22AR27-34
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AR 27:34 - A heretical generation of "Bible quoters, not readers"
In this issue:
ISLAM - a new "leading, trusted source of information"
ORTHODOXY - a theology problem, or a priorities problem?
SELF-HELP - Done any manifesting lately?
Apologia Report 27:34 (1,587)
October 7, 2022
ISLAM
Fred Farrokh, "a Muslim-background Christian who currently serves as an International Trainer with Global Initiative," reviews The Qur'an and the Christian: An In-Depth Look into the Book of Islam for Followers of Jesus, by Matthew Aaron Bennett <www.bit.ly/3tG0DUe> -- it was not until the second half of Farrokh's review that we grew interested: "Bennett wisely engages with the revisionist thoughts of John Wansbrough, who notably suggested the early Islamic history is unreliable, as well as Mark Durie's more recent The Qur'an and Its Biblical Reflexes (Lanham, MD: Lexington). One recent contribution to this emerging field not mentioned by Bennett is Daniel Brubaker's Corrections in Early Qur'an Manuscripts (Lovettsville: Think and Tell, 2019). Brubaker's research into the Qur'anic manuscripts contradicts the standard Islamic narrative by contending that the Qur'an was continually edited over centuries until it arrived at its modern format. One other area which Bennett does not explore is the 'Qur'an as Poetry,' which explains much of its allure for Muslims.
"Bennett's finest work appears in the concluding section of the book. Therein, he evaluates one of the thorniest issues in modern missiology - the intentional utilization of the Qur'an in Christian witness. With poignant reasoning, Bennett explains why trendy missiological initiatives, such as 'The Camel Method,' 'Muslim-idiom Bible translations,' and 'insider movements' tend to do more harm than good in presenting the Gospel to Muslim peoples. Bennett concludes regarding these new Western missional experiments:
"They all include an optimistic view of the Qur'an as a natural tie-in to the biblical testimony. As the previous chapters have demonstrated, however, the Qur'an's history, internal claims, and traditional interpretations fight against such a positive view of its message. As it has been received throughout the last 1,400 years, most Muslims view the Qur'an as a corrective of the biblical material rather than a supplement to it. (p. 226)
"Bennett's assessment is spot on, and he is fast becoming a leading, trusted source of information related to Islam and Muslims. Christians who appreciate a theologically robust read will find The Qur'an and the Christian well worth their while." Themelios, 47:2 - 2022 <www.bit.ly/3fczROM>
For the June 16 Apologia Report notice (27:22) of the book's initial release and early secular criticism, also see <www.bit.ly/3aXzohc>
Bonus: A video teaching series on Muslim evangelism by reviewer Fred Farrokh: <www.bit.ly/3V3aJKN>
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ORTHODOXY
"The Rise of the Evangelical Heretic: Even among the faithful, Christian orthodoxy has taken a backseat to cultural and political tribalism" by Russell Moore (editor-in-chief, Christianity Today, Sep 22 '22) -- "Lifeway Research released a survey <www.bit.ly/3Eh9Ubm> conducted for Ligonier Ministries. It concludes that a shockingly high percentage of American evangelicals hold beliefs about Jesus and salvation that every wing of the Christian church would define as heresy.
"If these results are accurate, what does that mean for where American evangelical Christianity is headed?
"To recap, the survey showed [that most] affirmed the Trinity, but 73 percent at least partially agreed with the statement that 'Jesus was the first and greatest being created by God the Father,' which is, of course, the teaching of the heretic Arius. ...
"Lifeway seems to have accounted for and filtered through many ... research problems [such as] those who believe but can't articulate their beliefs in abstract terms. ...
"What worries me isn't so much that evangelical Christians can't articulate Christian orthodoxy in a survey. It's that, to many of them, Christian orthodoxy seems boring and irrelevant compared to claiming religious status for already-existing political, cultural, or ethnonational tribes. ... Maybe rather than an information problem, we have an affections problem. Maybe before we have a theology problem, we have a priorities problem.
"The missing piece right now is not so much the ability to articulate doctrines but a more fundamental literacy of Scripture. My fellow systematic theologians often chafe at 'we need to get back to the Bible' talk, pointing instead to an ignorance of the Christian creedal tradition and of church history." Discussion follows.
"New Testament scholar David Nienhuis makes the point that we have a generation of 'Bible quoters, not Bible readers.' ...
"The Bible shapes and forms its hearers. The Word of God does not return void ... maybe Awana Bible memorization classes or Sunday school 'Sword drills' are more important than worldview conferences.
