Rapture Ready by Daniel Radosh

Brandi Cameron

Editor-in-Chief & Self Immolator

Daniel Radosh, in his novel Rapture Ready, is a Jewish man writing about the parallel universe between evangelical Christianity and pop culture. Published in 2008, this book is a fascinating mix of perceptions on culture, the economy, identity politics, and so much more.

“If you are trying to communicate to people, it makes sense that you want to find a common currency, a bridge that you can communicate across […] Now, having said that, you can do it with style or you can do it tackily. But that’s true in any endeavor, not just the Christian retail world,” states Andy Butcher, editor of The Christian Retailer, in his interview with Daniel Radosh.

To which Radosh responds, “[…] from what I’ve seen, tacky is winning.”

Radosh immerses himself in Christian pop culture for a year and tells the world what he sees, what he learns, what he rejects, and what he is surprised by. The culture he examines is mainly American, but it also mirrors the growing evangelical pop culture in Canada.

“This is a book about popular culture. It’s about entertainment, leisure and shopping. It’s also about politics and the culture war that engulfs America. And it’s a little bit – not as much as you might think – about religion,” writes Radosh in the introduction.

However, this book is definitely about religion – as a manmade entity, as both an economic plan and a fascinating climb into an uncanny culture. Radosh experiences many of the hypocrisies that everyday people see in Christianity, but he also meets people along the way that shift his perspective.

This book is merely a study: including the history of evangelical pop culture, the current status, and where it may go in the future. Radosh watched Christian movies, read books, attended conferences, concerts, raves, theme parks, comedy shows conventions, and hung out with everyone and anyone he could find who is affiliated with the Christian pop culture industry.

By the end of the book, Radosh had been tricked into hearing peoples’ testimonies through comedy, caught himself buying an opinion or two and had revealed his own views to many pastors, managers, organizers and speakers involved in this industry.

Aaron Weiss, the ‘mewithoutYoufrontman,’ reveals this to Radosh in their eight-page long conversation on various controversial topics: “Most people probably never had an abortion. So you can look at that […] and say ‘That’s the “murder” [sic] that I want to draw attention to.’” He questions the lack of attention paid to other forms of “murder,” such as: death by failing to share abundance (therefore starving other people), killing in a war, or the sanctioned death penalty.

He also states, “Jesus never mentioned homosexuality once. How has it become such an issue? Strange how all things that Jesus actually did talk about fail to become issues.”

These are just some of the hundreds of topics Radosh brings up with people who are well versed in evangelical pop culture. He presents both sides of various topics, but no easy answers. This book is a thought-provoking study for any American, and I argue, Canadian academic citizen.