Thank you for this. I would love to read more and learn more about vainglory as it relates to Christians in publishing at this cultural moment. The “necessity” for the self-promotion of authors is so confusing and disturbing to me, especially when I see writers that I respect doing it. I’m a writer myself, and want so badly to see and practice a baptized version of getting your material out there, without turning every moment and every online connection into a sales pitch or the incessant pursuit of a “like” or a “follow” or a subscription. Do you have thoughts along these lines?
This is a truly wonderful question that I wish there were a better answer for! One fiction author (maybe George Saunders?) said recently that 100 years ago, the publisher handled all their author’s publicity; but now, the writer has to handle all their own publicity. Which makes for an inherent tension within the writer because, as most authors would probably agree, the reason they write is because they have an introverted bend. The very reason that they’re able to lock themselves in a room for hours alone typing away also becomes the very reason they loathe self-promotion.
If you read all the expert opinions in this matter, you’ll find a thunderous agreement that self-promotion for the contemporary writer is not optional. Today’s landscape is just not yielding a crop of publishing agents eagerly scouring the Internet for unsung talent. Were Henri Nouwen around nowadays, I’m not sure if his books would take off - at least, not in the same way they did, simply because the industry looks so different and requires that you not only write extremely well but that your public persona be enticing enough to be its own marketing team.
So, as you say, how can we “baptize” our process of getting our material out there? Personally, I haven’t been highly successful in “getting material out there” (I have like 12 followers on all social platforms), but I can tell you what’s worked for me. I noticed that originally after I would post an article, I would check my phone perpetually: what are people saying? Is this getting likes? Is it getting shared? And on and on and on. Social media is essentially automated vainglory in an easy-access syringe. So, in my efforts to not let vainglory metastasize over my entire spiritual life, I had to set a rule: after I post, share, or get an article published, I wouldn’t go back on the social media to check the stats for at least 4-7 days (7 days is ideal, 4 is realistic). That’s helped a lot in terms of helping me get less stuck in cycles of self-promotion. On top of that, having close friends and a spouse who know you through and through and will be unamused by your success is also a hidden blessing: their lack of enthusiasm keeps you joyfully grounded.
Mark Sayers had some good thoughts in this regard is his books “The Vertical Self” and “Facing Leviathan.” When his tweets or opinions get picked up by major news organizations, his first thought is to retweet it or share it around. But then he takes stock of what he’s doing. Is his sharing (or flexing) of a major news site doing anything tangible for the kingdom? Once considered, he usually decides against sharing.
Anyways, this is where my mind drifted to after reading your question. It’s just some off-top thoughts. But hopefully it’s illuminating in some way at least :) I appreciate the question!
Thank you, Griffin. “…a thunderous agreement.” Ugh. I know it’s true. I will certainly look into your recommendations here. I believe there can be a generosity of sharing with your readership or potential readers that can be done with integrity. But (having not seen a lot of that) I think it’s going to take some fresh creativity from Christians who are writers, rather than just buying into the norms of essentially selling their life’s aesthetic (be that our physique, our clothing style, our home decor, our pets, our vacations, our children (God forbid), etc). Our lives cannot be made into a product, in order to sell books, we’ve got to resist this! I’m honestly brand new to thinking and imagining along these lines, but Lord have mercy I am determined to try and do it differently. (I feel like I’m poking a dragon by even typing all that^!)
That's a great point about how everything we do can essentially be spun and sold as an aesthetic persona and brand. Lots to think about there! Thanks so much for sharing all this. Blessings!
Thanks for writing this, I’ve been thinking about and struggling with this topic the past year after graduating from bachelor’s and taking a gap year before going into my master’s 😅 I also serve as an MK in a country where I see most people are trapped in vainglory, which is exacerbated by historical and current war traumas, and I feel compassion for them. But being in this culture, many times the need for acceptance gets to me.
I think this article is a wake-up call. I do wish the ending was a bit longer, but the core message is very apt.
This wholly resonated with me as I feel this almost constant desire to be recognized. Sometimes my efforts at self promotion are so before me that I get sick of myself.
I do try to fight vainglory, but also wonder what healthy or reasonable self promotion might look like when my income is linked to my creative life.
Great read, especially after just hearing Andy Stanley talk about the one game we should all play - honoring others before ourselves. I guess it is up to us individually to be serving/honoring others as soon as we arrive somewhere so we aren't mistaken for someone more important! It's interesting watching someone who has those ascribed honors but deflect them humbly, and instead honoring others.
At times when I feel particularly despised, I appreciate how “upside down” Jesus’ life was. No wonder Nietzsche called Christianity “slave morality.” No wonder the early church was full of women and slaves. When you’re at the bottom, you find out whose love is truly unconditional—Yahweh God’s.
I turned from status in my youth, and lived the life of a country pastor's wife ... now I'm back in the city, working in academia, and vainglory is presenting its temptations all over again. Reading this was really timely for me. Thank you.
Just a correction: “cursus honorum” wasn’t a “race for honors”; it was a “course of honours”. You couldn’t hold a higher tank (e.g. consul) until you had first served in a lower rank. There was a whole course mapped out. But your point is valid all the same.
Interesting point! To be honest, I was just going off of the work of the Greek philosopher Dio Chrysostom and the contemporary church historian/Bible scholar Joseph Hellerman. Embracing Shared Ministry by the latter has some references to the hierarchical structure of the cursus honorum but I was totally unfamiliar with your point about it being a “course” one ascends through. Thanks for sharing :)
Thank you for this. I would love to read more and learn more about vainglory as it relates to Christians in publishing at this cultural moment. The “necessity” for the self-promotion of authors is so confusing and disturbing to me, especially when I see writers that I respect doing it. I’m a writer myself, and want so badly to see and practice a baptized version of getting your material out there, without turning every moment and every online connection into a sales pitch or the incessant pursuit of a “like” or a “follow” or a subscription. Do you have thoughts along these lines?
