08AR13-43
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Apologia Report 13:43
December 10, 2008
Subject: Publishers Weekly Praises The Apologetics of Jesus
In this issue:
ADELAJA, SUNDAY - guilty of Word-Faith teachings, despite denials
APOLOGETICS - secular fair shake for Geisler's Apologetics of Jesus
ARCHAEOLOGY - tables are turned once more on the Jesus ossuary
ISLAM - much more detail on hard-line Muslim strategies at the UN
RESURRECTION - impressive response to Dale Allison's Resurrecting Jesus
SYNCRETISM - sad new twist on witchcraft in Africa
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ADELAJA, SUNDAY
The latest issue (Dec 2 '08) of Cultic Trend Alert from The Centers for Apologetics Research is titled "Answering Sunday Adelaja." It notes that the October 2008 issue of Christianity Today featured an interview [1] with the Nigerian-born pastor who leads what is arguably the largest congregation in Europe. Sunday Adelaja's Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations in Kyiv, Ukraine claims some 25,000 members, plus affiliates in 25 countries (including 22 churches and a Bible school in the United States). When directly asked by CT in the interview, Adelaja vehemently denied that he preached prosperity gospel teachings.
Dima Rozet, senior researcher at the St. Petersburg affiliate of The Centers for Apologetics Research, reports that AdelajaÕs Russian-language publications tell a very different story. Many of Adelaja's followers, "hypnotized by his personal 'prosperity' and quasi-biblical rhetoric, simply don't recognize that in this nice and exotic wrapper they're being fed the same old prosperity doctrine adopted from the notorious Word-Faith Movement." Rozet's lengthy analysis, "Sunday Adelaja: The Metaphysics of Success," documents the evidence culled from many of Adelaja's publications. <http://apologetika.ru/eng/cults/Faith%20Movement/C-144>
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APOLOGETICS
The Apologetics of Jesus, by Norman L. Geisler and Patrick Zukeran -- you couldn't ask for a better review from Publishers Weekly (Nov 26 '08, p46). "Geisler is one of the most prolific authors of Christian books wielding a pen. With more than 70 works under his belt, one wonders if he has anything new to say that hasn't been said before. This challenging book is part defense of the gospel and part primer in philosophical logic. Studying the life of Jesus from several perspectives, Geisler demonstrates how Jesus, in his life, his miracles and his teachings - indeed, in his very existence and claims to divinity - satisfies even the most stringent tests for philosophical wholeness and coherence. Jesus is presented as the ultimate apologist, as one who 'was familiar with and utilized all the basic laws of rational thought and reasoning processes.' This is quite a claim, and one that may not be evident from a simple reading of the gospels. But in the competent and skilled hands of Geisler and coauthor Zukeran, who works for a Texas Ministry organization [probe.org], the thesis gains some credibility. Beginning students will be challenged by the avalanche of philosophical terminology. Experienced readers will be challenged to determine the authenticity of the authors' conclusions."
For a related introductory academic work on Jesus as a philosopher, including analysis of his use of logical argumentation, see On Jesus by Douglas Groothuis. [5]
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ARCHAEOLOGY
One of our readers, Mark Nelson with the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary in Estonia, wrote: "It is ironic that your review [AR 13:39] of Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed and Forgery in the Holy Land, by Nina Burleigh came out this week, since events in Israel have made the book in many ways obsolete.
"Jerusalem Post had an article Nov. 3, 'Justice Ministry weighs how to proceed in "Jesus ossuary" fraud trial' [2]. Case recessed for six months as prosecution advised by judge to do a rethink." The judge has asked the prosecutor to drop the case because they essentially have no evidence. The case has turned into a major embarrassment for the Israel Antiquities Authority.
"From a legal perspective there is no evidence of fraud and from a scientific perspective, the case for the ossuary being a forgery has also pretty much collapsed. With every archaeological discovery, especially those that come to light on the antiquities market, there is always a discussion and disagreement between archaeologists.
