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Apologia Report 18:4 (1,140)
January 24, 2013

Subject: What's wrong with the Adventists' "Clear Word" Bible?

In this issue:

BIAS - "academia has far fewer radical professors in its midst than generally thought"?

ROMAN CATHOLICISM - Publishers Weekly lauds a new "excellent handbook"

SAUNDERS, GEORGE - postmodern author, "genius and saint"?

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM - why should we distrust the popular "Clear Word" paraphrase of the Bible?

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BIAS

Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care?, by Neil Gross [1] -- Kirkus reports that Gross "examines the facts behind the conservative movement's oft-heard criticism of higher education: that American universities are, as presidential candidate Rick Santorum famously said, little more than 'indoctrination mills' for the political left. Relying on years of research, the author confirms that conservatives are correct in their belief that many professors align themselves on the liberal spectrum, though he notes also that academia has far fewer radical professors in its midst than generally thought. While a mere 8 percent of professors self-identify as 'radical,' a recent study revealed that 62 percent of students believed the term accurately described their professors - proof of the conservative movement's ability to perpetuate the myth of the radical professor. Gross readily acknowledges that some conservative scholars may feel outnumbered in a university's social science department but that the professor's marginalized status is hardly any different than 'progressives at some elite law firms.' More interesting than academia's demographics, however, are the causes of these demographics. In short: What is at the root of liberalism in academia? Do liberal academics share a different value system than their conservative counterparts? Does self-selection play a role? To what extent does one's politics affect one's career path? And a related question: How can professors protect their academic freedoms in an environment so closely tied to the politicians who hold the purse strings? Gross examines all of these questions and more, often overwhelming readers with facts and figures that lead to somewhat nebulous conclusions. Its academic tone - while appropriate given the subject matter - reminds readers that an academic in academia produced it. While Gross' neutrality is admirable, his work's inability to open itself up to a wider audience risks confining a valuable debate to the primary players within it. A dense sociological report on the facts and falsehoods of the political leanings of professors."

Begs the question: "What does a person have to do to be considered "radical" here? I (RP) am reminded of the time I asked a liberal academic (who self-identified as a moderate) how many of his associates considered themselves liberal. Answer: None.

ROMAN CATHOLICISM

The Catholic Church: What Everyone Needs to Know, by John L. Allen [2] -- "Allen is a veteran Vaticanista whose coverage of the papacy for National Catholic Reporter <www.ow.ly/h61cc> has made him the media's go-to guy on church politics. But Allen's ability to clearly explain the arcane workings of Roman Catholicism - to experts and lay people alike - is as impressive as his punditry, and that skill is on full display in his latest book. In 12 chapters, Allen gives a smart, highly readable primer on the mechanics of the Catholic Church and on the doctrines and history of Catholicism. His longtime perch in Rome also gives him a global perspective on Catholicism that is often obscured by events on the ground. Allen periodically indulges in his trademark analysis as well, salting the narrative with insights about present controversies and future possibilities for the church. This is an excellent handbook for those who want (or need) to know more about the Catholic Church - and for those who think they already know it all." Publishers Weekly, Jan #1 '13.

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SAUNDERS, GEORGE

"Stay Open, Forever, So Open It Hurts" by Joel Lovell -- profiles postmodern author and Nyingma Buddhism devotee George Saunders, a professor of English at Syracuse University who is being hailed a genius and the most gifted living short-story writer in America for his ability to connect his readers with the immediate proximity of "beauty and cruelty and stupid human fallibility and unexpected grace" for an increased awareness of life's intensity.

Lovell reports that that an objective for Sanders is to write "emotional fiction" that includes "moral heft." Sanders tends to focus on vulnerability and character growth, often describing death and passion with infectious humor to achieve his best results.

Other authors say of Saunders that he "writes like something of a saint. He seems in touch with some better being." "He's such a generous spirit, you'd be embarrassed to behave in a small way around him." Readers find him inspirational and uplifting. Just the same, no one is likely to label Saunders a conservative.

Still, Sanders makes very interesting remarks to Lovell. "I don't really think the humanist verities are quite enough. Because that would be crazy if they were. It would be so weird if we knew just as much as we needed to know to answer all the questions of the universe. Wouldn't that be freaky? Whereas the probability is high that there is a vast reality that we have no way to perceive, that's actually bearing down on us now and influencing everything. The idea of saying, 'Well, we can't see it, therefore we don't need to see it,' seems really weird to me."

Saunders also likes to be provocative. This item closes with his words: "Stay open, forever, so open it hurts, and then open up some more, until the day you die, world without end, amen." Cover story. New York Times Magazine, Jan 6 '13, pp22-27, 46, 47. <www.ow.ly/gYxhv>

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SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM

"The Sabbath Obscured in The Clear Word" by Stephen Pitcher -- using this review to hint at an upcoming book-length evaluation of the "Clear Word" paraphrase of the Bible by Jack Blanco [3], Stephen Pitcher begins with a brief history of the seventh-day Sabbath doctrine as taught in Adventism. He then compares various editions of The Clear Word (TCW) to the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Pitcher notes: "While TCW is not an 'official' Adventist Bible, it is a paraphrase written by Jack Blanco when he was the chairman of the department of religion at Southern Adventist University. It is published by the Adventist publishing house Review and Herald Publishing Association <www.ow.ly/h61Ml>, and it is distributed by the Adventist Book Centers and marketed both online and in their stores as a Bible. This article illustrates the contradiction between Adventist teaching and biblical truth by comparing 'Sabbath texts' from various versions of TCW...."

Pitcher finds distortions in the form of substantial additions to the meaning of the text, frequent reinterpretation to support uniquely Adventist concepts and practices, the obfuscation and even elimination of Bible passages often used to challenge SDA doctrine, and the construction of renderings to suggest that salvation depends upon keeping the law of the Old Testament as interpreted by Adventism.

It seems to us that the contrasts noted by Pitcher provide an excellent example of the cultic orientation that has been consistently present at the foundations of Adventist influence from early on in the history of the movement ... and is now growing under its new general conference president, Ted Wilson. Proclamation!, 13:4 - 2012, pp20-25. <www.ow.ly/gYtQI>

Enter "Clear Word Jack Blanco" as a basic Amazon.com search query to gain an appreciation of the influence being had here.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Why Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care?, by Neil Gross (Harvard Univ Prs, April 2013, hardcover, 416 pages) <www.ow.ly/gYySb>

2 - The Catholic Church: What Everyone Needs to Know, by John L. Allen (Oxford Univ Prs, March 2013, paperback, 336 pages) <www.ow.ly/gYwnQ>

3 - The Clear Word, by Jack Blanco (Review & Herald, 2004, hardcover, 1334 pages) <www.ow.ly/gYwdd>

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