Skip to content ↓

The Discerning Reader

NOTE: Discerning Readership is now under new ownership (and I just happen to be the owner). The information below is now obsolete as the former owners no longer have anything to do with the site.

The Discerning Reader was once considered the best place on the internet to buy Reformed literature. Almost all the books they stocked were solid and they really showed good judgment in what they did and did not sell. Recently, though, complaints against the store have begun to add up. There are three very serious complaints registered with the Bad Business Bureau that you can read here. There is a consistent theme with the complaints:

  • “I wanted to cancel backordered items, like other customers. They responded by calling me “unchristian”, a “jerk” and worse expletives.”
  • “[The] owner and operator of DR, phoned me at home to verbally abuse me. He told me that I was a horrible person, terrible Christian, etc. When I politely tried to reply, he bullingly shouted over me so that I could not be heard. Then he said, “Go [expletive] yourself…” I hung up.”
  • “DR’s owner replied to my email immediately (suddenly I have no problem getting responses from them), to reinforce his own confidence in “where my life is ultimately headed” (if you get my drift). Again, much more blunt terms were used by him, and I was told that I needed to get my life on track.”

Phil Johnson (John MacArthur’s right-hand man) has documented much of this and writes “as we have sought to understand and make sense of the changes taking place on the various Discerning Reader-sponsored Web sites, we have more than once been on the receiving end of some choice but unprintable expletives from Mr. Schlapfer.”

Beyond the alleged abusive language and poor service, The Discerning Reader has also changed its theological stance. It no longer focuses on Reformed literature but has fully embraced postmodernism, even writing an article entitled The Dangerous Pursuit of Reformed Theology.

One alternative, other than Amazon, are Monergism Books. And as I indicated yesterday, Read ‘N Reap seeks to stock only solid books.

Consider this a public service announcement.


  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 14)

    A La Carte: Distorted doctrine destroys lives / Making sense of bad things / Be the Jonathan / A bridegroom of blood / Administrative sludge / Musical elements / Kindle deals / and more.

  • Prayer

    Spread Too Thin

    With so much to do, we can easily begin to wonder whether prayer is an appropriate use of scarce time. Wouldn’t it be better to give my attention to something that would let me cross something off my to-do list?

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    Weekend A La Carte (July 12)

    A La Carte: Where art thou Rob Bell? / The case against in vitro fertilization / Praying and weeping for those suffering in Texas / Greet each other with a holy hug / The example of Jimmy Swaggart / and more.

  • Thriving Marriage

    Thriving Marriage

    I have often wondered about the best time to write a book about marriage. When a couple is young, there is so much about marriage they have not yet experienced. They can still impart wisdom and teach lessons, of course, but there is so much of marriage that remains unknown to them. Yet when a…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 11)

    A La Carte: Falling out of repentance / Tattoos as confession / The Epstein List and secret sins / Teaching generosity / Lessons from a former youth pastor / Bedbugs in the bowels of the city.

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (July 10)

    A La Carte: Questions for a maturing marriage / The lesbian seagulls that weren’t / But mommy, why? / A time to be tired / The modern rise of Stoicism / and more.