Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (2004) is a daily devotional book written by Christian author Sarah Young and published by Byron Williamson at Integrity Publishers, based in Brentwood, TN. Two years later, in September 2006, Integrity, along with its catalog of books, including Jesus Calling, were bought by Thomas Nelson.[1] The book offers readers a 365-day personal spiritual journey intended to help the reader experience a deeper relationship with Jesus.[2] The book was inspired, in part, by Sarah Young's reading of a related book, God Calling, authored by A. J. Russell.[3] According to Publishers Weekly, Jesus Calling had sold 45 million copies as of 2023.[4]
 | |
| Author | Sarah Young |
|---|---|
Publication date | 2004 |
Jesus Calling is also a Christian brand whose offerings include a quarterly magazine, a TV show, and a podcast.
Author
editSarah Young had a degree in philosophy from Wellesley College; and earned a master's degree in biblical studies and counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis.[5]
Young was a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), where her husband Stephen is an ordained minister and third-generation Christian missionary to Japan. The couple served as Mission to the World missionaries in Japan and Australia. As of 2018 they resided in the United States, where Young has two married children and two grandchildren.[6]
Young has been described as a humble person who prefers to stay out of the spotlight.[7] Young died on September 1, 2023, aged 77, following complications from Lyme disease.[8]
Impact
editOn April 25, 2015, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker read from Jesus Calling to more than 1,000 people at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition. A HarperCollins publicist said, "We had no idea Scott Walker had the book and would use it. It's always nice to hear about how Jesus Calling touched someone's life."[9]
On June 27, 2017, Louisiana First Lady Donna Edwards delivered copies of Jesus Calling to women prisoners of the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women.[10] The books were donated by The Next Door, a non-profit organization that serves women in crisis and provides Jesus Calling devotionals free of charge to jails and prisons.[11]
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read her leather-bound Jesus Calling daily devotional before press conferences.[12]
Other works
editOther books written by Sarah Young include:
Criticism
editJesus Calling has prompted objections from within the evangelical community. David Crump, professor of religion at Calvin College, stated in an interview with Christianity Today that Young "puts her thoughts into the first person and then presents that 'person' as the resurrected Lord".[16] Young and her editors have denied that she believed she received original revelation from Jesus, explaining that Jesus Calling recounts what she learned through prayer and reading the Bible.[17]
In June 2024, the Presbyterian Church in America, of which Young was a member, launched an investigation into the book, in order to "assess the book’s appropriateness for Christians in general and PCA members and congregations in particular with special regard for its doctrine and method."[18][19]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ results, search (2004-10-10). Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence (Special and Rev ed.). Thomas Nelson. ISBN 9781591451884.
- ^ "Daily devotional, Jesus Calling | Enjoying Peace in His Presence". Jesus Calling. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ Steffan, Melissa (1 October 2013). "Sarah Young Still Hears Jesus Calling". Christianity Today. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "THE JESUS CALLING BRAND CELEBRATES 45 MILLION UNITS SOLD". HarperCollins Publishing. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "Sarah Young | Author of Jesus Calling, Bestselling Devotional". Jesus Calling. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "Sarah Young: Amid Suffering, Devotion". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ Graham, Ruth (2014-02-23). "The Strange Saga of 'Jesus Calling,' the Evangelical Bestseller You've Never Heard Of". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ Silliman, Daniel (2023-09-01). "Died: 'Jesus Calling' Devotional Author Sarah Young". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
- ^ "Scott Walker Plugs 'Jesus Calling' Devotional Book, Sales Promptly Skyrocket". Huffington Post. Religion News Service. 2015-04-30. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
- ^ Stole, Bryn. "Louisiana's first lady delivers Christian devotionals, and hope, to incarcerated women". The Advocate. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "Jesus Calling - The Next Door". The Next Door. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "How Sarah Huckabee Sanders sees the world". Washington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ "Christian Book Expo 2013: Christian Book Award®". christianbookexpo.com. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- ^ "Christian Book Award | ECPA". christianbookawards.com. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
- ^ "Christian Best Sellers 2013". goodreads.com. Retrieved 2023-03-13.
- ^ "Thomas Nelson Faced With Complaints Over Popular "Jesus Calling" Devotional | BCNN1 - Black Christian News Network". blackchristiannews.com. Retrieved 2018-08-25.
- ^ Oppenheimer, Mark (October 25, 2013). "A First-Person Defense of Writing in Jesus' Voice". The New York Times.
- ^ Belz, Emily (13 June 2024). "PCA Will Investigate 'Jesus Calling' Book". Christianity Today. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ Gryboski, Michael (13 June 2024). "PCA votes to launch investigation into Sarah Young's book 'Jesus Calling'". Christian Post. Retrieved 15 June 2024.