07AR12-05

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Apologia Report 12:5

February 1, 2007

Subject: Censoring the Nazi Christians

In this issue:

NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS - no missiologically-trained evangelicals for JWs, Scientology, Christian Science, and Unification Church?

OLD TESTAMENT DIFFICULTIES - Peter Enns' Inspiration and Incarnation: Too controversial, or refreshingly independent?

POLITICS - American Fascists by Chris Hedges says Christian Right resembles the Nazi threat in pre-WWII Germany

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NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS

Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Evangelical Approach, Irving Hexham, Stephen Rost, John W. Morehead II, eds. [1] -- this review (more pro than con) by William Purinton finds that the book "attempts to point apologetics away from the choir and instill an evangelistic view that sees new religious movements as unreached people groups. It is a major turn, indeed, and one that has been waiting since the 1970s when the counter-cult movement among evangelicals was too often viewed through the writings of Walter Martin and the controversial deprogramming exploits of Ted Patrick. As stated in the introduction, this books's purpose is 'to bridge the gap between the disciplines of apologetics and contextual missiology.' ...

"After the introduction, the book consists of three parts.... The shortest part [Biblical & Historical Perspectives] is the first ... a foundation is laid, but it lacks sufficient depth and breadth. ...

"Part 2, Methodological Issues, in my view, is the best of the three parts." It includes "History of Religion and Missiology: Complementary Methodologies" by Terry Muck. In addition, "Irving Hexham and Karla Poewe-Hexham add a global view of new religious movements, helping to broaden the perspective of the book.

"The third part is the longest, taking up half of the book. It puts the methodology into action, by visiting various ministries and their outreach to new religious movements. Included among the targeted groups are Latter-day Saints, Christadelphians, New Spirituality, Wiccans, Satanists, and aromatherapists. [The last of which seems out of place. - Ed.] One question that a reader might have is, why only these groups? Most discussions of apologetics or mission to new religious movements in the Western world would include Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientology, Christian Science, and the Unification Church. The book's answer is that there are no missiologically-trained evangelicals who have sufficient field experience to write those chapters." Trinity Journal, 27:2 - 2006, pp349-350.

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OLD TESTAMENT DIFFICULTIES

Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, by Peter Enns [2] -- as reviewer Joshua Lickter explains, "For years, the church has had many different ways in which they answered [seeming contradictions in the Bible]. Yet as biblical scholarship advanced (or regressed, depending on who you ask), and new archeological and textual findings emerged concerning the Ancient Near Eastern cultural context in which the Bible was written, many of the traditional answers no longer carry as much intellectual weight as they once did. Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament is Peter Enns' ambitious attempt to help evangelicals deal with these very real questions, in light of modern scholarship, while at the same time holding true to a traditional - and, more specifically, a Reformed - view of the Scriptures. Enns, a professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, raises some very difficult questions and answers them in ways that will no doubt make some uneasy. Regardless, he manages to successfully reconcile traditional views on inspiration with modern biblical scholarship in a manner that is most helpful for the pastor or inquisitive layperson. ...

"Enns identifies three main themes that modern scholarship has given us that threaten the traditional view of the inspiration of Scripture: the similarities between the Old Testament and other literature from the ancient world, theological diversity (think 'contradictions') in the Old Testament, and the way in which the New Testament writers handle the Old Testament. The first issue deals with the Bible's uniqueness, the second issue deals with its integrity, and the third deals with its interpretation."

Licter notes that "the Old Testament is not much different in form or style than other Ancient Near Eastern religious books. In fact, in some ways it is identical. ... [A]s Enns puts it, 'that the Bible bears an unmistakable human stamp does not lead to the necessary conclusion that it is merely the words of humans, rather than the word of God.' ...

"Concerning theological diversity in the Old Testament, [Enns] brings up many examples of seeming contradictions in meaning. ...

"Perhaps the most difficult part of the book encompasses Enns' handling of how the New Testament writers interpreted the Old Testament. ...

"Enns ... makes the bold statement that many of the New Testament authors take Old Testament passages out of context in order to use them to communicate some things about Christ. ...

"Inspiration and Incarnation is a very well-written book that doesn't require a theological degree to get through. Enns tackles some very difficult questions concerning the Bible and goes where few conservatives these days wouldn't fear to tread. Undoubtedly, many of his conetemporaries, even from within his own theological ranks, will take issue with his conclusions and methods. ...

"Enns points out how, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the biblical writers incorporated elements from the surrounding culture into the Scriptures, but he also emphasizes that this in no way takes away from biblical inspiration. ...

"Some may argue that his book is proof of Peter Enns' descent into liberalism, but I would heartily disagree. ... He asks honest questions that need to be asked and provides a great resource for those who are the recipients of such questions from inquiring congregants." Acts 3 Review, 15:1 - 2006, pp173-185.

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POLITICS

American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, by Chris Hedges [3] -- we had planned to skip reporting this in reaction to the book's sensationalism, but the media attention that Hedges has started to receive has helped to change our mind.

It may be difficult to find a more significant non-conservative voice reviewing this book than that of Jon Wiener, a history prof at the University of California, Irvine. Who are the fascists identified by Hedges? Answer: Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, the folks at Trinity Broadcasting Network, D. James Kennedy, and James Dobson, to name a few. Who is Hedges? Wiener explains: "Hedges is not your average secular humanist. He knows his Bible. He's the son of a Presbyterian minister and a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. He's also a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent for the New York Times who has reported from more than 50 countries over the last 20 years."

Wiener tells us that "Hedges carefully distinguishes [the] strand of Protestant Christian evangelicalism, known as 'dominionism,' from traditional fundamentalism, which 'has not tried to transform government ... into an extension of the church.'" What Hedges fears is the prospect that, in the near future, the Christian right "could be 'calling for the punishment, detention and quarantining of gays and lesbians - as well as abortionists, Muslims and other non-believers.' Thus, Hedges concludes, the United States today faces an internal threat analogous to that posed by the Nazis in Weimar Germany.

"There are problems with this analogy. First, democracy in America is much stronger than it was in Weimar Germany in 1933. Nor is the Christian right as widespread or powerful as Hedges suggests. ... A 2004 survey for Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly on PBS found that a majority of evangelicals have an unfavorable view of Falwell and that a significant minority of them are more concerned about jobs and the economy than about abortion and gay marriage."

Wiener concludes that Hedges' approach to the issues raised in his book shows that "he rejects the 1st Amendment protections for freedom of speech and religion, and court rulings that permit prosecution for speech only if there is an imminent threat to particular individuals." For Wiener, the best response is a better argument, not the censorship that Hedges advocates. Los Angeles Times Book Review, Jan 7 '07, pR2.

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Sources, Monographs:

1 - Encountering New Religious Movements: A Holistic Evangelical Approach, Irving Hexham, Stephen Rost, John W. Morehead II, eds. (Kregel, 2004, paperback, 352 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0825428939/apologiareport>

2 - Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, by Peter Enns (Baker, 2005, paperback, 208 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0801027306/apologiareport>

3 - American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, by Chris Hedges (Free Press, 2007, hardcover, 272 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743284437/apologiareport>

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