Book Burning

by Cal Thomas

Argues that schools, public libraries, book stores, and the media censor the religious and politically conservative points of view

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't know who Cal Thomas was before reading this book. Anyway, while I find myself agreeing with some of what Thomas says, not only is some of it dated, some his points need more detail.

Thomas has a point, even today about about how reilgion, in particular Christianity, is treated/protrayed/argued aganist. I mean, no offense, but holiday tree? C'mon, every one knows what it is really is. How come a Memorah is okay in public display, but a creche isn't? These aren't questions that Thomas askes, his book was written in 1983, but they might have well have been. Thomas additionally talks about how Christianity is talked about in the news, and in some ways, some of his points are still valid today. In fact, I find it hard to think of a character on main stream television who does seem to pratice religion, outside of a guitly priest or second thinking nun.

Wait, there is that really good one with Meryl Streep.

However, the discussion about textbooks in Texas is very dated. Also, he quotes interviews that his assisstant did, not himself. He also has not read Milton very closely. But I really wish he had given more concerte examples of what he was talking about. And the tone of the writing is really condescending.

[John D Harbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best book I read all year. Its about censorship. Both subtle and blatant censorship in school textbooks, in school libraries, in pubic libraries, in newspapers, in TV news, in publishing, and in book reviews (maybe some other areas I forgot). I don't want to bias your opinion of the book, especially if you don't know who Cal Thomas is. So read it. Its short. You'll like it.

[Jonathan Widell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad at all but about twice as long as it could and should be. Cal Thomas was the spokesman of Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority. Published in 1983, "Book Burning" argues that Christianity is marginalized in schools and book publishing because of the threat it supposedly poses to the freedom of expression. How did that happen? Thomas asks the question but does not answer it. Instead, he elaborates on the double standard of calling Christian literature a threat to the freedom of speech while its rival worldviews, such as feminism, are not. Could the traditional near-monopoly of Christianity elicit such a strong reaction to it now? That is the impression one gets while reading the book.

However, Thomas is silent on one crucial point: what he means by Christianity, i.e. born-again Christianity, is not the same brand of Christianity he can identify as being the bedrock of American culture. His brand of Christianity involves creationism and other views that have been dismissed as fundamentalist, a label that Thomas naturally objects to. Despite its intellectual ambition which raises it above much of what passes for evangelical literature, the book still underwhelms and does so in twice as many pages as it should.

The book makes two points that have proved almost prescient. They may be accidents but they are there. First, Thomas insists that child pornography should be banned. At that time, it was not banned (incredible as it may sound) and now of course it is. Nobody seriously question the validity of that ban. Another very valid point Thonas made was that Christian best-selling books did not make it to the New York Times best-seller list because of the skewed method that was used to poll book stores. That seems to have changed, judging by the title "NYT #1 best-selling author" that has been applied to Joel Osteen.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.