RDA Readying New Rick Warren Magazine

Rick Warren is moonlighting again. Fresh off interviewing Barack Obama and John McCain at a presidential forum, the popular evangelical pastor is in talks with Reader's Digest Association to launch a magazine inspired by his book The Purpose-Driven Life.

According to sources familiar with the details, RDA will publish the first test-issue of the magazine, whose working title is Purpose, as early as this fall. Joe Treen, a former editor at People and Discover, will edit it.

Asked about the launch, Treen said, "I'm not allowed to talk about it," and referred the call to Frank Lalli, editor in chief for international editions of Reader's Digest, who hasn't responded to a message. Last week, a spokesman for RDA told me, "There are always things under discussion, [but] we don't have any such project either about about to happen or about to be announced."

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Warren had this to say: "If such a project were to happen, we would know about it, but can't confirm anything of that nature at this time."

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No, that's not the real cover. Illustration by Sean Driscoll.