An overheard conversation on the subject of Christian "Celebrities" brings me up to a shuddering halt. As I try to work out whether such things really exist.
I guess it helps me to consider what we mean by a "celebrity". I could go into semantics here, but let's take a nice functional definition. To be a celebrity in the UK means you have to be recognised by as many people as the least famous person in the Celebrity Big Brother House, or I'm a Celebrity.
On this definition, low as it sets the bar, I would argue that British Christian Celebrities consist of HM the Queen, Cliff Richard and (only just) Rowan Williams. If we expand the definition to include foreign Christians who are famous for being so in this country, one could add His Holiness the Pope and - at a stretch - Bono from U2. All other "famous" Christians in this country are less generally well known that that bloke of the Gipsy Wedding programme.
It gives us, I think, an insight into how little known our mega-stars are to the rest of the world - and I nearly wrote "real worl" there. I remember some-one once thinking it was a good idea to try to get Noel Richards to play at a mission as he was well-known. Well, frankly you could throw bricks in Milton Keynes Shopping Centre for hours without hitting anyone who's who heard of Noel Richards - even back then when at least I and the bloke making the suggestion knew who he was.
So I'm not saying it's bad that Christian celebrities aren't really celebrities. After all, we're not on this earth to glorify ourselves. But to the crabs in the rockpool in the Daily Mirror's Perishers strip, the Pooliverse is a small place and the Eyeballs in the Sky are a manifestation of the Divine. To us on the outside, it's just Boot the dog. I think you know what I'm saying here.
Tony Blair would be an obvious one from the UK but if you expand the scope then George Bush and Mel Gibson could perhaps qualify?
ReplyDeleteAdd Cliff Richard, Bono and the Pope and you'd certainly have one hell of a dinner party! ;)
Oh please, you must include Desmond Tutu as THE Christian celebrity.
ReplyDeleteHe might even be able to cope at a dinner with George Bush, Mel Gibson and the Pope.
Even most people in the churches haven't heard of the "famous" Christians. Steve Chalke, Cliff Richard and then, well, that is it.
ReplyDeleteI'm keen to get a Christian version of Hello! Magazine going. I'd call it Shalom! and we'd have "at home with Chalkes" on the cover. I think it sales might even get close to double figures.
Right...
ReplyDeleteErika - right on.
Steve - I'll give you A. Blair, as he has spiritual foundations and stuff. But in his case I think I prefer the term "Catholic..." ;)
Mel Gibson, I'm not so sure. I guess the Passion of the Christ might mean "yes" though.
Bush - well, he's an ass-whupping, crim-frying good ol' boy, but I suggest that his Christianity goes with his redneck heritage - a Christian who's a celebrity rather than a Christian celebrity? In the same way that Marcus du Sautoy is an atheist who's a celebrity, whereas Richard Dawkins is a celebrity atheist.
Anonymous (that's a lovely name, by the way) - I'd suggest the Christian version of Hello! could be called "And what do you do?" Although for an At home with the Chalkes special you might want to rename it "Steve Who?"