25AR30-08

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AR 30:8 - Younger / Educated - pastors reject Word-Faith Theology

In this issue:

ATHEISM - "Richard Dawkins declared himself a cultural Christian"

SPIRITUAL ABUSE - introducing "Traumatic Narcissism Theory"

WORD-FAITH THEOLOGY - "Pentecostal pastors also more often agree we have to do something for God to receive material blessings"

Apologia Report 30:8 (1,697)
February 25, 2025

ATHEISM

"Dawkins the Apologist" by Erik Strandness (Premier Unbelievable, Jan 24, 25) -- "Premier Christian Radio, the parent organisation of Premier Unbelievable, was established in 1994. It is a British Christian radio station that broadcasts nationally on DAB Digital Radio and is also available online. ...

   "Unbelievable has grown and diversified. Now it is accompanied by four other notable shows: 'Ask NT Wright Anything', 'The CS Lewis Podcast', 'Unapologetic', and 'Matters of Life & Death'....

   "Two recent episodes of Premier Unbelievable? bring together atheist Alex O'Connor and Christian philosopher and apologist Alister McGrath to discuss the latter's recent book: 'Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity.' <www.tinyurl.com/48ruf6d5> In it, a variety of Christians share how the famous atheist inspired them towards belief in God rather than away from it. ...

   "Richard Dawkins initially made a name for himself outside scientific circles as the lead pony of the four horsemen of the atheist apocalypse.... It appears that instead of getting religious people to adopt his worldview, he only succeeded in coaxing atheists out of the closet.

   "Surprisingly, however, he is now being recognized for his contribution to the field of Christian apologetics through an unorthodox yet impressive demonstration of reverse psychology. His ability to turn up the rhetorical volume of atheism to a Spinal Tappian 11 inadvertently improved the cultural acoustics to such a degree that instead of drowning out God, he improved our ability to hear that 'still small voice.' McGrath commented on this phenomenon in the opening chapter of the book he co-edited:

   "'As the sociologist Tina Beattie remarked shortly after the publication of Dawkins's The God Delusion, it seemed that Dawkins had reawakened public interest in God 'more effectively than any preacher could have done.' ...

   "Alister McGrath summarised this idea in the book's introduction:

   'For P. Z. Myers, a biologist at the University of Minnesota, it was a serious error of judgment to allow Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens to assume a leadership role within the movement. How, he asked, did that happen? Within a year, a 'cult of personality' had emerged in which Dawkins and Hitchens were 'turned into oracles whose dicta should not be questioned, and dissent would lead to being ostracised.' Had atheism, many wondered, morphed into a new religious movement, with its infallible prophets and authoritative texts - above all Dawkins and his God Delusion?"

   "Over time people began to realize that the New Atheism had become a cult of personality and rather than drink the Kool Aid they developed a thirst for Living Water. ...

   "Biochemist Dr Sy Garte described it this way: 'What disturbed me was not so much Dawkins's strident defence of atheism, which I had only recently left behind me, but the descent in the tone and content from the brilliance of his previous works to a style that came off the pages as snarling vitriol. It was hard to believe that the same person who had written The Ancestor's Tale also wrote The God Delusion.' ...

   "Ashley Lande, in her essay, relates how she was smitten by Hitchens' charm and eagerly awaited her copy of his book 'God is not Great,' but then recounted her disappointment after only reading the first sixty pages:

   "Hitchens excited me. He was whip-smart, smarmy, cocksure, full of rhetorical bluster, and able to conjure up stultifying retorts on the spot. He eviscerated his opponents with ease and smirking impunity. So, what if he was a little brutal sometimes? You had to be when dealing with these backward, religious rubes. Truth be told, I delighted in his brutality. He seemed to spare no one with spiritual delusions of any kind, and rightfully so, I believed.... I was practically salivating to read the thing by the time I got home. And so, I did, sixty or so pages of it, my heart slowly sinking to my gut as I realized that Hitchens's style seemed nastier than I remembered." ...

   "Peter Byrom's essay described how Dawkins' resolute dogmatism contrasted with the far more appealing epistemic humility of Christian intellectuals such as William Lane Craig:

   "'What impressed me most was that, by laying out his arguments in this way, Craig was making them transparent and vulnerable. This approach does away with rhetoric and emotional manipulation.' ...

