Let’s review:
In Part 1 Naysaying and the Naysaying Naysayers Who Naysay we looked at the practice of naysaying and second-hand naysaying and examined how it works
In Part 2 The “Anti-Book” we looked at the “anti-book”, which is a scrapbook of sorts that claims to be authoritative on all matters relating to the one(s) who have been issued “nay” status.
In Part 3 I offer the following advice for dealing with widely naysayed materials:
1. Go ahead: read the scout’s report
If it’s a report from a scout you trust, by all means take his advice. A trusted scout is one whose reviews you usually agree with after having read the same books yourself. You may both be completely out to lunch of course, but at least you know you think the same way and will probably process future books in a similar way.
2. Seek balance
Read at least one positive review of the naysayed book, especially if you can find one from an unexpected source. An unexpected source is someone who usually falls in line with the naysay posse but occasionally breaks away.
3. Don’t pretend
Go ahead and warn others off of reading the book if you’ve chosen not to read it based on a trusted scout’s report. But make sure you point them to a review by someone who’s actually read the book – DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE BOOK AS IF YOU’VE READ IT YOURSELF. This is dishonest and misleading.
4. Obey the rules of context
You may quote passages from the book if you have at least read the entire chapter from which the quote is taken.
5. Never, never, never publish an anti-book
If you have that much time on your hands, spend it telling people what you’re for, not what you’re against.
6. Don’t be a sycophant
No one, regardless of his status among those you trust, is infallible. Absolute trust in any man leads very quickly to cultish devotion. And that goes for Piperettes* as much as McLarenites**.
* A Piperette is someone who puts more faith in John Piper than in Jesus Christ
** A McLarenite is someone who puts more faith in Brian McLaren than in Jesus Christ
