12AR17-11

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Apologia Report 17:11 (1,103)

March 28, 2012

Subject: Yoga, "the discipline that began as a sex cult"

In this issue:

BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION - latest book by John Dominic Crossan calls Christ’s parables "fiction by Jesus which became fiction about Jesus"

+ Do evangelicals' varied understandings of Scripture suggest their approach is fundamentally flawed?

BUDDHISM - "a compelling account of how Buddhism in general has been received in the US and Europe" - racism and all

YOGA - New York Times calls it "the discipline that began as a sex cult"

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BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction About Jesus, by John Dominic Crossan [1] -- "Crossan [emeritus, DePaul University] is one of the most admired as well as one of the most controversial scholars of the New Testament in general and the life of Jesus in particular. His latest book examines the ways that the teaching method of Jesus, who challenged his audiences with the parable, an early form of fiction, came to be applied to Jesus's own life story and argues that we should be wary of applying literal historical standards to texts from the ancient world. VERDICT A fascinating book, written with Crossan's usual lucidity but likely to disturb conservative Christians; a must for most academic and seminary libraries as well as many church groups and pastors." Library Journal, Mar '12, #1, p80.

The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture, by Christian Smith [2] -- Smith is not hostile toward a high view of Scripture. As reviewer Jeff Haanen explains: "So what's the problem? [Smith's] answer is 'pervasive interpretive pluralism.' Evangelicals - reading the same internally harmonious, clear, and straightforward text - disagree on nearly every subject the Bible addresses. From church polity, the charismatic gifts, and women in ministry to topics like a Christian view of war and even theories of the atonement, 'the Bible apparently is not clear, consistent, and univocal enough to enable the best-intentioned, most highly skilled, believing readers to come to agreement on what it teaches.'"

Haanen finds that Smith's argument "falls apart on many levels. First, he argues that pervasive interpretative pluralism disproves democratic perspicuity, the idea that the main message of the Bible is clear to average readers. Yet Smith himself believes that the Bible's teaching on topics like poverty or money are 'clear, straightforward and obvious.' He also argues the Bible's main message of the gospel is abundantly clear, but at another point relegates the penal satisfaction doctrine of atonement to a church teaching of secondary importance. If this is true, then what is the gospel? Moreover, who decides what's clear and what isn't?"

Also, "pervasive interpretative pluralism is not only a problem for American evangelicals. Interpretative disagreement is a historical, global, and cross-denominational phenomenon. This is perhaps why the Roman Catholic Church has written out very clear statements on its position on issues like the ordination of women and modes of baptism. (By the way, Smith's new church [he's a recent convert to Catholicism] may qualify as biblicist....)"

Smith's proposed solution of "positing a Christocentric hermeneutic is neither novel nor sufficient in overcoming diverse understandings of Scripture. ... Nobody disagrees with this. But this hermeneutic alone is not enough to dissolve interpretative pluralism. ...

"There is a small mountain of other problems as well. For example, his suggestion to just 'accept scriptural ambiguities' is pastorally impossible. One must decide, for example, if you will baptize by immersion, sprinkling or something in between. Humility in debatable issues is wise; epistemological suspension, however, hinders pastoral leadership." Denver Journal, v15 - 2012, <www.bit.ly/GMpl5K>.

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BUDDHISM

Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation, by Joseph Cheah [3] -- "Cheah (Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT) explores the thesis that, in most instances, white supremacy operates in the US and western Europe as an 'invisible standard of normality' for most white Buddhists. This is so, he argues, because the values and attitudes of white supremacy are often embodied by many white Buddhists even if they do not consciously embrace racial prejudice or white supremacy as they appropriate and adapt Asian Buddhist practices like meditation to white cultural values and norms. ... In the author's view, race and religion are so tightly bound together with white supremacy in the US and western Europe that Asian immigrant Buddhists have had to adapt their traditions to Western culture in order to maintain their religious identity. Although Cheah's test case is limited to the experiences of immigrant Burmese Buddhists, this book is a compelling account of how Buddhism in general has been received in the US and Europe. It is an excellent contribution to Buddhist studies in particular and the study of the dynamics of racism in religion in general." Choice, Mar '12, n.p.

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YOGA

"Yoga and Sex Scandals: No Surprise Here" by William J. Broad, author of The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards [4] -- begins: "The wholesome image of yoga took a hit in the past few weeks as a rising star of the discipline came tumbling back to earth. After accusations of sexual impropriety with female students, John Friend, the founder of Anusara, one of the world’s fastest-growing styles, told followers that he was stepping down....

"But this is hardly the first time that yoga’s enlightened facade has been cracked by sexual scandal. Why does yoga produce so many philanderers? And why do the resulting uproars leave so many people shocked and distraught?

"One factor is ignorance. Yoga teachers and how-to books seldom mention that the discipline began as a sex cult - an omission that leaves many practitioners open to libidinal surprise.

"Hatha yoga - the parent of the styles now practiced around the globe - began as a branch of Tantra. In medieval India, Tantra devotees sought to fuse the male and female aspects of the cosmos into a blissful state of consciousness.

"The rites of Tantric cults, while often steeped in symbolism, could also include group and individual sex. One text advised devotees to revere the female sex organ and enjoy vigorous intercourse. Candidates for worship included actresses and prostitutes, as well as the sisters of practitioners.

"Hatha originated as a way to speed the Tantric agenda. It used poses, deep breathing and stimulating acts - including intercourse - to hasten rapturous bliss. In time, Tantra and Hatha developed bad reputations. The main charge was that practitioners indulged in sexual debauchery under the pretext of spirituality.

"Early in the 20th century, the founders of modern yoga worked hard to remove the Tantric stain. They devised a sanitized discipline that played down the old eroticism for a new emphasis on health and fitness."

Broad refers to other yoga movement leaders who have been called down for their sexual misbehavior, including Swami Muktananda (Siddha Yoga), Swami Satchidananda (Integral Yoga), Yogi Amrit Desai (Kripalu Yoga), and Swami Rama (a.k.a., Frederick Lenz). New York Times, Feb 28, '12, pD1, <www.tinyurl.com/7bhuv5t>.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction About Jesus, by John Dominic Crossan (HarperOne, 2012, hardcover, 272 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/6qv5dvq>

2 - The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture, by Christian Smith (Brazos, 2011, hardcover, 240 pages) <www.amzn.to/pyrjcF>

3 - Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation, by Joseph Cheah (Oxford Univ Prs, 2011, hardcover, 192 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/7ao77sn>

4 - The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards, by William J. Broad (Simon & Schuster, 2012, hardcover, 336 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/79sp4yw>

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