   "In a recent Easter interview, Richard Dawkins declared himself a cultural Christian. He, however, quickly clarified his statement by reminding us that he still doesn't believe in God. He likes the cultural guardrails, the cathedrals and even some of the hymns but seems oblivious to the fact that cultural Christianity is only possible if there are Christians." 

   "Erik Strandness (godsscreenplay.com) is a physician and Christian apologist who practiced neonatal medicine for more than 20 years and has written three apologetic books." <www.tinyurl.com/264vdjj7>

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SPIRITUAL ABUSE

"Understanding the Traumatic Narcissism Theory and its Clinical Utility" by Daniel Shaw (International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation, Vol 8 - 2025) -- "Abstract: This paper sets forth the Traumatic Narcissism Theory and will define and clarify the following terms: traumatic narcissism; narcissistic abuse; the traumatizing narcissist; the traumatizing narcissist's relational system of subjugation. The Traumatic Narcissism Theory is intended for the treatment of victims of narcissistic abuse, distinguishing it from other psychoanalytic theories intended for the treatment of pathological narcissism and individuals diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. This paper identifies eight specific abusive behaviors deployed by the traumatizing narcissist that are subjugating and traumatizing."

   Shaw's introduction begins: "In this paper, I summarize the traumatic narcissism theory, and I explain how I use it clinically with victims of narcissistic abuse. First, I describe some personal circumstances that led me to develop these ideas.

   "In 1996, I was 42 years old, finishing my Master of Social Work degree, and beginning a new career as a psychotherapist. The title of my final paper was 'Traumatic abuse in cults: A psychoanalytic perspective'.... I knew my subject intimately. Prior to beginning my degree in 1994, I had lived for 13 years in the ashram community of and worked full-time for an Indian guru." (There may well be enough clues embedded here to identify the guru, but we didn't find anything immediately obvious.) <www.tinyurl.com/26eye8mk>

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WORD-FAITH THEOLOGY

"Few Pastors Bank on Prosperity Gospel: And yet, belief is more prevalent among churchgoers" by Aaron Earls (Ministry Watch, Jan 23 '25) -- A Lifeway Research study of U.S. Protestant pastors finds "Many churchgoers say their church connects financial blessings with personal generosity, but most pastors see those ideas as bankrupt. ...

   "The large differences we see between pastor and churchgoer beliefs related to the prosperity gospel means pastors are often not the source of these beliefs among Protestants," said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. "But the gap likely also means pastors are not teaching the reasons for their own convictions on the subject. ...

   "Fewer than 1 in 10 (8%) Protestant pastors believe individuals must do something for God in order to receive material blessings from Him. Nine in 10 (90%) disagree, including 74% who disagree strongly. Few (2%) aren't sure.

   "Similarly, fewer than 1 in 5 (18%) say their churches teach that if you give more money to the church and charities, God will bless the giver in return. Around 4 in 5 (79%) disagree, including 62% who disagree strongly. Just 3% aren't sure.

   "Pastors are more split on whether God wants people to prosper financially. Still, only 37% agree, 59% disagree, with 31% disagreeing strongly, and 5% aren't sure.

   "The widespread disagreement with these beliefs among U.S. Protestant pastors is not shared by those in their pews, however, according to a 2022 Lifeway Research study. ...

   "Almost half (45%) of U.S. Protestant churchgoers say to receive material blessings from God they have to do something for God. The percentage that agrees has almost doubled from the 26% who agreed in a 2017 Lifeway Research study.

   "More than half (52%) say their church teaches that if they give more money, God will bless them, up from 38% five years earlier. Additionally, 3 in 4 Protestant churchgoers (76%) say God wants them to prosper financially, an increase from 69% in 2017.

   "Nine in 10 pastors describe blessings from God based on grace rather than God owing people a reward for their actions. This is counter-intuitive for many in a culture that focuses on performance," said McConnell. ...

   "Protestant pastors of the largest churches, those with 250 or more in worship attendance, are among the least likely to reject the notion that their church teaches that if you give more money, God will bless you in return. Still, 70% disagree that their church promotes that teaching.

   "Pastors of these large congregations are also the most likely to believe God wants people to prosper financially (52%). ...

   "Denominationally, Pentecostal pastors also more often agree we have to do something for God to receive material blessings from Him (16%), their church teaches God will bless people if they give more (35%) and that God wants people to be financially prosperous (72%).

   "Younger pastors and those with formal education beyond college are frequently among those most likely to reject the doctrines." <www.tinyurl.com/ybbe8enh>

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