The Gospel Coalition

In just a few short months, my book, Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals will be published by Crossway. Over the course of the next few Saturdays, I plan on posting endorsements from those who have graciously given of their time to read Holy Subversion and put their name behind its message.

These endorsements (often called “blurbs”) are important for readers. Whenever I pick up a book in a bookstore or consider buying a book online, I usually look to see who has endorsed the work. Key endorsements matter most when I am unfamiliar with the author.

Blurbs have their place. They help the reader discern the stream in which the author swims.

For example, if I see endorsements from Mark Dever, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney and John MacArthur, I can safely assume that the author is part of the young Reformed, Together for the Gospel movement. If I see endorsements from Dan Kimball, Scot McKnight, and Erwin McManus, I can safely assume that the author might run in the more conservative circles of the Emerging Church. You can see how blurbs help readers “locate” the author within one stream or another.

As an author who has solicited endorsements, I can tell you that the desire for book sales has not been my primary motivation in determining who I should ask. When I finished my initial manuscript of Holy Subversion, I made a list of people whom I respect, have benefited from spiritually, and whose opinion matters to me personally. Only two or three of these people on that list would be considered “key” endorsers (meaning, their endorsement would translate into book sales). So I could have contacted two or three “key” people and stopped there.

But for me, the blurbs for my book mean much more than book sales. They represent a personal stamp of approval from the people whose opinion matters to me – people whose theology or ministry has influenced me. That’s why I asked several Southern Seminary professors to review my work. Their feedback and approval means something to me personally.

I did not ask Paul Negrut (president of my alma mater, Emanuel University of Oradea) to write a recommendation, hoping his name might convince thousands of Romanians to purchase my book. No… Bro. Paul has had a significant influence on my theology, and he is the pastor who married Corina and me almost seven years ago. In choosing to ask him for a blurb, my personal and professional respect for his ministry come together, and I receive encouragement from his words of affirmation.

I asked Tullian Tchividjian to consider writing a blurb because I consider him a friend and because we see eye-to-eye on a great number of subjects. Since he wrote his endorsement, he has become pastor Coral Ridge Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL, but I certainly wasn’t anticipating that when I first sent him my manuscript.

I asked Christian George to consider writing a blurb because I love the way he writes. The same is true for Wheaton professor Nick Perrin, whose recent popular level work on the reliability of the Gospels serves as a great introduction to the transmission of the Gospel texts. Likewise, I wrote Marvin Olasky because I am a long-time World reader and my thought has been shaped by the contribution of World to evangelical thought. These are just a few examples.

A handful of people have declined to write a blurb. Some are unable to devote the time to reading my work. That’s certainly understandable. Others may look over the book and not find it consonant with their own vision or thought. That’s fine too. If everyone likes your work, you might not be saying anything of substance.

So… here are some suggestions for book readers who see a number of endorsements for a certain book.

First, see who the “key endorsers” are (usually on the back cover). Those names will tell you what the target audience is.

Next, look at the endorsements that are on the inside first pages. Sometimes the interior endorsements tell you more about the author than the main blurbs, because they show you who the author is reading and benefiting from.

Another reason you should look at the “inside” blurbs is because there is only so much space on the back cover. Sometimes the endorsement is shortened for the back cover and the full endorsement is on the inside.

You might also watch to see what kind of language the endorser uses. Recommending a book for “consideration” is different than saying “this is the best book on the subject” or stating full agreement with the author’s thesis.

Don’t rely exclusively on blurbs when trying to decide whether or not to buy a book. But use these endorsements as a way of figuring out where the author is in the overall scheme of things.