Well, it has come to this. I am having a going out of business sale. You might wonder what my “business” is, since I am academic and a minister. My business is ideas, presented truly and rationally and wisely. At least has been my aim.
But I came up with a way to retire, enrich myself, and bless the entire world in so doing. Stories of preachers selling their sermons have inspired me, as has a web page that copped without attribution much of Unmasking the New Age (my first book). I am offering to all of you all of my outlines, sermons, books, articles, and anything else of mine in print or recorded—for a price, of course. Why continue to fight the consumer ethos when it is everywhere?
Any curmudgeonly insights over nearly three decades of lecturing, preaching, writing, debating, and general muck-raking can be your’s for the paying! (I have repented of freely giving as I have freely received—what an outmoded concept!) And you need not worry about attribution, of course. (Most people misspell my last name anyway.) The celebrated “death of the author” means the rebirth of the plagiarist, but without all those nasty connotations associated with that modernist-infected word. No longer is one a “plagiarist” but a media-savvy amalgamator.
Of course, the idea of mass-marketing curmudgeonly insights may strike one as strange as Jeremiah preaching in the Crystal Cathedral; but, hey, it’s worth a shot. Maybe an enterprising plagiarist—oops, I mean amalgamator—could mix and match Groothuis with Rick Warren or Groothuis with Ed Young. Talk about an incoherent postmodern pastiche-- just like television. It could happen. It could work.
Those antiquated, antique principles about the integrity of authorship, studiousness (putting your own time into the ideas you express), and proper attribution can go the way of the dodo bird, I say. Now everything is flexible, fungible, elastic, and fantastic! It’s a revolution.
Curmudgeon for sale!
This is an enjoyable post, dr. Groothuis. You know what? Not too long ago I found a series of lectures on apologetics delivered by you in 2004. I listened to them for free. And as a matter of fact they have revolutionized my thinking. I'm in the process of absorbing the information and incorporating it into my own worldview and my interaction with other people. If one would visit my blog or listen in on one of my conversations or biblestudies multiple references to you or quotes from your lectures could be heard. I try to credit you, sometimes forget it ;-)
ReplyDeleteIn any case, thank you so much. It's having a major impact on me much like Schaeffer's books did quite a few years ago. I'm willing to pay, esp. since the stuff is on sale. But seriously, please do realize that what you have taught in those lectures is very important for me.
In the case of me quoting or otherwise referring to your lectures, essays or books, the good thing is that I not only spell your name right but even know how to pronounce it. I'm Dutch you see.
Dear Yossman:
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you cannot pronounce my Dutch last name better than I can, since I don't know Dutch.
Thank you for your comments. Not all the apologetics lectures from that class are available on the page. I'd like to get the rest up, but I need to find the person who did it and ask him about it. If anyone knows who it is, please let me know. He was as student of mine in 2004.
May God bless your walk with Christ and ministry.
Don't go out of business just yet, dr. Groohuis. There's enough new work to be done as the 'testimony' behind this link will show you:
ReplyDeletehttp://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2006/09/exapologists-de-conversion-story.html
- And thanks for your reply!
Jos de Keijzer
Copyright is generally enforced by the individual holding the copyright, though gross violations may run afoul of criminal law under the Millennium Copyright Act.
ReplyDeleteHave you considered legal action against those who appropriated your work without your permission?