07AR12-40

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Apologia Report 12:40

October 30, 2007

Subject: Why Muslims become Christians

In this issue:

ATHEISM - new religious movements journal lauds Alister McGrath

ISLAM - results of a recent survey of converts from Islam to Christianity

MORMONISM - holding back on discussing LDS faith, Newsweek concludes Mitt Romney is a man with "no history, and, as a result, no heart"

NEW AGE MOVEMENT - compendium of recent books identifies Neo-Pagan bestsellers

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ATHEISM

The Twilight of Atheism, by Alister McGrath [1] -- perhaps more significant than the review itself is the fact that it is published by a somewhat obscure secular British academic source that is typically uncritical of the new religious movements which it studies. Reviewer Mike King begins: "The Twilight of Atheism is readable, informative, well researched and culturally aware, meaning that McGrath knows well that ideas reach into society through the popular culture of their time. His book is divided into two halves: the first rehearsing the well-known trajectory of atheism in the West, with its breakthrough in the eighteenth century, and the second its apparent collapse as a meaningful worldview by the turn of the twenty-fist century. [Ironically, nothing is said of atheism's popular renaissance in the past few years. - RP] McGrath does much more in the first half than repeat a history of atheism that could be found elsewhere, for example in James Thrower's excellent Western Atheism: A Short History [2]. McGrath shows the radical excitement of its early days, its maturity as a cultural force, and its vital role in the fight against religious repression. Another book that is useful for triangulating on McGrath's account is Susan Jacoby's Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism [3].

"In the British context, we should not associate McGrath with the religious right, and we must understand the position from which he writes: he is a committed Christian and professor of historical theology at Oxford. But the re-election of George Bush changed the whole equation in which we study Alternative and New Age Spiritualities. Why? Because secularism, as the ground from which to choose a personal spirituality - whether new or traditional - now looks unsure of itself. Even a short time ago, the breaking down of the secular prejudice against spirituality was a cause for celebration, but perhaps we now have to pay more attention to what is so important - and hard-won - in secularism: freedom from the grand narrative of a single religion. Hence we read McGrath with pleasure (not just because he writes well) when he shows that Voltaire was quite ready to denounce the crimes of the Church and to promote an Enlightenment of religious freedom, while not falling into the trap of reductionist materialism. ... We can't grudge to a Christian the sense that their world is no longer marginalised in mainstream culture, but the argument for spiritual pluralism has suddenly got harder, and more urgent. ...

"In fact, McGrath makes it clear in chapter seven that as a young man he was an atheist, saying, 'I write this book as a wounded yet still respectful lover of the great revolt against God.' He had been swayed by the positivist philosopher A.J. Ayer, and convinced by the social justice of Marxism, that 'religion was the source of all humanity's ills.' However, at Oxford he experienced a journey to God not unlike that of C.S. Lewis, though McGrath has retained a clear picture of the appeal that atheism used to have for him. Hence we find in the book a genuine respect for the idea of atheism, and a careful and balanced history of its development (going back to the ancient Greeks), and a thoughtful consideration of its principal modern architects: Marx, Darwin and Freud.

"It is in the chapter on Postmodernity that McGrath shows his instinct that religion and spirituality are much more a matter for culture than philosophy, demonstrating that modernity and postmodernity live as cultural 'moods.' It is the cultural mood of postmodernity in particular that reduces the stridency of atheism, and allows for the resurgence of religion. It is here that I see the key arguments developing in the coming period, all involving 'post' terminology: 'postmodern,' 'postatheist,' and 'postsecular.' Postmodernity is a recognised phenomenon, taught in our universities and even alluded to by politicians and in chat shows." Journal of Alternative Spiritualities and New Age Studies, 3:1 - 2007, <http://tinyurl.com/3bk8wv>

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ISLAM

"Why Muslims Follow Jesus" by J. Dudley Woodberry, Russell G. Shubin, and G. Marks -- "Between 1991 and 2007, about 750 Muslims who have decided to follow Christ filled out an extensive questionnaire.... The respondents - from 30 countries and 50 ethnic groups - represent every major region of the Muslim world. (Copies of the questionnaire are available from dudley@fuller.edu.) The participants ranked the relative importance of different influences and whether they occurred before, at the time of, or after their decision to follow Christ. While the survey, prepared at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Intercultural Studies, does not claim scientific precision, it provides a glimpse into some of the key means the Spirit of God is using to open Muslim hearts to the gospel.

