About the book

In this shocking and disturbing book, authors Cathy Mickels and Audrey McKeever warn parents that leading contemporary "Christian" publishers and writers of curricula and resource materials are embracing the same worldly, humanistic ideas and activities Christians have fought against in our nation's public schools. Whether it is teaching Christian youth to hug trees and "think green," role-play a Bible passage soap-opera style or simulate the excitement of temptation, the authors predict the result will be: The Dumbing Down of Christian Youth. 

Praise for Spiritual Junk Food

Humanistic values are unbiblical and dangerous in any context, but when humanism, materialism, and worldliness are being propagated within evangelical churches, especially in Christian youth work, something is seriously wrong.  Spiritual Junk Food is a devastating expose of the shallow content and anti-biblical philosophies that pervade far too much of the curriculum designed by evangelical leaders for their young people.  This book is a much needed wake-up call for parents and youth leaders.

-- John MacArthur
Pastor, Teacher
Grace to You radio

The secular worldviews that have wrecked education and plunged our culture into the confusions of intellectual and moral relativism are now being taught in supposedly conservative churches -- and in their Sunday school curriculum, no less.  This book raises issues that every church must take very seriously, lest its teaching ministry accomplish the opposite of what it’s intended to do.

-- Gene Edward Veith
Author of Post Modern Times
Culture Editor, World Magazine

I am grateful for this excellent book that documents the unbiblical views underlying the educational materials adopted by many evangelical churches to educate their youth. Spiritual Junk Food alerts the church to the danger of using Sunday school and youth group materials predicated on humanistic and "experiential" learning.

-- R. C. Sproul
Founder and Chairman, Ligonier Ministries
Professor of Theology and Apologetics 
Knox Theological Seminary

Books like _Spiritual Junk Food_ take effort and courage to write.  Thank God for those who expend the effort to do the research for the rest of us and who fearlessly present it for the benefit of the Church.  There are not many today who put their reputations on the line to do so.  McKeever and Mickels are two.

Every parent... no, every Christian... should read this book.  Too many are unaware of the onslaught on the church; Spiritual Junk Food will open their eyes.

-- Dr. Jay E. Adams
Noted author and lecturer
Retired Pastor and Seminary Professor
NANC Academy & Board Member

If you don’t believe the thinking of the world has influenced how we do youth work, this book will convince you.  It’s a much needed warning about the influence of popular psychology in curriculum that is supposed to reflect strong Biblical teaching.  Read it, and you’ll find out what’s happening!

-- Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer
Senior Pastor, The Moody Church

"Dumbing down" has become a frightening descriptive phrase for the present generation.  This unique book summarizes the inroads made on the minds of children by the humanistic and secularistic philosophies of the day.  It sounds a much-needed alarm to concerned parents about the watered-down teaching which is being spoon-fed to our boys and girls.  It demands and deserves our immediate response.

-- D. James Kennedy
Senior Minister, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
Chancellor, Knox Theological Seminary
President, Evangelical Explosion International

While I have been working in the Secular Humanist vineyard for years (especially keeping tabs on their worldview in our public education -- K through Grad), there is little doubt that some of their worldview has spilled over to our Christian colleges and churches.  These two fine Christian ladies have taken this subject seriously and are sounding the alarm accordingly.  I endorse their alarm and concerns!

-- David A. Noebel
Author, Understanding the Times
President, Summit Ministries

For the past fifteen years our worldview-testing program has shown a steady downward trend in Biblical understanding by Christian youth.  Test results suggest that even though they attend church, youth are embracing views from other sources.  Thanks to Spiritual Junk Food, we now know the origins for many of these "other sources."  Mickels and McKeever have done a great service to the Christian community by researching and identifying causes for Christian youth embracing Humanistic anti-Christian views.  Parents, read this book and get your kids off "junk food."

-- Dan Smithwick
PEERS Test author
President, Nehemiah Institute

For parents, pastors, and Christian educators, Spiritual Junk Food is essential, indeed irreplaceable, reading.  Mrs. McKeever and Mrs. Mickels reliably document the disasters already wrought, and further portended, by religious education’s embrace of the human-potential movement.

-- W. R. Coulson, Ph.D., Ed.D.
Retired Psychologist

Spiritual Junk Food... is an eye-opening book -- one that should be required reading for Christian parents and educators everywhere.  Spiritual Junk Food provides a great service by detailing how a watered-down, psychologized version of Christianity is being presented to students in place of the real thing.  The yellow brick road of pop Christianity is paved with good intentions, but as Mickels and McKeever point out so convincingly, it leads in the wrong direction.

-- William K. Kilpatrick, Ph.D.
Author of Psychological Seduction and
Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right from Wrong

Spiritual Junk Food ... is a documented but sad story of how pop psychological concepts have infiltrated Christian religion programs for young people.  A kind of feel-good subjective faith is replacing the real thing.  Come on, Christians, after years of this sentimental slop, let’s wake up!

-- Paul Vitz
Professor of Psychology, New York University
Author of Psychology as Religion

Implicit teaching is always the most powerful kind and what is taught implicitly to our children in our churches must be of special concern to us.  Spiritual Junk Food is not a book to enjoy.  It is a wake-up call to Christian parents about the secular assumptions and worldviews being taught, often by implication, in the curricula of many "good" churches.  For the sake of your children, you’ll want to read it again and again.

-- Paul Chamberlain
Associate professor of philosophy
Trinity Western University
Author of Can We Be Good Without God?

© 1999, 2003 by Audrey McKeever & Cathy Mickels.  All rights reserved.  Used with permission.

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