The blogosphere has been blowing up this week with posts and comments flying left and right regarding a new book from Zondervan Publishers called Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life & Leadership. The book, which was co-authored by Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, has provoked the ire of Asian American Christian leaders (as well as others who identify with their pain) offended by the book’s uninformed use of Asian imagery and stereotypes, as well as a promotional video for the book posted at Facebook.
The book is clearly meant as a fun exploration of integrity and leadership, and it has been praised by many for its insight and humor. But it appears the authors have unintentionally stumbled onto some treacherous terrain that they did not know existed.
Check out my personal blog post here for an extended commentary on this episode, along with links to several other blog posts. Then let us know what you think. Are the protesters overreacting, or is this the kind of unpleasant interaction that needs to happen before we can move on toward true understanding across cultural lines?