Currents Shaping Our World: The Purpose-Driven BestSeller

Rick Warren is the new guru of advice givers, right up there with Dr. Phil and Oprah's latest weight trainer. But there's not much really new about Warren's advice, except its sudden popularity.

Purpose-Driven Life reached number one for several weeks, after six months on the New York Times advice best-seller list. The devotion guide teaches ancient truths, the five purposes of the church—worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and service—and applies them to the life of the believer. The book is divided into 40 short chapters, each with a 15-minute reading and a Bible verse to memorize.

The genius of the book may be in its subtitle: "What on Earth am I here for?" Warren calls PDL "the anti-self-help book."

The book has sold 4.5 million copies so far. Warren's readers include President and Mrs. Bush, presidential advisers Karl Rove and Karen Hughes, the chaplain of NASCAR, and golfers on the LPGA, according to USA Today.

Warren's book is the basis for a 40-day group study, tested first at his Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California, two years ago. Since the study went nationwide, more than one million people have participated in the campaign. This October, another one million will participate in 2,600 churches, beginning with the satellite-delivered rallies that kick off the event.

We asked visitors to our website if they've read Purpose Driven Life. More than half said yes:

Trendex

» Tithing is down in the U.S. from 8% of households in 2001 to 3% in 2002, says researcher George Barna. Tithing rose prior to 9/11. Among born-again adults, 14% said they tithed in 2001, but only 6% claimed to in 2002. Terrorists, priest scandals, and soft economy are blamed.

—Barna Research Group (June 2003)

» Some give money, some time, some both, survey shows:

Actives: time/money, 39% of U.S. population, more women, better educated, 30% non-white.

Sponsors: 25% give money only, half in urban areas, one-third college degreed, largest percentage of whites and marrieds.

Advocates: 8% give time only, more women, single, poor.

Inactives: 28% give neither time nor money, one-third are single, lowest income and education levels.

—American Demographics (January 2003)

» Black pastor pays whites to attend. Fred Caldwell in Shreveport, Louisiana, offered white people money to attend his mostly African-American church in August: $5 for Sunday, $10 for the mid-week service. "Our churches are too segregated," he said. "I just want the kingdom of God to look like it's supposed to." Thirty attended the first week, and most refused the money.

—The Times (8/4/03)