16AR21-46

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AR 21:46 - Unmasking the "attention merchants"

In this issue:

CHRISTOLOGY - skeptics "stumbling over the public nature of primary evidence"

MARKETING - how the "spiritual malaise of our society" has spawned "a phenomenon that ought to trouble anyone with a soul"

YOUNG, WILLIAM P. - his new book to be released in tandem with a film version of The Shack

Apologia Report 21:46 (1,319)

December 21, 2016

CHRISTOLOGY

"Mythicism and the Public Jesus of History" by Craig A. Evans, the John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins at Houston Baptist University (this and previous inclusions of HBU in AR <www.goo.gl/q5wnCa> suggest a growing emphasis on apologetics by the school). A summary finds "the view that such an individual [as Jesus] never existed - mythicism - is gaining popularity in the public arena. Settling the issue is a matter of historical evidence, and, beyond question, that the the existence of Jesus is the best explanation of this evidence."

Evans begins by identifying Richard Carrier <www.goo.gl/mSaF5I> as "probably the ablest exponent of the theory that Jesus never existed," in addition to also naming skeptics Timothy Freke, Peter Gandy, and Robert Price for their support of the position.

"The principal mythicist arguments can be summed up by two claims: (1) the evidence for the existence of Jesus is weak and unimpressive, and (2) there is good reason to believe that the stories of Jesus presented in the New Testament Gospels are constructs inspired by various pagan mythologies, especially those that speak of dying and rising gods."

These arguments "stumble over the public nature of much of the primary evidence. Jesus was observed by crowds of people, by friends and foes alike. The strongest evidence for the existence of Jesus is found in Paul's letters to the Christians of Corinth and Galatia. In these letters, whose authenticity no one doubts, Paul describes his firsthand - and very public - encounters with two of Jesus' original disciples, Peter and John, and with James, the brother of Jesus. Attempts to explain away this James as someone other than the brother of Jesus reveal the desperation of the mythicist approach to the evidence. It is important to remember that critics of early Christianity never doubted the existence of Jesus - they disputed His identity and significance. Modern critics should follow their lead." Christian Research Journal, 34:4 - 2016, pp18-25.

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MARKETING

The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads, by Tim Wu [1] -- Kirkus (Aug '16 #2) tells us that "there are legions of humans, and behind them busy bots and vast databanks, trying to get inside your head, determine your wishes and tastes, and, more than anything else, capture your attention. Wu opens his learned, skillfully delivered treatise by pointing to a phenomenon that ought to trouble anyone with a soul.... As the author writes, every time we go online, we're being tracked and monitored, ambushes being laid at every click. One of the most interesting passages is his account of 'clickbait,' the villains of the piece, mild-mannered ad people, a brilliant MIT–trained scientist, and the Huffington Post, among others. The result is an all-out assault on our attention, as the 'microfamous' fill our eyes and ears and the merchants work ever harder to pull down the wall between advertising and actual content. Wu closes this broad-ranging but closely argued argument [sic] by noting that given that our lives are what we pay attention to, we are now obliged to 'defend the sheer reach of the attention merchant into the entirety of our lived experience.'"

Library Journal (Sep '16 #2) notes that "The nature of our lives is at stake, claims Wu, ... through the advent of the first screen (movies), second screen (television), third screen (computers), and most recently the fourth screen (smartphones and wearable technology). From snake oil to Netflix, the author follows the rise of advertising, the shifts in technique, and the public response. Propaganda as advertising, 'demand engineering' (creating the desire for merchandise that otherwise wouldn't exist), brand loyalty, targeted ads, and item placement are all touched upon. Wu further argues that consumer revolts have arisen before but never totally succeeded. His goal is for readers to be aware of how much attention they are giving away to others. VERDICT Part history and part social wake up call, this book is for everyone.

Publishers Weekly (Aug '16 #2) calls the book a "lively if sometimes overwrought history of advertiser-sponsored media. ...Wu’s critique of the Kardashianized spiritual malaise of our society [and] the spectacle ... feels old hat; the real problem seems to be simply how to prune back ads that have grown too invasive and annoying. Fortunately, his history is usually vigorous and amusing, filled with details of colorful hucksterism and cunning attention-grabbing ploys along with revealing insights into the behavioral quirks they instill in us. The result is an engrossing study of what we hate about commercial media."

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YOUNG, WILLIAM P.

Entertainment Weekly (Dec 1 '16) reports <www.goo.gl/00ZHch> that a first trailer <www.goo.gl/BPo1JO> has been released for The Shack, based on William P. Young's book [2] that has sold 20 million copies since its release in 2007. The film, which stars Sam Worthington (Avatar), Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Tim McGraw, hits theaters in March.

Lies We Believe About God, by William P. Young [3] -- also due in March, the publisher reports: "Wm. Paul Young has been called a heretic for the ways he vividly portrays God's love through his novels. Here he shares thirty-three commonly uttered and sometimes seemingly innocuous things we say about God. Paul exposes these as lies that keep us from having a full, loving relationship with our Creator. With personal anecdotes and sharing the compassion readers felt from the 'Papa' portrayed in The Shack - soon to be a major film starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer - Paul encourages readers to think anew about important issues including sin, religion, hell, politics, identity, creation, human rights, and helping us discover God's deep and abiding love.

"From the author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Shack comes a bold, compelling narrative examining the different interpretations of God's word and inspiring conversation through the statements we mistakenly believe God has said.

"Often accused of 'putting words in God's mouth,' Young takes the opportunity to do the opposite by challenging the existing paradigms about the Word of God and the statements we often believe He has said. In precise and simple language, Words You Will Never Hear God Say [apparently the book's initial title - RP] encourages you to evaluate and examine your own thoughts about important issues such as sin, heaven, hell, identity, sanctification, and human rights, and helps you rediscover God's deep and abiding love for humankind and His high view of what it means to be human."

For reviews of The Shack, visit <www.goo.gl/ngXTl0> and <www.goo.gl/Nj62Xv>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads, by Tim Wu (Knopf, 2016, hardcover, 416 pages) <www.goo.gl/3D85Uk>

2 - The Shack, by William P. Young (Windblown, 2007, paperback, 256 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/yyz3dl6>

3 - Lies We Believe About God, by William P. Young (Atria, March 2017, hardcover, 272 pages) <www.goo.gl/VukfCG>

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