Book Review: The Almanac of the Christian World

Title: The Almanac of the Christian World (1993-1994 Edition)

Author: Edythe Draper

Date: 1992

Publisher: Tyndale

ISBN: 0-8423-1687-6

Length: 856 pages plus 9-page index

Illustrations: some black-and-white photos

Quote: “The purpose of the Almanac is to inform, not to endorse.”

The purpose of reading a detailed study of Christian evangelical work going on in the early 1990s is, of course, to reminisce. As a result your judgment on how well Draper and associates succeeded in “informing” may depend on your denomination.

People naturally want to support members of their own organization but this natural tendency has generated denominational ghettos and cliques that put Christian writers, and presumably other workers, in direct competition against one another. Bookstores stock Baker or Harvest House or Pacific Press books, not all of those. Shoppers buy books, records, magazines, etc., with one label not all. Christian bookstores tend to be denominational outlets.

Yes, Christians do often believe that other Christians get certain things about the Bible wrong. If we believe that nobody’s perfect and our interpretations are probably imperfect too, we can endorse other people’s work even though we disagree with their interpretations of some Scriptures. If we believe that it’s possible to understand everything in the Bible, that we do, and that other people are wrong—which many sincere Christians have believed—we can endorse only those who agree with us in every detail...and that, of course, is a source of unholy glee to antichristians who just love to sneer “We might pay more attention to what the hundreds of different denominations of Christians are saying if they could make up their minds!”

Then there’s a middle ground. If your denomination, however large, or old, or well established, was not the one funding or promoting the superstar Christian writers, musicians, etc., whose enthusiastic blurbs appear on the back cover, it’s worth reading this book to find out just how badly the Christians you know best are represented in it. Draper doesn’t exclude any of the denominations that can be identified with the Protestant tradition, nor does she exclude Catholic or Orthodox activity from her survey of Christian activity...but she represents some groups so much better than others.

Writing a fair and accurate description of all that’s going on in the Christian World, in all the churches, is impossible. So those who remember the 1990s may want to browse through this book...and then write about what they remember, which probably won’t be what Draper and colleagues describe here. It should be a pleasant nostalgia trip. It may even rekindle your enthusiasm for mission projects that are going on now.

Lists include: World news headlines of the early 1990s. World population statistics. Mission statements endorsed by major church organizations. Only the largest countries of the world, compared in terms of average incomes, support for various religions, and missionary activity. Church calendars. Christian musicians, entertainers, and agencies. Popular Christian songs and musicians. Popular Christian movies and other entertainments. Profiles of Christian athletes. Bible translations, complete and partial. Major events in the history of the church. Most popular Bible passages. Best-loved classic Christian books. Best-selling new Christian books. Short and hilariously outdated list of digital Bible study resources (this was way before kingjamesonline.com or the Biblia tab on Google Chrome). List of versions of the Golden Rule from around the world. A few short fun lists of Bible quotes—this book assumes that you already have more substantial lists. Lists of the biggest churches and Sunday Schools. Mailing addresses for 64 “major denominations,” on the same pages with and noticeably different from the “24 largest U.S. Protestant denominations.”Strangest church names (mostly caused by incongruities between location names and the idea of a church: “Country Cub Christian Church”in Missouri, “Church of The Big Hole”in Minnesota). Silliest Sunday laws. Christian elementary schools, boarding academies, homeschooling networks, and universities.. Books and resources for homeschooling. Biographies of 15 featured evangelists. Probably not exhaustive, but at least exhausting, 20-page list of plans for world evangelism (all printed sidewise). List of major revival movements in history. Summary of James Dobson’s counsel to Christian families. Lists of children’s books. List of Christian retirement communities (very incomplete). Lists of popular cruise lines and resorts, and of religious organizations that offer “service vacations at home and abroad.” List of popular church campgrounds. Lists of Christian broadcasts and broadcast channels. Lists of international missionary organizations. Selections of statistics on social issues many evangelical Christians consider key. Directory of Members of Congress. Full-page list of cliché phrases for Christian writers to avoid.

Like a real almanac, this book was meant to be used as a reference work (when current) with tidbits of fun facts, quotes, and even a few poems used to fill in the cracks (and reward the reader). In time all almanacs become bathroom reading. This one will last a good long time.