Selling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal
According to P.T. Barnum, no one ever went broke underestimating the stupidity of the American public, a statement reconfirmed by this expose of the minister/comedian who supposedly went from performing cat-killing rituals for the Prince of Darkness to becoming a born-again, soul-saving Christian. Religious journalists Hertenstein and Trott reveal that Warnke, lying about his Satanic involvement, led gullible people not to Christ but to the cash register to buy his albums and concert tickets. The authors describe in detail the business of Christianity, covering everything from music ministries to the Christian Book Association. They also discuss the direction of contemporary Christianity and Satanism and include a surprise interview with Anton LaVey of California's "Church of Satan." While Hertenstein and Trott are to be praised for uncovering little-known details about this demagogue, readers would have been served better with a more secular viewpoint. For popular religion collections.- Mike Tierno, New YorkCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.