This is a truly wonderful question that I wish there were a better answer for! One fiction author (maybe George Saunders?) said recently that 100 years ago, the publisher handled all their author’s publicity; but now, the writer has to handle all their own publicity. Which makes for an inherent tension within the writer because, as most authors would probably agree, the reason they write is because they have an introverted bend. The very reason that they’re able to lock themselves in a room for hours alone typing away also becomes the very reason they loathe self-promotion.
If you read all the expert opinions in this matter, you’ll find a thunderous agreement that self-promotion for the contemporary writer is not optional. Today’s landscape is just not yielding a crop of publishing agents eagerly scouring the Internet for unsung talent. Were Henri Nouwen around nowadays, I’m not sure if his books would take off - at least, not in the same way they did, simply because the industry looks so different and requires that you not only write extremely well but that your public persona be enticing enough to be its own marketing team.
So, as you say, how can we “baptize” our process of getting our material out there? Personally, I haven’t been highly successful in “getting material out there” (I have like 12 followers on all social platforms), but I can tell you what’s worked for me. I noticed that originally after I would post an article, I would check my phone perpetually: what are people saying? Is this getting likes? Is it getting shared? And on and on and on. Social media is essentially automated vainglory in an easy-access syringe. So, in my efforts to not let vainglory metastasize over my entire spiritual life, I had to set a rule: after I post, share, or get an article published, I wouldn’t go back on the social media to check the stats for at least 4-7 days (7 days is ideal, 4 is realistic). That’s helped a lot in terms of helping me get less stuck in cycles of self-promotion. On top of that, having close friends and a spouse who know you through and through and will be unamused by your success is also a hidden blessing: their lack of enthusiasm keeps you joyfully grounded.
Mark Sayers had some good thoughts in this regard is his books “The Vertical Self” and “Facing Leviathan.” When his tweets or opinions get picked up by major news organizations, his first thought is to retweet it or share it around. But then he takes stock of what he’s doing. Is his sharing (or flexing) of a major news site doing anything tangible for the kingdom? Once considered, he usually decides against sharing.
Anyways, this is where my mind drifted to after reading your question. It’s just some off-top thoughts. But hopefully it’s illuminating in some way at least :) I appreciate the question!
Thank you for this rule.
I think I would also apply it and be more careful of vainglory in writing.
Thank you, Griffin. “…a thunderous agreement.” Ugh. I know it’s true. I will certainly look into your recommendations here. I believe there can be a generosity of sharing with your readership or potential readers that can be done with integrity. But (having not seen a lot of that) I think it’s going to take some fresh creativity from Christians who are writers, rather than just buying into the norms of essentially selling their life’s aesthetic (be that our physique, our clothing style, our home decor, our pets, our vacations, our children (God forbid), etc). Our lives cannot be made into a product, in order to sell books, we’ve got to resist this! I’m honestly brand new to thinking and imagining along these lines, but Lord have mercy I am determined to try and do it differently. (I feel like I’m poking a dragon by even typing all that^!)
That's a great point about how everything we do can essentially be spun and sold as an aesthetic persona and brand. Lots to think about there! Thanks so much for sharing all this. Blessings!
Thanks for writing this, I’ve been thinking about and struggling with this topic the past year after graduating from bachelor’s and taking a gap year before going into my master’s 😅 I also serve as an MK in a country where I see most people are trapped in vainglory, which is exacerbated by historical and current war traumas, and I feel compassion for them. But being in this culture, many times the need for acceptance gets to me.
I think this article is a wake-up call. I do wish the ending was a bit longer, but the core message is very apt.
This is a great read. I think most of us resonate with this in some way. Congrats on your degree! I finished my MDiv at Fuller this past June.
Thank you!!
This wholly resonated with me as I feel this almost constant desire to be recognized. Sometimes my efforts at self promotion are so before me that I get sick of myself.
I do try to fight vainglory, but also wonder what healthy or reasonable self promotion might look like when my income is linked to my creative life.
An excellent word for everyone, including myself! The post seminary job search is a sad slog, but it isn’t forever. Blessings on your next endeavors!
Great read, especially after just hearing Andy Stanley talk about the one game we should all play - honoring others before ourselves. I guess it is up to us individually to be serving/honoring others as soon as we arrive somewhere so we aren't mistaken for someone more important! It's interesting watching someone who has those ascribed honors but deflect them humbly, and instead honoring others.
At times when I feel particularly despised, I appreciate how “upside down” Jesus’ life was. No wonder Nietzsche called Christianity “slave morality.” No wonder the early church was full of women and slaves. When you’re at the bottom, you find out whose love is truly unconditional—Yahweh God’s.
I turned from status in my youth, and lived the life of a country pastor's wife ... now I'm back in the city, working in academia, and vainglory is presenting its temptations all over again. Reading this was really timely for me. Thank you.
I just read his piece at Mere Orthodoxy earlier today and thought "hmmm that name sounds familiar": https://mereorthodoxy.com/how-a-skull-hourglass-alleviate-my-anxiety
Just a correction: “cursus honorum” wasn’t a “race for honors”; it was a “course of honours”. You couldn’t hold a higher tank (e.g. consul) until you had first served in a lower rank. There was a whole course mapped out. But your point is valid all the same.
Interesting point! To be honest, I was just going off of the work of the Greek philosopher Dio Chrysostom and the contemporary church historian/Bible scholar Joseph Hellerman. Embracing Shared Ministry by the latter has some references to the hierarchical structure of the cursus honorum but I was totally unfamiliar with your point about it being a “course” one ascends through. Thanks for sharing :)
Tank = rank