witness in the world and ways we can live with greater integrity. This book is a great gift and should be required reading for all who love the church.”—Rich Villodas, pastor of New Life Fellowship; author of The Deeply Formed Life

“The way of Jesus isn’t usually found in brands, name recognition, or programs. It’s found in relationships, humility, and servant leadership. In Celebrities for Jesus, Katelyn Beaty beautifully reminds us that pastors and churches shouldn’t try to compete with the world by looking like the world through programs, platforms, and numbers but instead should work toward resembling the life of Jesus by making ‘little Christs.’ Celebrities for Jesus is a much-needed book at this very moment in the church.”—Chris Hennessey, stay-at-home dad

“In this stupendously convicting and well-researched book, Katelyn Beaty probes the soul of the celebrity pastor, and even more hauntingly, she examines how we the people help create such larger-than-life figures. With the inexorable transition to more online forms of discipleship in the digital age, Celebrities for Jesus provides a timely, sober reflection on the toxic culture that often arises when piety and popularity mix.”—Jemar Tisby, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism

“The word ‘celebrity’ comes from Latin and its root means ‘often repeated.’ In this book, Katelyn Beaty reveals how the stories of celebrities too often end the same way, even for those claiming to follow Jesus. With the tone of a trusted confidant, she shines a light on what happens behind the scenes of Christian celebrity culture. She illuminates the problem this presents to the church, while offering hints of ways we might change our current trajectory to prevent repeating history. It’s a timely read.”—D’Shan Berry, follower of Jesus and lover of words

“We are in the midst of a reckoning on the role of celebrity within American evangelicalism. From her position of being inside the machine, Katelyn Beaty brings two key elements to this compelling book. First, she brings knowledge and insights that will help anyone wanting to disentangle their faith from celebrity culture. But, even more than this, she offers an honest, humble self-examination that is a model many of us in the church need to follow.”—Karen Swallow Prior, research professor of English and Christianity & Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books

“This timely book offers the reader a close, revealing, and challenging look at celebrity Christianity. It doesn’t point fingers but rather holds up an overdue mirror to American Christian pop culture. Beaty’s journalism bona fides are on full display as she highlights familiar and maybe unfamiliar stories about large segments of American Christianity filled with unchecked power, manipulative charisma, and cultures of enablement. Her vulnerable self-reflection and theological survey are an added bonus that strengthens her credibility. This work contributes to a growing body of thoughtful commentary on church dysfunction with the hope of transformation.”—Christina Edmondson, leadership development consultant, Certified Cultural Intelligence facilitator, and cohost of the Truth’s Table podcast

“We are living in an age where celebrities are not just the people we see on TV or the movies, but people who have grown a following on social media—and in Christian culture, the pulpit. Katelyn’s book Celebrities for Jesus perfectly captures how and why we continuously see popular Christian celebrity leaders fall from the high towers we put them in. Amid the scandals and heartbreak caused by trusted leaders, her book was a reminder of the power of proximity and true friendship that we as a culture, and as Christians, need the most.”—Kellie Koch, strategic communications professional in Washington, DC

“With insight and empathy, Katelyn Beaty diagnoses the broken patterns of leadership we see in the church. This book shows us the isolation and loneliness and abuse that can come from, and contribute to, these expectations of celebrity. But this book is no mere jeremiad. It points the way forward to renewed visions of power, accountability, and humility.”—Russell Moore, Christianity Today

“Media stardom is a relatively new phenomenon, but the corrosiveness of power and authority is not. Celebrities for Jesus chronicles the abuses and scandals invited by the rise of eminent Christian personalities. It persuasively demonstrates that the embrace of celebrity culture is folly: whatever growth and outreach it achieves for the church comes at great personal and institutional costs.”—James Havey, attorney

“A wit once said a celebrity is a person famous for being famous, but the quip needs to be modified for American evangelical celebrities. For evangelicalism a celebrity is someone who has formed, cultivated, and platformed a persona of themselves that attracts a following. In some cases, there is substance behind the persona; in many cases, there is not. In all cases, we need a demotion of the celebrity culture and the expansion of leaders who are followers of Jesus, the Jesus whose greatness came from the surrender of himself for the sake of others. I am so glad to see Katelyn Beaty expose this very serious problem in our churches. It will be must reading for all those who want to lead.”—Scot McKnight, professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary