Praise for the first edition of The Gospel according to The Simpsons

“Thoughtful and genuinely entertaining.”

— Publishers Weekly

“A seriously funny examination of the popular TV show.”

— Booklist

“A straight-faced (yet unavoidably amusing) look at the program’s treatment of faith, ethics, and, yes, ‘family values.’”

—Toronto Star

“If you believe in the power of popular culture to teach Christian theology, ethics, and values, then Mark Pinsky’s The Gospel according to The Simpsons needs to be at the top of your reading list.”

—Circuit Rider

“The Simpsons is one of the most subtle pieces of propaganda around in the cause of sense, humility, and virtue. Mark Pinsky manages to decipher the code without deadening the humor, which is quite an achievement.”

—The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

“I’ve never been much of a TV watcher. It’s against my religion, as they used to say. But now Mark Pinsky’s The Gospel according to The Simpsons has made me at least a partial convert. I was blind, but now I see that in The Simpsons anyway, there is goodness galore—intelligence, hilarious writing, insight, telling social criticism and commentary, and plenty of helpful hints for spiritually challenged people like me. Thanks to Pinsky and The Simpsons my conscience has been caught, my train of thought has finally left the station, and I’ve been thoroughly delighted without feeling guilty about it. Now when The Simpsons is on, I’m in the front row. I’ve even learned how to use the remote.”

—Robert L. Short, author of The Gospel According to Peanuts

“This is a brilliant, witty, readable book, which every Simpsons lover will want to read, every parent should read, and every Christian needs to read immediately.”

—Theodore Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission and publisher of Movieguide^™

“Mark Pinksy has written a wonderfully helpful book that every congregational leader ought to read. At one moment, it contains humorous accounts from The Simpsons that will lift the reader’s soul with mirth. At the next, it provides the “aha” that comes from an insightful cultural analysis about the knotty relationship between the American family and popular religion. His book will bring many rich returns.”

—Robert Parham, executive director, Baptist Center for Ethics