"The basic problem with the James ossuary case is that the IAA (Israel Antiquities Authority) tried to silence the discussion and push through a 'definitive version' with the help of the court. It was bad scholarship using dictatorial means to become the only voice in the discussion. It is a blessing to all who work in the field of archaeology that this fell through in such a publicly embarrassing way. Hopefully in the future discussions of this nature can be conducted by professional archaeologists being answerable to their peers, not to the strong arm of the law."
Biblical Archaeology Society has a story on this at <www.bib-arch.org/news/forgery-trial-news.asp>
Also see, "Hoaxes from the Holy Land: The faltering prosecution of an antiquities dealer in the James ossuary case underscores problems in authenticating biblical artifacts" by Nina Burleigh in The Los Angeles Times, Nov 29 '08, pA21. <www.tinyurl.com/59r5gh>
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ISLAM
Elizabeth N. Kendal, Principal Researcher and Writer of Religious Liberty News & Analysis for the World Evangelical Alliance, has compiled the most thorough review of current influence by hard-line Muslims within the United Nations that we have yet seen. In the essay "The OIC & the UN: Islamophobia and 'defamation of religion'" [3], her introduction explains that "Durban I - the UN's first World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance - which was held in Durban, South Africa, in early September 2001 ended with a walkout over its virulent anti-Semitism. Yet sadly it now seems clear that the Durban Review Conference (or Durban II), which will be held in Geneva in April 2009, is shaping up to be even worse.
"As a prelude to Durban II, a Second Preparatory Session of the 20-state Preparatory Committee - of which Libya has been elected chair with Cuba, Pakistan and Iran as vice-chairs - was held in Geneva from 6 to 17 October 2008. The resulting 'Draft Outcome Document for the Durban Review Conference 2009' is now available on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) website.
"It is clear from the draft document, as well as from reports emanating from the subsequent 63rd UN General Assembly meeting held in Geneva during the first week of November, that a central focus of Durban II will be 'Islamophobia', which is being presented as 'a new form of racism.'
"Muslims, the draft declaration asserts, are at dire risk of a racial 'holocaust' due to 'a new form of racism' - 'Islamophobia' - which is incited through 'defamation of Islam.'"
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RESURRECTION
When chief apolojedi William Lane Craig reports: "I have never seen a more persuasive case for scepticism [sic] about the historicity of Jesus's resurrection," referring to Dale Allison's 2005 book Resurrecting Jesus [6] - and when Craig's review of the book is included with another by Gary R. Habbermas - it is time to sit up and take notice. The latest issue of Philosophia Christi (10:2 - 2008) includes these reviews with a shorter analysis by Steven T. Davis and a response to all three men by Allison (pp285-338).
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SYNCRETISM
We have long been familiar with the syncretism of Latin America, especially that of Brazil, and its blend of occultic African and Ameridian religions with Roman Catholicism. Now we learn that a new variety of syncretism is gaining ground in Africa. Up to this point, we have become increasingly aware of the heavy contrast between witchcraft in the West and the superstitious beliefs of African folk religion, which share little more than the witchcraft label. Enter the influence of untrained Neopentecostals.
"In some of the poorest parts of Nigeria, where evangelical religious fervour is combined with a belief in sorcery and black magic, many thousands of children are being blamed for catastrophes, death and famine - and branded witches by powerful pastors. These children are then abandoned, tortured, starved and murdered - all in the name of Jesus Christ." [4]
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Sources, Digital:
1 - <www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/october/26.74.html>
2 - <www.tinyurl.com/6e4dcu>
3 - <www.worldevangelicals.org/news/view.htm?id=2203> and <www.worldevangelicals.org/news/view.htm?id=2226>
4 - <www.tinyurl.com/683gyl>. See also <www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article726977.ece>
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Sources, Monographs:
5 - On Jesus, by Douglas Groothuis (Wadsworth, 2002, paperback, 104 pages)
<www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0534583946/apologiareport>
6 - Resurrecting Jesus: The Earliest Christian Tradition and Its Interpreters, by Dale C., Jr. Allison (T&T Clark, 2005, paperback, 404 pages)
<www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0567029107/apologiareport>
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