The appeal of self-help books in the religion/spirituality category has been an enduring one. Americans tend to be practical about their faith, to believe it should permeate every aspect of their lives and provide help with daily struggles. In evangelical Christian publishing especially, the biggest sellers tend to be books that offer that kind of guidance, that promise of a better life. Americans want a faith that works.
A major driver of religion's rise in publishing over the past 15 years has been the pilgrimage of spiritual seekers to bookstore shelves. In a more settled, more traditional world, troubled people might have taken their questions to the neighborhood rabbi, the parish priest, the local pastor. Now, it seems, they are more likely to take them to books.What's Inside PW's Religion Update:
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Finding Help on the Shelves: Americans' pragmatic approach to faith and life makes self-help books a natural
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For the Ages and Stages: Are publishers and booksellers on top of shifting demographics in the religion market?
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Mega Tactics For Mega-Hits: Two publishers pulled out all the stops for their star pastors.
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The Subject is Sex: Once-taboo topics for evangelicals are getting more honest treatment.
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The Perfect Mother Myth: Books question the pressure on Christian moms to be faultless
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In Profile: Books for a Change
