Jack Chick, yeah, the one and only Jack Chick died Sunday. His tracts, a staple of the “you’re-gonna-bust-hell-wide-open-and-fry-like-a-sausage” wing of Protestant, American Christianity, were big and occasionally found in my circles in the 1970s and 1980s. Since he waged holy war on Halloween, a death on that date would have been ironic. The Lord is in charge of beginnings and ends. He worked according to His schedule.
I first laid eyes on one of those Jack Chick tracts in the late 1970s. A few of my seminary classmates favored them. I may run across one these days about once every few years. The tracts were labeled by some “Christian pornography” but I thought they were interesting and reasonably fair, although on the edge and sometimes beyond of what I personally thought to be sensible. Some of his stuff was virulently anti-Catholic. A decade before the first widespread notice of Roman Catholic priests and child sex abuse, I recall a Jack Chick comic tract that was in that neighborhood.
Homosexuals, the affluent, the Masons, evolution, Islam, the occult, sports, Hinduism, Buddhism, Native Americans and others were the subject of his mini-graphic novellas.
There is a spectrum of tracts for those who think them helpful: Four Spiritual Laws, many Billy Graham examples, some very intellectual and sophisticated…and Jack Chick. To be candid, I can picture Bill Bright’s Four Laws tract and Jack Chick’s. Not any of the others.
Southern Baptists come in a fairly wide spectrum as well, and that in many ways – worship style, preaching style, dress, leadership, etc. There are Chick tracts lovers and Chick tract haters among us. I’m grateful that such a wide range of different believers find some common ground to do the Lord’s work together. Speaking of the young SBC whippersnappers, I’m curious how many have never seen a Jack Chick tract.
Jack Chick, 1924-2016. R.I.P.
There was an anti Masonic Lodge crusader or two in one of churches I served in and we’d find those laying around quite often – usually in or near the customary seats of the Masons who
we’re attending our church – it got annoying.
All of the pastoral and 90% of the deacons were at the time taking a principled stand concerning the Lodge but the tracts did not help our cause as they often simply incited people.
I am nearly 40 and saw my first Jack Chick tract at an AWANAS Trunk-or-Treat event in a church we attended when living in far North Texas about 16 years ago. I was scary, I mean it. I checked his stuff out online and agreed with a lot of what he was trying to communicate, but his style was not how I would like to present the gospel; although, I think his style may have reached out to some. I haven’t seen many in circulation in recent years except when purchasing tracts to hand out with candy at Halloween. (I personally don’t purchase his products, but know some people who swear by them as a resource).
It is great that many different ministry partners can come together to reach out with the message of Christ. I am glad that is part of our Baptist heritage.
(And, I am glad Jack Chick participated in the dialogue, if for no other reason, it spurred more conversations from those who didn’t like his tactics. It certainly caused me to spend more than a few hours studying history and reading the scriptures to fact check the info I read the first time I saw one of his tracts).
I use a lot of tracts and think them still effective, at least with some. But I’ve never been inclined to use Chick tracts.
I do believe many have been led to the Lord with his tracts, and thank God for that.
Jack Chick was led to the Lord by Charles E. Fuller (AD 1887-1968), a great evangelist of the mid 1900s. He was very effective on the radio during World War II.
Hear Charles E. Fuller at:
http://biblebelievers.com/OFRH/index.html
David R. Brumbelow
I grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons so I was quite familiar with his Dark Dungeons tract. It did an extremely poor, fear-mongering, satanic panic take on the game and gamers in general. Really, we all got a good laugh out of it. We keep a few of his in our repertoire of tracts in jail ministry. I guess I’m just not much of a tract fan. They have their purposes, but I don’t think anything really substitutes for some one-on-one dialogue. Mr. Chick did leave a huge impression on evangelism, some good, and some bad.
You played Dungeons and Dragons? I feel obliged to edit your name and remove the “former.” I mean, c’mon.
I played D&D as an adult with a group of guys from my church…. 🙂
Good fun…I don’t think we ever accidentally worshiped Satan…though I couldn’t be sure…
I liked BattleTech and ShadowRun better.
Probably gives more insight into me than you needed, Dave.
I remember reading them many times growing up and I still know a local christian book store that keeps a hearty stock of them. As I grew in my faith, I started becoming more uncomfortable in the content and some of the assertions and leanings they made, such as the scare-tactic conversion, anti-music ect, KJV onlyism.
I really do believe that many people were truly saved by tracts, even Chick tracts. Furthermore, I agree with the above posters that while it would not be how I would want the gospel presented, it seems to have opened doors for people to think and have their consciences awoken to spiritual & moral issues.
I’m not a fan of tracts in general, but to be fair, most tracts really only contain biblical formulas for salvation, with a little extra commentary. Yes, they are formulaic, but benign at worst and useful at best. But some Chick tracts contain, I believe, some untruth and conspiracy theories wrapped in a scary little package. I would not recommend their use.
So, I’d ask the brain trust here what the difference is between a Jack Chick ‘fry-like-a-sausage’ tract and, take your pick, any of the church Halloween moneymaking spook houses?
Not much, IMO.
Personally, not a fan of either.
I remember my non-Christian friends in college at UC Santa Barbara in the early 1970s thought that Chick tracts were hilarious, and thought they were as funny as Zap Comics.
While I don’t endorse or use Chick tracts, isn’t there a time to speak plainly about eternity and Hell? Isn’t there a time to present a “scary” but true message?
We can go too far either way, but there should be a balance between feel good, tactful, messages, and the judgment and righteousness of God. A preacher can be so tactful, people don’t understand what he is saying.
The prophets spoke pretty plainly about God’s wrath. So did Jesus Himself.
Another consideration is that perhaps God calls some preachers / evangelists to speak more clearly about sin and judgment. Some people will not listen, until someone gets their attention.
David R. Brumbelow
Sure. Hell ain’t what it used to be in our normal preaching so someone’s got to do the dirty work.
The first Chick tract I ever saw was “This Was Your Life” which I continue to think is a pretty good one. Like many people in our Christian family, he got a bit fixated on non-productive topics which he took to excess. He may be surprised today who he is rubbing elbows with (like the proverbial Church of Christ jokes I have heard before). Indeed RIP John, RIP.
Rob
Yeah, that was not a horrible tract at all.
But some of the other stuff I saw from him was kind of embarrassing.