06AR11-02
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Apologia Report 11:2
January 12, 2006
Subject: Harvest House Publishers wins case against Local Church
In this issue:
CHURCH HISTORY - how reinterpretations of Christian history have penetrated popular culture
HOMOSEXUALITY - debunking the social-biblical myths of the religious gay community
LIVING STREAM/LOCAL CHURCH - landmark decision in closely watched libel case against Harvest House Publishers
RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY - recognizing and responding to dangerous counselors and pastors
THEOLOGY, GENERAL - "the most comprehensive overview of Asian Christian theologies in any one venue"
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CHURCH HISTORY
"God's Word or Male Words? Postmodern Conspiracy Culture and Feminist Myths of Christian Origins" by David R. Liefeld -- opens with a reference to the misinformed idea that the early Church suppressed belief in reincarnation. Liefeld ties this to his theme regarding conspiratorial views of early Church history. He is concerned with "the extent to which anti-authoritarian, often feminist, reinterpretations of Christian history have penetrated popular culture." Throughout his essay, Liefeld refers to The Da Vinci Code [1] as a prime example of this widespread problem.
Liefeld discusses various myths which retell Christian origins. In his discussion he finds fault with the Jesus Seminar, Burton Mack, Joseph Campbell, and certain responses to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Radical feminist scholarship receives significant attention from Liefeld. "A major focus of the feminist attack is the biblical canon," he reports. (He considers Elaine Pagels on this point in his conclusion.) "Feminists are aware of difficulties with conspiracy theories and typically disavow them. Yet, the language of patriarchy is inherently conspiratorial."
Another section of Liefeld's presentation addresses "historical fiction and fictional history." Here he discusses the feminist view of Mary Magdalene by Mary Rose D'Angelo and others. He then notes that "Perhaps the most sophisticated purveyor of historical conspiracy fiction has been Umberto Eco, Professor of Semiotics at the University of Bologna."
Liefeld moves on to a discussion of "postmodern conspiracy culture." He finds that "While nearly all of the recent claims about Jesus and the early Church have been made in popular novels since the nineteenth century, what is new is the postmodern culture into which they have been dispatched." Liefeld observes that "The epitome of our American conspiracy culture was the television program The X-Files, a show often popular with the educated. According to [Peter] Knight [2], The X-Files focused on the viewer's inability to know anything about life with certainty."
The substance behind "Reality" TV programming and similar novels which purport to disclose "how the world really is" comes under Liefeld's scrutiny. He finds that "The novels of Robert Ludlum are proto-typical." A footnote reveals that Ludlum is among Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown's "favorite writers." In his conclusion, Liefeld explains that "The current religious conspiracy novels build upon the legacy of earlier works, such as Irving Wallace's The Word [3], which portrayed the creation of a fictional gospel, Hugh Schonfield's The Passover Plot [4], and Jesus Christ Superstar [5]." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 48:3 - 2005, pp449-473.
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HOMOSEXUALITY
"Facts & Fictions about Homosexuality: Debunking the Social-Biblical Myths of the Religious Gay Community" by Linda L. Belleville -- from this issue's introduction: "Many Evangelicals feel desperate because of pro-gay activism's gains in the broader sphere, a point Belleville highlights. In view of such gains, they fear that claiming that change is possible or that same-sex unions are wrong will eventually wear the label of 'hate crimes.' Some gay activists even claim to be Evangelical, such as those associated with Evangelicals Concerned [ecinc.org], and, according to Belleville, argue that the Bible says nothing against homosexuality; it speaks only of God's grace and love. Belleville exhorts Evangelicals to 'equip themselves with the facts regarding homosexuality' sociologically and biblically, contending that change is possible, that the Bible does speak against homosexual behavior, and that Evangelicals must respond to the person struggling with homosexuality in grace and love."
Belleville begins by lamenting that the homosexual movement's "thirty-three year-old agenda [is] largely unknown to the average person in the pew." She reviews the political success of gay-activist efforts and their impact on American society, the mental health profession, and the church.
She presents the history behind the myth that homosexuality is rooted in genetic predisposition, explaining that "of all the myths that need debunking today, this one poses the greatest and most urgent challenge for evangelicals." She addresses both "Evangelical fictions" and "pro-gay fictions," giving most of her attention to the latter. Cultural Encounters, 2:1 - 2005, pp65-86.
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LIVING STREAM/LOCAL CHURCH
"Appellate Court Rules in Favor of Harvest House and Its Authors, John Ankerberg and John Weldon" -- a corporate statement released January 6 by the publisher which reads, in part:
"On January 5, 2006, the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas issued an opinion in favor of Harvest House Publishers and authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon, dismissing a $136 million libel lawsuit that The Local Church and its publishing arm, Living Stream Ministry, had filed in December 2001 in relation to the book Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions [6]. ...
"The Appellate Court's decision, written by Chief Justice Sherry Radack, ruled that 'the allegedly libel[ous] statements are not defamatory, as a matter of law,' and, 'We reverse the judgment of the trial court and render judgment that the [Local] church take nothing from the publisher and authors.'...
"In their suit, The Local Church claimed that the Encyclopedia accused their group of criminal and immoral conduct. However, Harvest House and the authors have contended all along that the book does not and never intended to attribute such activity to The Local Church.
