Word. A short stroll from campus is the Christian bookstore at 240 Nassau Street. It is conveniently located by the Ivy Garden and Thai Village, though the recent name change from Wilson's Books to Wilson House is significant, as you will find enough refreshment – both physical and spiritual – inside the coffee house-cum-bookstore-cum-home. The porch is good for scoffing a hoagie if you're a real heathen.
Lounging on some impossibly comfortable sofas amidst a tasteful décor of chrome and leather, Jared Lee tells me all about the place. Wilson House is owned by anonymous benefactors and a group of volunteers keeps the nonprofit organization running, providing a wide selection of discounted books from daily living guides (self-help manuals) to JRR Tolkein and, of course, a veritable cornucopia of Bibles.
"The more conservative Christians who come in the store tell us Barnes & Noble and other large competitors don't have the extensive collection of books we offer," Lee says.
This broad range of books is aimed at Princeton students, especially seminarists and those on fellowships, as well as the community at large.
Wilson House is much more than a bookstore. Events are held weekly and generally fall into three categories — arts and crafts, live music and theological seminars.
Just last week you could have been glutting on free smoothies whilst bopping along to a live band.
In fact, one notable thing about Wilson House is the absence of the oppressively cloistral silence traditionally associated with bookstores.
In the coffee shop area you can listen to music and even browse a selection of Christian artists such as Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Delirious.
It's all Greek Orthodox to me, but Jared reveals that one of his favourite artists is Matt Redman. He is not averse to the (Buddhists?) Coldplay. Jared mentions praise and worship CDs that seem to be very popular in the store — "it's sung directly to God, like serenading."
Christian music spans the established genres from country to heavy metal and even hip-hop. As I mentally picture Ma$e and Al Sharpton sharing a microphone, Jared quickly clarifies, "the musical genre shouldn't necessarily determine the lyrics or subject matter." Fair enough; though I can only see outrage were Eminem to skit on some hymnal riffs.
Jared is eager to impress on Princeton students that fun events do not have to be constrained to Prospect Avenue, and people should lead by example by participating in events and communities that places like Wilson House offer.
"One out of 100 people read the Bible; 99 read the Christian," he says, quoting D L Moody. He is no preacher of complete abstinence, but my suggestion that mass wouldn't be quite so interesting were it not for the consecrated wine meets with an uncomfortably polite laugh.
I wander around the video section of the store, which turns up some golden oldies — "Chariots of Fire" and the "The Chronicles of Narnia." I reach for "Joan of Arc," but sadly it isn't the one starring the delightful Milla Jovovich.
After some deliberation I walk out with "Bass Guitar for Dummies" and the intriguing "Wow Gospel 2003."
For the interested reader, www.wilsons-books.com provides more details about the bookstore and offers the opportunity to sign up for email reminders about upcoming events.
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