Zondervan pulls kung fu book; Is it ‘Rickshaw Rally’ revisited?

WASHINGTON (RNS)—Evangelical publisher Zondervan has pulled a leadership book featuring a kung fu theme after Asian-American Christian leaders led an online protest against its imagery.

The book, Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership, and its related curriculum included Asians in ninja garb with the words “character creep” and videos that featured “Caucasians speaking with fake Asian accents,” said Soong-Chan Rah, an associate professor at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago.

“It’s inappropriate to use an ancient culture to simply market the book when it’s not really about martial arts,” Rah said.

He wrote a Nov. 3 open letter to Zondervan and the book’s authors that caught fire on the Internet and prompted criticism from a range of Christian leaders who thought the imagery was offensive.

Zondervan officials held a conference call with Rah and other leaders and determined their concerns were shared “fairly broadly” by others, Zondervan spokesman Jason Vines reported. The publishing company will work with the authors to see if the content, which focused on integrity and other leadership qualities, can be re-released, he said.

“This book’s characterizations and visual representations are offensive to many people despite its otherwise solid message,” said Moe Girkins, Zondervan’s president and CEO, in a statement sent to Rah and other concerned leaders. “There is no need for debate on this subject. We are pulling the book and the curriculum in their current forms from stores permanently.”

Rah was pleased with the decision by Zondervan, calling it a “very bold move,” and said he hopes the content can be released in another form.

In 2003, Rah criticized LifeWay Christian Resources for its “insensitivity” in creating a Vacation Bible School curriculum called “Rickshaw Rally—Racing to the Son.” Some changes were made in those materials, but the Southern Baptist curriculum continued to be used.