SOURCES

October 29, 2009

---

SOURCES for “Is Your VBS Taking a Vacation from the Gospel?“

Primary sources

• Interview with Jim Knowles, special markets manager for Catholic ministry, Group Publishing.
• Interview with Gospel Light editorial staff (Donna Lucas, Children’s Publishing Director; Sheryl Haystead, senior managing editor for children’s products; Vicki Smalldino, marketing and publicity).
• Interview with Gary Greig, senior editor for Bible and theology, Gospel Light Publications.
• Printed samples from Gospel Light Publications, Group Publishing, Standard Publishing, Augsburg Fortress Publishing.
• Augsburg Fortress Catholic VBS site.
• Augsburg Fortress Protestant VBS site.
• “Catholic Day Camps: The Vacation Bible School Boom” by Joseph Pronechen (showing that many Catholics do not embrace the trend of using Protestant VBS material). Originally published in the National Catholic Register.
• “The Catholic View of Salvation: A Fundamentalist Evaluation” by Myron Houghton (Evaluation of the 1994 ECT agreement and analysis of Catholic theology) Faith Pulpit, 1994.
• Evangelicals and Catholics Together (full text of mission statement): “First, as much as we might believe one community is more fully in accord with the Gospel than another, we as Evangelicals and Catholics affirm that opportunity and means for growth in Christian discipleship are available in our several communities.”
• GARBC Articles of Faith.
• GARBC Resolution (1994): “Evangelical–Roman Catholic Dialogue.”
• GARBC Resolution (1998): “The Gift of Salvation.”
• Gospel Light press release about various mergers.
• Gospel Light Publications history: Obituary of William Greig II, former CEO.
• Gospel Light Publications company history.
• Gospel Light Publications doctrinal statement.
• Gospel Light’s senior editor for Bible and theology, Gary S. Greig, has recently defended the 2008 Lakeland Revivals, in “A Theological Response to the Criticism of the Lakeland Outpouring and Todd Bentley.” Greig defends Todd Bentley and Fresh Fire Ministries, who were later exposed in a June 2008 Nightline report that investigated faith healing claims, murky finances, and Bentley’s criminal past.
• Group Publishing statement of faith.
• Group Publishing statement that “Group partners with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to produce a completely Catholic version of our VBS each year” www.group.com/catholic.
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt website for Group’s High Seas Expedition curriculum.
• Ligouri Publications history and background.
• “Our Sunday Visitor Acquires Harcourt Religion Publishers” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt press release announcing its sale of Harcourt Religion Publishers to Our Sunday Visitor) on June 3, 2009.
• “Shop RCL Benzinger” (about RCL Benzinger publishing VBS agreement with Standard).
• “St. Alphonsus Liguori” (background on Ligouri Publications) article in The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Standard Publishing company history.
• Standard Publishing statement of faith.
• “What’s Happening at Standard Publishing?” (a summary of recent Standard Publishing changes, written by a Christian Restoration Association leader).

Background sources

• “Evangelical-Christian publishing: Where it’s been and where it’s going” by Allan Fisher (an evaluation including common critiques of Christian publishing). Publishing Research Quarterly (Fall 1998): 3–11.
• “Faith-Based Fun in the Summer Sun” by Joseph Pronechen for the National Catholic Register (interviewing Hans Christoffersen, editorial director for Ligouri).
• “Five Surprising Years for Evangelical-Christian Publishing: 1998 to 2002″ by Allan Fisher (an evaluation including critiques of Christian publishing). Publishing Research Quarterly (Summer 2003): 20–33.
• “Religious Publishing for Red State Consumers and Beyond” by Rachel Elinsky (valuable for background on Christian publishing) Publishing Research Quarterly (Winter 2005): 11–29.
• “Reforming Evangelicalism” by Kevin Mungons (a review of the Gospel Coalition, Together for the Gospel, and Alliance for Confessing Evangelicals) Baptist Bulletin (July/August 2009).
• Schultz, Quentin J. and Robert H. Woods Jr., eds. Understanding Evangelical Media. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press), 2008.