Oh boy… C.J. Mahaney has a new book! Except that it’s not, really.

Living the Cross-Centered Life is a soon-to-be-released offering from Multnomah, but it’s essentially a repackaging of The Cross-Centered Life and Christ Our Mediator, two books by C.J. which are worth their weight in gold (judging by the SRP, that is).

Don’t get me wrong, those two books are good… but why on earth should I spend $10 on a 6.5-by-5-inch book whose 96-page thickness is doubled by the cover? Just take a look at the new collection: it’s the exact same price as one of the original titles. (Even at that, though, is $9.99 really affordable for a 176-page reprint?)

It’s disappointing, because I’d really like to recommend these books this book. Vital message or no, however, it’s too much money for too little material.

My recommendation: if you’ve got ten bucks burning a hole in your pocket and you want to be “cross centered,” give a stranger an Outreach Edition ESV Bible and a meal at McDonald’s.

(Note: If you look at my job, you’ll probably consider me a hypocrite. My problem with “collectibles,” though, is primarily when the Gospel is turned into one.)