Rather, the authors included the 1-page chapter on the Local Church's teachings in the Encyclopedia based on the book's definition of a religious cult: 'a separate religious group generally claiming compatibility with Christianity but whose doctrines contradict those of historic Christianity....'
"John Ankerberg and John Weldon, in a joint statement, said, 'We are thankful that the Court saw the issues with great clarity and ruled accordingly, because throughout the case, The Local Church has persistently accused us of making horrendous charges against them and have misrepresented the contents of the Encyclopedia.' ... The authors continued, 'Though The Local Church clearly desires acceptance within evangelical Christianity, suing those who critique their teachings is not the way to gain it, but rather, dealing with the unorthodox teachings that exist in their publications.' ...
"Bob Hawkins, Jr., president of Harvest House Publishers, adds, 'We hope this ruling will encourage other authors, publishers, and broadcasters to stand strong in their convictions and to continue engaging in responsible dialogue concerning controversial topics without fear of intimidating lawsuits.'"
<http://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/statement3.cfm>
The text of the full decision can be read here:
<http://www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/ HTMLOpinion.asp?OpinionID=82536>
Also see <http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6298587.html>
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RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY
"Spiritual Abuse: The Yeast of the Pharisees" by Edward J. Cumella -- from the contents page summary: "Dangerous counselors and pastors are, in many ways, worse than dangerous clients because we are supposed to exhibit all the safety and helping qualities that are the opposite of abuse. Recognizing and responding to dangerous helpers is the stuff of this article."
Cumella notes that "... [A]t its most severe, a spiritually abusive church is a cult. It has so diverged from solid biblical teaching and grown so warped in the authoritarian rule of one man, that it has become a place of idolatry where God is no longer worshiped." He finds that spiritual abuse can be recognized by any one or more of 12 features, each of which he briefly explains: authoritarianism, coercion, intimidation, terrorism, condemnation, classism, conformity, manipulation, irrationality, legalism, isolation, elitism, and ensnarement. Cumella then outlines how to assess and treat religious abuse. He ends with a bibliography of ten books. Christian Counseling Today, 13:1 - 2005, pp34-37.
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THEOLOGY, GENERAL
Asian Christian Theologies: A Research Guide to Authors, Movements, Sources; John C. England, Janice Wickeri, David Suh Kwang-Sun, John Mansford Prior, Lily A. Quintos, and Jose Kuttianimattathil, eds. [7] -- reviewer Amos Young reports that "The 2200+ pages of this three-volume set represent the most comprehensive overview of Asian Christian theologies in any one venue."
Young explains its structure: "As a research guide, most chapters are divided into several basic sections beginning with a detailed table of contents to the chapter and brief historical overviews of the national history and the history of Christianity in that country or region. This is followed, usually, by a sketch of theological reflection in that country, including historical developments, theological styles, and the roles of women theologians and laypersons. The largest part of each chapter identifies prominent male and female theologians by name, sketching their major contributions, and providing a select bibliography of primary and secondary sources related to this person's ideas. ... The concluding sections usually highlight distinctive themes, trends, movements, study centres, and scholarly journals produced in the country under consideration. Each section of each chapter includes a fairly developed (often annotated) bibliography (leading to some overlap), most of the time of materials published no later than the year 2000."
Examples of categorical distinctions include: "Indian theologies have had to deal with the long history of religious pluralism of the Indian subcontinent; Burmese theologies have been influenced by the pervasiveness of folk Buddhism; ... Thai theologies can be better understood when seen as apologetic efforts against the Theravada Buddhist tradition; Vietnamese theologies have responded to the Confucian-Buddhist synthesis and the recent history of Communism; Chinese theologies have been more creation-centered, perhaps under the influence of the Confucian Daoist worldview....
"...[T]his is a research guide to more liberal versions of Asian Christian theological thinking since liberal-conservative dichotomy is a western construct which may be forced when applied to the diversity of Asian contexts. But it is surely the case that there are few recognizably 'evangelical' voices throughout these volumes." Evangelical Review of Theology, 29:4 - 2005, pp372-374.
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Sources, Monographs:
1 - The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown (Doubleday, 2003, hardcover, 454 pages)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385504209/apologiareport>
2 - Conspiracy Culture: From Kennedy to 'The X-Files', by Peter Knight (Routledge, 2001, hardcover, 304 pages)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415189780/apologiareport>
3 - The Word, by Irving Wallace (Forge, 2004, paperback, 624 pages)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0765351129/apologiareport>
4 - The Passover Plot: A New Interpretation of the Life and Death of Jesus, by Hugh Schonfield (Disinformation Co., 2005, paperback, 40th Annv ed., 288 pages)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1932857095/apologiareport>
5 - Jesus Christ Superstar (Universal Pictures, 1973, directed by Norman Jewison, staring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, and Bob Bingham, rated G, 1 DVD disk)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00028HBIO/apologiareport>
6 - Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, by John Ankerberg and John Weldon (Harvest House, 1999, paperback, 731 pages)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0736900748/apologiareport>
7 - Asian Christian Theologies: A Research Guide to Authors, Movements, Sources; John C. England, Janice Wickeri, David Suh Kwang-Sun, John Mansford Prior, Lily A. Quintos, and Jose Kuttianimattathil, eds. (Orbis, 2004, hardcover, 3 vol's, 2200 pages)
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570754845/apologiareport>
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