"First, we can look at the experiences that most influenced Muslims. For example, respondents ranked the lifestyle of Christians as the most important influence in their decision to follow Christ." Other factors (in order of their significance) were: 2) the power of God in answered prayers and healing, and deliverance from demonic power; 3) dissatisfaction with the type of Islam they had experienced; and 4) the spiritual truth in the Bible. "It helps to note that a third of the 750-person sample were folk Muslims, with a characteristic concern for power and blessings." Christianity Today,ÊOct '07, pp80-85. <http://tinyurl.com/2z3l9k>

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MORMONISM

"The Making of Mitt Romney" by Jonathan Darman and Lisa Miller -- "Nothing is more politically vexing or personally crucial for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney than the story of his faith. Raised in a devout Mormon family by parents who were both principled and powerful, Romney has downplayed both his religion and his own family history. ... Mindful of the sway of evangelical Christians over the GOP base, he has positioned himself as the candidate with conservative principles and strong faith, even adopting evangelical language in calling Jesus Christ his 'personal savior' (vernacular not generally used by members of the Mormon Church). But when he's pressed on the particulars of his own religious practice, his answers grow terse and he is quick to repeat that his values are rooted in 'the Judeo-Christian tradition.' ...

"When asked by NEWSWEEK if he has done baptisms for the deadÑin which Mormons find the names of dead people of all faiths and baptize them, as an LDS spokesperson says, to 'open the door' to the highest heavenÑhe looked slightly startled and answered, 'I have in my life, but I haven't recently.' The awareness of how odd this will sound to many Americans is what makes Romney hesitant to elaborate on the Mormon question."

According to Darman and Miller, Romney's "authenticity problem ... starts with his all-too-convenient conservative-conversion narrative: the pro-choice, pro-gay-rights governor of Massachusetts was miraculously transformed into a crusader for unborn life and the sanctity of marriage, just in time to run for the Republican nomination for president. But underlying the 'flip-flopper' charge against Romney is a more disturbing perception, that the numbers-driven candidate is too cautious and committed to winning to explain what he believes in, including his church."

Romney's father, George, was "Born in Mexico in an LDS community devoted to perpetuating the practice of polygamy (George's grandparents were polygamous; his parents were not)....

"When a boy turns 19, he often embarks on a two-year evangelizing mission; before he departs, he undergoes the sacred temple rituals for the first time. There are anointings and other secret rites, and he receives the undergarments that he wears almost all the time that mark him as a Mormon. All the observant males in the Romney family would have followed a trajectory that is something like this. ...

"From the start [of his political career], Romney made clear that questions about his faith were out of bounds, and from the start, his faith was all anyone wanted to talk about. ... When Kennedy suggested that Romney should have to answer for the LDS history on race (until 1978, African-Americans couldn't hold the priesthood), Romney called an angry news conference to condemn Kennedy for forgetting his own brother's admonition that a candidate's religious beliefs had no place in the public sphere."

Darman and Miller conclude: "Unfortunately, the politician Romney has been chiefly interested in organizing and packaging himself into is a man who seems to have no history, and, as a result, no heart." Newsweek, Oct 8 '07, pp28-37.

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NEW AGE MOVEMENT

"The Journey Through Eastern and Other Philosophies" by Mira Tweti -- only a few details within this brief survey of recent books were of real interest. The article is based on the remarks of Stan Madson, co-owner of the Bodhi Tree bookstore in Los Angeles, perhaps the most significant New Age retail operation in the nation.

Under the subhead of "Interest in Wicca and Neo-Paganism," Tweti reports that "The Da Vinci Code generated a massive demand for spiritual subject matter spotlighting Mary Magdalene, Wicca and goddess worship, and symbols. 'The Wicca movement still remains strong, it has gone hand in hand with the feminist movement,' Madson said. He adds that the Harry Potter books and films have kept magic a popular subject: 'Neo-Paganism, including magic and ritual magic, takes up a huge section in this store.'

"Neo-Paganism, the umbrella header for modern followers of Wicca, ritual magic, goddess worship, Shamanism, Celtic, Native American, and a host of other earth-based spiritual traditions, is rapidly growing, with more than a half million declared pagans in the United States today."

Suggesting the leading bestsellers in the category, Tweti reports that "Neo-Paganism's growth is also reflected in book sales: Scott Cunningham's books (both from Llewellyn) Wicca [4] and Living Wicca [5], sold 400,000 and 200,000 respectively, and True Magick: A Beginner's Guide, by Amber K [6] also had sales of 200,000 copies." ForeWord, Sep/Oct '07, ppS14, S16.

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Sources, Monographs:

1 - The Twilight of Atheism: The Rise and Fall of Disbelief in the Modern World, by Alister McGrath (Doubleday, 2004, hardcover, 320 pages) <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385500610/apologiareport>

2 - Western Atheism: A Short History, by James Thrower (Prometheus, 1999, paperback, 157 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573927562/apologiareport>

3 - Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, by Susan Jacoby (Holt, 2nd reprint ed., 2004, paperback, 448 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805077766/apologiareport>

4 - Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, by Scott Cunningham (Llewellyn, 1993, paperback, 218 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875421180/apologiareport>

5 - Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, by Scott Cunningham (Llewellyn, 2002, paperback, 220 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875421849/apologiareport>

6 - True Magick: A Beginner's Guide, by Amber K (Llewellyn, 1990, paperback, 272 pages)

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875420036/apologiareport>

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