16AR21-31

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AR 21:31 - Contemplating "Bibleless Christianity" in America

In this issue:

ATHEISM - "a logically consistent line of argument" against the supernatural?

BIBLE POPULARITY IN AMERICA - does "the specter of Bibleless Christianity, or something close to it, loom on the horizon"?

CHRISTMAS - get ready for Scrooge even before he opens the door

ISLAM - Pew study measures Islam's political influence around the globe

Apologia Report 21:31 (1,304)

September 3, 2016

ATHEISM

Looking to challenge the thinkers in your circles? Consider a group study of The Miracle Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural Is Unjustified, by Lawrence Shapiro [1]. "Shapiro, a philosophy professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, argues that there are not sufficient reasons for anyone to believe in miracles. Defining miracles as extremely improbable events with a supernatural cause, he lays out two trajectories of careful logic to refute faith in them. First, he shows briefly that seeing supernatural causes requires assumptions that cannot rule out other nondivine interventions. Second, the improbable nature of miracles heightens the requirements for proof. He builds these arguments through stories of improbable events that he claims most people view as absurd (a talking frog in India, alien abductions, and the revelation of the Book of Mormon) before applying the same scrutiny to Jesus’s resurrection. Shapiro admits that miracles might have occurred, but he seems convinced that his work will cause even the firmest believers to doubt and reorganize their lives along more rational lines. His self-satisfaction might alienate some readers, but the explanations for his claims (especially on the nature of historical proof) are clear and readable. For those opposed to miracles, he offers a logically consistent line of argument. For believers, his reliance on purely logical approaches is unlikely to shake conviction." Publishers Weekly, Jul '16 #2.

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BIBLE POPULARITY IN AMERICA

The Invisible Bestseller: Searching for the Bible in America, by Kenneth A. Briggs -- a welcome rebuke. Kirkus (Jul '16 #2) summarizes it: "How the Bible continues a downward slide in use and comprehension in both society and the church. Former Newsday and New York Times religion editor Briggs explores the place held by Christian Scripture in modern America. 'After centuries of highlighting the printed Word,' writes the author, 'the specter of Bibleless Christianity, or something close to it, looms on the horizon.' Briggs assumes an American Christianity that, until the 1960s, placed a great deal of emphasis on Bible reading and study and a culture immersed in scriptural literacy. From that height, the Bible's role in America has plummeted by comparison. Though Bibles still sell well, they are not widely read. Briggs explains at length that Bibles are still purchased as gifts in high numbers and that digital versions of the Bible are downloaded by the millions. However, fewer churches are encouraging, let alone expecting, regular Bible reading. The author also spends time exploring the trend away from biblical literalism in American Christianity and how that has affected Bible use. In a related vein, he looks at the continuing divide between academia and clergy in how the Bible is read, interpreted, and taught. Increasingly, academics have studied the Bible not as a sacred work but as a piece of literature to be examined using critical principles. This does little to assist the preacher or the people in the pews who hope to glean life lessons, hope, and ethical direction from the text. Briggs also explores the role that the digital age has had on Bible reading and distribution."

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CHRISTMAS

Get a head start on the annual hostility with Christmas in the Crosshairs: Two Thousand Years of Denouncing and Defending the World's Most Celebrated Holiday, by Gerry Bowler [2] -- "Is there a war on Christmas? Yes, and there always has been. Canadian historian Bowler takes a seemingly modern topic - the vilification of Christmas - and shows it to have a centuries-old history. His survey of the issue covers everything from the deadly serious to the absurd, and it will leave readers amazed at the holiday's ability to not only persist, but to thrive worldwide. The author begins by discussing the origins of Christmas, a well-worn path among modern academics. However, he sides with modern scholarship trends that Christmas is not an appropriation of pagan holidays but rather a result of traditional early Christian teachings about the nativity of Christ. Throughout the centuries of Christendom, the holiday faced uphill battles as reformers tried to squelch it, especially due to its connections with excesses in greed, gluttony, and violence. Entering the modern period, Christmas changed to a home-centered holiday and a particularly important part of the Christian and secular year. 'Christmas in its ideal form is normality,' writes Bowler. This very fact led to its attempted subversion in recent centuries by French revolutionaries, German Nazis, communist regimes, and others. The 'normality' of Christmas has also led to its appropriation by the fringes of society. The author concludes with the modern attacks on Christmas by everyone from the New Atheists to Wiccans, often using cheeky language to poke fun at would-be Christmas-stoppers.... Though Bowler does not advance a particular religious view, it is obvious that he sees many of Christmas' modern detractors to be little more than killjoys. The book ranges broadly from the tragic to the silly, and some readers may be left bewildered by the pendulum swings. Ultimately enlightening and entertaining." Kirkus, Jul '16 #1.

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ISLAM

"The Divide Over Islam and National Laws in the Muslim World" by Jacob Poushter -- this April 27 Pew study ranks the strength of Islam's political influence in "Muslim" countries. One aspect examines national attitudes regarding "what the relationship should be between the tenets of Islam and the laws of governments." Poushter's chart reveals a dramatic difference between the North African countries of Senegal, midway in the spectrum, and Burkina Faso, which is the least favorable toward Islamic political influence among the ten countries listed.

The position of Lebanon in the same spectrum, with only Turkey between it and Burkina Faso, tends to discount the idea that Muslim countries in the Middle East (other than Israel) are equally strong in their attitude about the subject. Poushter reports that "Only a quarter of Lebanese Muslims say that laws should strictly follow the Quran, perhaps a reflection of the country’s diverse ethnic and religious makeup and its laws that give each religious group a say in national politics. Half of young Lebanese (18- to 29-year-olds) say that laws should not be influenced by the Quran, compared with 36% who say this among Lebanese 50 and older.

Poushter observes that "a 42% plurality of Nigerians think laws should not be influenced by the Quran.... However, among Nigerian Muslims, 52% say national laws should conform to Islamic law, compared with only 2% among Nigerian Christians."

"In Turkey, which was founded as a secular democracy in 1923, 36% say that laws should not be influenced by the Quran, compared with 27% who said this in 2012." However, Poushter recognizes that "In the case of Lebanon and Burkina Faso, this is due, at least in part, to the religious divides within those countries."

It would be interesting to apply the percentages to country population size for an idea of what percent of the world's Muslims are represented by these findings. <www.goo.gl/5ncFvk>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The Invisible Bestseller: Searching for the Bible in America, by Kenneth A. Briggs (Eerdmans, 2016, hardcover, 255 pages) <www.goo.gl/Gl0XX2>

2 - Christmas in the Crosshairs: Two Thousand Years of Denouncing and Defending the World's Most Celebrated Holiday, by Gerry Bowler (Oxford Univ Prs, October 2016, hardcover, 312 pages) <www.goo.gl/eMisUl>

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