16AR21-44

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AR 21:44 - Did "corporate America" invent "Christian America?"

In this issue:

APOLOGETICS - How the world "makes the most sense from a Christian perspective"

HISTORY - The audacious claim that corporate America somehow "invented Christian America" in the 1950s

OCCULTISM - Mind the gap

WORLD VISION - harassed over Hamas?

Apologia Report 21:44 (1,317)

December 7, 2016

APOLOGETICS

Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical, by Timothy Keller [1] -- "Prolific author Keller (The Reason for God [2]), founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan ... has written a number of Christian apologetics, and this one is aimed more at 'nones' - the religiously unaffiliated or uninterested - than at committed atheists; the polemical debate with hardcore atheist materialists has moved on. Keller is knowledgeable about contemporary philosophy and can offer intriguing arguments grounded in that discourse; the book is richer for those familiar with the work of philosopher Charles Taylor and other contemporary critics of hyperindividualism. Keller's clarity of expression rests on 60 pages of footnotes, roughly one fifth of the book. This is not for the drive-by reader looking for self-help gospel truths, but those interested in acquaintance and engagement with the use of reason in argumentation will find an open door, nagging questions, and a lot to learn." Publishers Weekly Annex (n.d.) [7]

Library Journal says: "Perhaps Keller should have titled his book 'making sense with God,' since he sets out to show that the world makes the most sense from a Christian perspective. First, he counters arguments that, in the face of reason, faith in God fades in favor of a secular perspective. Keller then presents what he considers difficulties in a secular worldview; a sort of series of inferences to the best explanation - not unlike theologian Alistair McGrath - though at times it takes the more militant style of Francis Schaeffer. The author concludes with arguments for the existence of God and the truth of the central tenants [sic] of Christianity. Keller doesn't leave a lot of space for this section and it suffers accordingly. His treatment of theistic arguments is cursory, and the attempt to summarize a case for the Gospel accounts of Jesus cries out for more depth. VERDICT Despite these issues, Keller provides a calm and measured invitation to examine convictions and assumptions in a way that both believers and skeptics could use as part of a reasoned dialog."

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HISTORY

One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America, by Kevin M. Kruse [3] -- in this review Graeme Hunter, who teaches philosophy at the University of Ottawa, writes: "We are partisans. We normally prefer partisan accounts of our situation to versions from the side that calls itself 'progressive.'

"About non-partisan accounts we may have no view, however, because they are very rare. But that's what Kevin Kruse, a professor of contemporary American history at Princeton, has succeeded in writing. Without obvious political or religious bias, he defends an original historical hypothesis and by its light recounts the genesis and aftermath of the religious heyday of the 1950s."

Kruse's story "begins with the intensely political machinations of a coalition of Christian business tycoons who were opposed to Roosevelt's New Deal and were willing to put their Christian beliefs in the service of defeating it.

"Kruse neither laments nor praises the decline in Christian faith since the 1950s. His focus is on a number of religious beliefs and practices that came into existence during that decade and have since been projected back into history as immemorial guiding principles of American political life. ...

"This illuminating book is not just the story of the entangled motives and operations of business, politics, and religion, but also of the lives of some of the major figures in each of these domains. ...

"We have here a huge story, told by a skilled historian who is determined to tell it as a historian rather than as a partisan. ... It makes clear how economic and religious forces once aligned to propel Christian views into political favor, and allows us to judge whether it is probable, or even desirable, for it to happen that way again." Touchstone, 29:4 - 2016, pp45-6. <www.goo.gl/El27JF>

For a contrary view, see Aram Bakshian, Jr., "A peevish professor questions the faith of our fathers" <www.goo.gl/xfhOIs>

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OCCULTISM

The Occult, Witchcraft and Magic: An Illustrated History, by Christopher Dell [4] -- summarized by the publisher as "The curious history of magic and the powers of the occult, witchcraft, ritual, and the imagination, from their earliest appearances to modern times. ... Secret words, spells, and incantations lie at the heart of nearly every mythological tradition. But for every genuine magus there is an impostor."

It's our experience that such confessions from a primary source (at any level, popular or not), as represented in the last line above, are exceedingly rare and must always be given due consideration. The occult is full of impostors by design.

W.W. Norton continues: "'There is no culture on Earth that does not contain within it some form of magic,' Dell writes in this invaluable source book [which is 'filled with mystical symbols and perplexing charts'] on the history and practice of magic and occultism. This thoroughly researched collection documents the history of magic dating from prehistoric times to the present day."

It is also interesting to consider how impostors have a long history of sabotage in the life of the Church — less by design, more by consequence. (Ephesians 6:12)

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WORLD VISION

"Israeli security officials have charged Mohammad El Halabi, the operations manager in Gaza for World Vision, with funneling tens of millions of dollars in donations [60 percent of WV's Gaza operations] to Hamas' military wing. ...

"World Vision, one of the world's largest Christian humanitarian aid organizations [$3B annual budget], said in a statement August 4 that it was 'shocked' by the allegations and that 'based on the information available to us at this time, we have no reason to believe that the allegations are true.' ...

"'For years we have been warning that World Vision is funding Palestinian terror groups in Gaza,' [Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat HaDin, an Israeli legal rights institute] said. 'World Vision has repeatedly denied our charges and refused to seriously investigate where its funds are going.'" Christian Century, Aug 31 '16, p19.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical, by Timothy Keller (Viking, 2016, hardcover, 336 pages) <www.goo.gl/qrN1VU>

2 - The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, by Timothy Keller (Penguin, 2008, paperback, 320 pages)

<www.goo.gl/oJs7ud>

3 - One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America, by Kevin M. Kruse (Basic, 2015, hardcover, 384 pages) <www.goo.gl/LkHfro>

4 - The Occult, Witchcraft and Magic: An Illustrated History, by Christopher Dell (Thames & Hudson, 2016, hardcover, 400 pages) <www.goo.gl/btII0m>

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