"When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, ... he knew what the Devil was up to - tempting him to seek food, protection, and glory from somewhere other than God, just as the Israelites had been tempted to do in the time of Moses. ...
"Jesus ... knew his Book and knew what mattered. If we don't follow his lead, we might have our 'values' right-side up and our theology upside down." <www.bit.ly/3fs4rnR>
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SELF-HELP
Have you heard? The new buzzword is "manifesting." Psychology Today reports (May 17 '22) that manifesting "is one of the biggest trends in the world of self-help. Roxie Nafousi's Manifest: 7 Steps to Living Your Best Life <www.bit.ly/3E5BZ5w> became an instant international bestseller when it was published at the beginning of the year. It has been on the Sunday Times bestseller list for weeks, and numerous celebrities have been spotted with a copy in their hands."
Anna Katharina Schaffner's analysis, "The Trouble With Manifesting," <www.bit.ly/3RyRCFD> does a good job of covering important background, but tends to conclude the obvious in the process. We like that up front she finds: "Nafousi's book belongs to a much older tradition of self-help books that advocate the idea of the 'law of attraction.'" She ties Manifest to the "best-known examples of law-of-attraction self-help [which] are Rhonda Byrne's The Secret (2006) <www.bit.ly/3foPMtn> and Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich (1937)." In addition, she connects the dots with Christian Science figures such as forerunner Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802–1866) and founder Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910).
A few lesser-known names help complete the circle, including "important 'mind cure' thinker" Prentice Mulford (1834–1892); William Walker Atkinson, who "later made similar claims in Thought Vibration or the Law of Attraction in the Thought World" (1906), and a critic of this genre, "the father of positive psychology," Martin Seligman (b. 1942).
Unmentioned are religious influences which have spread their effluent in these waters, including Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller <www.bit.ly/3UROabO> and the Word-Faith movement.
Schaffner gives a concise overview for both Hill and Byrne. "Hill published his mega-bestseller Think and Grow Rich! in 1937. It became the blueprint for a new type of self-help book which centers on the pursuit of money.
"Hill's message is simple: We can all become rich if only we want it badly enough. If we focus strongly on thoughts about money and abundance, the universe will magically resonate with our subconscious and send infinite riches our way. [v] All we need in order to become rich is to develop a definite desire. Then our thoughts, 'like magnets, attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.'[vi] If we 'magnetize our minds' and become 'money conscious,' we will be millionaires in no time.
"It is unsurprising that such a message would have been soothing to readers struggling with the economic fallout of the Great Depression. But this dubious message has remained attractive ever since. Byrne's The Secret rehashes the idea. Her 'secret' is, you guessed it, the law of attraction. The principles of this law are reiterated again and again. Our thoughts, apparently, have a frequency. We emit this frequency into the universe and thus magnetically attract all things that are on the same frequency as our thoughts. The Secret is teeming with stories about unexpected cheques in the mail and magical transformations of personal circumstances. It promises its readers that they can easily attract $10 million, because 'The Secret can give you whatever you want.' For 'You are the most powerful magnet in the Universe! … Your thoughts become things!' ...
"Byrne's and her fellow mind-over-matter writers' doctrines are victim-blaming. Ultimately, they hold those who suffer misfortunes personally responsible for their sufferings. This includes cancer, rape, car accidents, and acts of violence. Byrne, for example, seriously suggests that all of life's calamities are caused by our failure to think positive thoughts and to transmit our cheerful requests for luxury items loudly enough into space. Byrne and the many money-making experts who contributed to her book make it perfectly clear that the rule of the law of attraction also applies to the 6 million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust."
Surprisingly, Schaffner doesn't really interact with Nafousi's Manifest. The book suffers guilt by association alone.
In dismay, Schaffner laments, "I am surprised that these perfidious, utterly indefensible claims have not attracted more criticism.
"Why, then, do books [like these] appeal to so many of us?" All the usual suspects are paraded: the quick fix, empowerment, escape, yearning for invincibility, and fear over vulnerability.
Schaffner's summary analysis:
* - "Manifesting" is a powerful trend in the world of self-help that belongs to a much older tradition of "mind cure" writings.
* - Manifesting massively overestimates our agency and ability to control the external world, advocating magical thinking.
* - It also ignores socioeconomic and psychological reality and may leave people feeling ashamed and guilty for not achieving their dreams.
Schaffner merely ends with the simplistic: "When things don't work out the way we hope, we end up feeling guilt and shame."
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