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Apologia Report 17:9 (1,101)
March 14, 2012
Subject: Tips for effective rebellion
In this issue:
ARCHAEOLOGY - great new resource for the average evangelical reader
COMMUNICATION - where to find truth in secular journalism
+ civility and meaningful dialogue, mutually exclusive?
WORLDVIEW - sound reflection by NY Times columnist on Jefferson Bethke's YouTube clip "Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus"
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ARCHAEOLOGY
Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence, by Craig A. Evans [1] -- "The study of biblical archeology has been the domain of experts and skeptics for a long time. Lay people have often avoided this fascinating study, assuming it's all too complicated to comprehend. This fascinating work proves that you don't have to be either a scientist or a doubter to truly understand the times and places that populate the New Testament. And you can conclude that the Bible's people and places really existed. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College, has taken an engrossing look at the cities, structures, cultural practices, and political and religious intrigues that surrounded Jesus and his world. Written for the nonexpert, he carefully lays out in simple terms the many archeological discoveries that enrich and confirm the New Testament documents, giving readers a reason to believe and a basis for confidence in the scriptural accounts. In a field crowded with critics, this brief work is a refreshing and readable alternative and will be warmly welcomed by many, scholars and students alike." Publishers Weekly, Jan '12, #2, n.p.
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COMMUNICATION
From the March 10-11 segment of the Bob Edwards Weekend public radio and XM Satellite program: "Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges was a foreign correspondent for The New York Times for fifteen years until he was reprimanded for denouncing President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq. Now he's a columnist, senior fellow at The Nation Institute, and has taught at Columbia, New York and Princeton universities. In his most recent book, The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress [2], Hedges warns, 'Brace yourself. The American Empire is over. And the descent is going to be horrifying.'"
We mention this show not for its apocalyptic contribution, but to call attention to the valuable insights of this "liberal rejected by the liberals" about where truth can be found in secular journalism. Look for the audio clip here: <www.bobedwardsradio.com>.
Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line, by Jason Rosenhouse (Associate Professor of Mathematics, James Madison University) [3] -- this brief review makes an interesting, yet fatalistic, observation: "The personal encounters [he records] are compellingly readable. Often quoting his exchanges verbatim, "Rosenhouse demonstrates that civility between evolutionists and creationists is possible and, he argues, advisable, whether he is speaking with 'creation scientists,' high school students, or the general public. But as he points out, civility is not quite the same as meaningful dialogue, and very few, if any, minds were changed."
We submit that much profitable discussion can be enjoyed by kicking around these words. May it lead to much positive interaction among AR's diverse readership. Publishers Weekly, Jan '12, #1, n.p.
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WORLDVIEW
"How to Fight the Man" by David Brooks -- in the first half of January "a 22-year-old man named Jefferson Bethke produced a video called 'Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus.' ...
"The video went viral. As of [February 2], it had acquired more than 18 million hits on YouTube. It speaks for many young believers who feel close to God but not to the church. It represents the passionate voice of those who think their institutions lack integrity - not just the religious ones, but the political and corporate ones, too.
"Right away, many older theologians began critiquing Bethke's statements. ...
"Bethke responded in a way that was humble, earnest and gracious, and that generally spoke well of his character. He also basically folded. ...
"Bethke's passionate polemic and subsequent retreat are symptomatic of a lot of the protest cries we hear these days. This seems to be a moment when many people - in religion, economics and politics - are disgusted by current institutions, but then they are vague about what sorts of institutions should replace them.
"This seems to be a moment of fervent protest movements that are ultimately vague and ineffectual.
"We can all theorize why the intense desire for change has so far produced relatively few coherent recipes for change. Maybe people today are simply too deferential. Raised to get college recommendations, maybe they lack the oppositional mentality necessary for revolt. Maybe people are too distracted. ...
"For generations people have been told: Think for yourself; come up with your own independent worldview. Unless your name is Nietzsche, that's probably a bad idea. Very few people have the genius or time to come up with a comprehensive and rigorous worldview.
"If you go out there armed only with your own observations and sentiments, you will surely find yourself on very weak ground. You'll lack the arguments, convictions and the coherent view of reality that you'll need when challenged by a self-confident opposition. This is more or less what happened to Jefferson Bethke.
"The paradox of reform movements is that, if you want to defy authority, you probably shouldn't think entirely for yourself. You should attach yourself to a counter-tradition and school of thought that has been developed over the centuries and that seems true. ...
"Joining a tradition doesn't mean suppressing your individuality. Applying an ancient tradition to a new situation is a creative, stimulating and empowering act. Without a tradition, everything is impermanence and flux.
"Most professors would like their students to be more rebellious and argumentative. But rebellion without a rigorous alternative vision is just a feeble spasm.
"If I could offer advice to a young rebel, it would be to rummage the past for a body of thought that helps you understand and address the shortcomings you see. Give yourself a label. If your college hasn't provided you with a good knowledge of countercultural viewpoints - ranging from Thoreau to Maritain - then your college has failed you and you should try to remedy that ignorance.
"Effective rebellion isn't just expressing your personal feelings. It means replacing one set of authorities and institutions with a better set of authorities and institutions. Authorities and institutions don't repress the passions of the heart, the way some young people now suppose. They give them focus and a means to turn passion into change." New York Times, Feb 2 '12, pA23, <www.tinyurl.com/795uwcj>
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SOURCES: Monographs
1 - Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence, by Craig A. Evans (Westminster JK, 2012, hardcover, 208 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/7qqs4wn>
2 - The World As It Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress, by Chris Hedges (Nation, 2011, hardcover, 368 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/6n4bylg>
3 - Among the Creationists: Dispatches from the Anti-Evolutionist Front Line, by Jason Rosenhouse (Oxford Univ Prs, April 2012, hardcover, 272 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/8y8v32t>
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