Official Review: Megan Basham’s Shepherds For Sale

Megan Basham’s book, Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda has achieved best-seller status and has generated loads of conversation in the Christian world. For good reason, Megan Bahsam’s book has been a commercial success. Still, it is also important not only as a history but as a print form of a docuseries exposing the corruption of Big Eva. To be upfront, I wholeheartedly endorse this book, as someone who has spent years reporting on many of the stories told in the book.

When it comes to books from podcasters I listen to, I often do not read them because I already know the content. But in Shepherds For Sale, there are quite a few things I was impressed to learn.

Biggest criticism

The most glaring weakness in Shepherds For Sale is that Megan Basham falls for the equality vs equity canard. Beginning in the introduction (xxvii) and throughout the book, Basham juxtaposes the liberal pursuit of equity with the notion that upholding equality is good. Growing up, equality was the woke buzzword and conservatives promoted equity. Some time ago this flipped and Megan Basham goes along with the flip.

It’s also worth noting that neither equality of outcome nor equality of opportunity are biblical ideals. Jesus does not hand out equal heavenly rewards to believers or equal punishment to unbelievers. Moreover, people have different availability to hear the gospel, which does not contradict the just nature of God.

Chapters Ranked

I thought the most fun way to review this book would be to rank the chapters, excluding the introduction and conclusion. The conclusion is autobiographical and certainly worth reading. But in order of least to favorite, here is my ranking of the chapters.

8. CHAPTER 6 Critical Race Prophets

This chapter recites a lot of what I already knew, and so, as someone in the game, it was a review.

7. CHAPTER 3 Hijacking the Pro-life Movement

This chapter exposes people like Karen Swallow Prior, but does not tell me what I did not already know after years of pro-life activism in Christian media.

6. CHAPTER 2 Illegal Immigration: Strangers, Neighbors, and Aliens

This chapter reviews the scandal where the Baptist Press lied about the Evangelical Immigration Table being funded by George Soros, exposing how many Evangelical leaders are on the take for amnesty for invaders. It was not new information, but it is important. Eric Metaxes is nuanced for his dabbling into this and subsequent course correction.

5. CHAPTER 4 Christian Media and the Money Men

Evangelical Dark Web was founded in large part in response to the corruption in Christian media. In this, Megan Basham and I share a passion. It was not a whole lot of new information for me, but it exposes Christianity Today the most.

4. CHAPTER 7 #MeToo, #ChurchToo, and an Apocalypse

This chapter goes to war with the MeToo agenda in the church, exposing the lack of integrity the Guidepost Report had during its investigation. Additionally, Charisma Magazine is called out for buying into MeToo hook, line, and sinker over its coverage of the John Crist sexting scandal. Sure what Crist did was wrong, but slutty women shouldn’t be treated as victims by the media, the point that this chapter drives home.

3. CHAPTER 1 Climate Change: Sneaking Past the Watchful Dragons

Gavin Ortlund made this chapter the most controversial, even though this chapter fairly represented his words. This chapter is underrated in my opinion. It tells the story of Cal Beisner who went toe to toe with billionaire dollars and won, preventing Evangelicalism at large from getting subdued by the climate change agenda. But the story of how “love your neighbor” was first misused to market Evangelicals to a liberal cause is worth the price of admission.

2. CHAPTER 5 Gracious Dialogue: How the Government Used Pastors to Spread Covid-19 Propaganda

I am here for exposing the malevolence of Francis Collins. I am even more here for exposing the men who promoted him and held his cloak. The men most exposed in this chapter are Tim Keller, Rick Warren, NT Wright, Russell Moore, and Ed Stetzer.

1. CHAPTER 8 None Dare Call It Sin: LGBTQ in the Church

Evangelical Dark Web is the ministry that has arguably done the most to expose the origins of Side B Theology, and few can compare in their knowledge on this theological threat, and the purveyors thereof. Megan Basham can. She impressed me with her exposure of Tim Keller’s contribution to Side B Theology. She also impressed me by exposing the billionaire behind Matthew Vines. This chapter is perhaps the most relevant going forward.

Conclusion

My endorsement stands as someone with experience in this niche. Megan Basham does an excellent job.