25AR30-16

( - previous issue - / - next issue - )

pdf = www.tinyurl.com/AR30-16

chimp = www.tinyurl.com/yyubn57z

AR 30:16 - Dune: Prophecy and the malleability of truth

In this issue:

ANTHROPOLOGY - facing complications "because of our technological powers"

CULTURAL APOLOGETICS - why "metamodernism" will "collapse under its own weight"

LIVING STREAM/LOCAL CHURCH (WITNESS LEE) -- its "Recovery Version" of the New Testament unwelcome in Russia

Apologia Report 30:16 (1,705)
May 8, 2025

ANTHROPOLOGY

"What Is Man?" by Carl R. Trueman (Andrew Klavan's NEW JERUSALEM Substack, Mar 31 '25) -- "There are books that become more true over time than their authors may ever have anticipated. One of them is C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man, published in 1943 at the height of the Second World War. In its three chapters, Lewis articulated the problem of his age: a collapse in anthropology. In the 80 plus years since, that collapse has continued apace.

   "Lewis was not simply a cultural critic. He was also a prophet. And the problem of his age is the problem of ours. Indeed, the Psalmist's question demands an answer today more perhaps than ever: What is man? But while the Psalmist immediately answered that he is a creature made by God to be a little lower than the angels, yet crowned with glory, in this present age his cry has more the character of a rhetorical question, a revelation of our confusion.

   "Recent days have seen intellectuals and other cultural leaders revisiting Christianity. This is in part surely a response to the abolition of man. As Nietzsche pointed out so bluntly to the polite Enlightenment atheists of his day, killing God is an act of deep significance for the meaning of man. Indeed, the death of God is the death of man, or at least of the notion that 'man' is to be understood as made in God's image. And, as Nietzsche saw all too clearly, that requires that we ourselves become gods, rising to the challenge of creating our own selves and our own meaning.

   "Lewis was writing against the background of the war, a catastrophe that had yet to be fully realized in the gas chambers at Auschwitz and in the emergence of atomic weapons. Those developments accelerated and intensified the problem. And today, the question 'What is man?' is even more complicated, largely because of our technological powers.

   "Technology has brought great improvements to our world. Antibiotics and analgesics have transformed medical care - who would want to have undergone even a minor surgical procedure before those were a reality? But it has also enabled and accelerated the abolition of man.

   "The sexual revolution transformed human relationships, made plausible by some of the same medical developments that have improved our world. The internet has enabled emigrants like me to stay in touch with friends and family back home. But it has also made the most extreme pornography a real and present danger for even the smallest child who happens to have access to a smartphone. Fertility treatments have brought the joy of new life to many barren couples. But IVF and surrogacy, however laudable the motives behind them, have also tilted society towards treating children as products, as property, as things and not persons.

   "Transhumanism has emerged on the back of these and other technological developments, further fostering the belief that human nature is plastic, or even a problem to be transcended or overcome. And A.I. now looms large, raising questions about whether we will ultimately prove to have been made merely a little lower than the angels or a lot lower than the machines we ourselves have crowned with glory. ...

   "Those looking to the Christian faith understand at some level that the anthropological crisis is theological. But such returns do not in themselves solve the immediate practical problem of what man is. That problem is in large part technological, or at least fueled by technology, and therein lies our quandary.

   "What 'man' means has always been connected to technology. ...

   "As a Christian, I want to be able to assess cultural, technological, and political developments on the basis of whether they restore or enhance what it means to be truly human or whether they tend to abolish or contradict it. But that requires a prior understanding of what it means to be human, an understanding that is not as straightforward as it used to be.

   "'What is man?' is the great question of every age. In our age of godlike ambition fueled by Promethean technology, finding an answer is urgent but is proving disturbingly elusive." <www.tinyurl.com/3kzv34jz>

 ---

CULTURAL APOLOGETICS

"What Is Truth in 'Dune: Prophecy'?" by Cole Burgett (Christian Research Journal, 48:1 -2025) -- "Few franchises have left as deep an imprint on the science fiction genre as Dune. Frank Herbert's original 1965 novel was steeped in political intrigue, philosophical musings, and religious iconography, and continues to shape the genre even today. Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation and its 2024 sequel brought the venerated story to the big screen for an entirely new generation, sparking a renewed interest in the property that Legendary Television now seeks to capitalize on with the streaming series Dune: Prophecy (2024).

   "Set 10,000 years before the events of the original novel and its film adaptation, Dune: Prophecy aims to expand the universe, focusing on the secretive Bene Gesserit order, the matriarchal sisterhood that appears in the novel and the film, whose shadowy influence has shaped the fate of empires. For Christians looking to engage in cultural apologetics, Dune presents both challenge and opportunity. Herbert's strange fusion of mysticism, genetic determinism, and prophetic manipulation provides a lot of fodder for conversation, even if Herbert's own presuppositions about religion in general are at odds with orthodox Christian teachings. And Dune: Prophecy provides viewers the opportunity to engage (or re-engage) with fans of the series on a level beyond that of the popular films.

   "Before jumping in, however.... Even teenagers who might be fans of the films need not look at this series due to the nature of the TV-MA rating - discerning potential viewers should consider this series firmly 'rated R.' ...

   "Dune: Prophecy draws upon the Great Schools of Dune book trilogy <www.tinyurl.com/at25xhrr> penned by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson and released between 2012 and 2016. Though set after the events of this trilogy, the show is nevertheless indebted to the 'worldbuilding' of that book series, even more so than it is indebted to Herbert's original Dune books. The histories of the famed Harkonnen and Atreides families are explored, as are the origins of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. ...

   "Politics and the ease with which truth can be twisted are central ideas the series plays with - and this is intentional. ...

   "Given the current cultural climate, it should be no surprise that Dune: Prophecy leans heavily into themes of political maneuvering, deception, and the battle for ideological supremacy. In an age when information is stored in invisible clouds and weaponized as needed, and narratives seem to receive constant revision, the series feels particularly timely. The idea that truth is malleable, or that those in power dictate reality, is a recurring motif in Dune that undoubtedly has lent it even more cultural cachet today. This series leans heavily into all these ideas.... Can any individual or group be trusted to guide history from the shadows without corruption? These are the kinds of ethical dilemmas at the forefront of the series."

   Thus, "For Christian viewers looking to engage in cultural apologetics, Dune: Prophecy provides some compelling opportunities to reflect on the nature of truth in an era increasingly defined by relativism and ideological power struggles. Recent scholarship has identified the age in which we find ourselves as 'metamodern,' the next evolutionary stage of the philosophical zeitgeist after 'modernity' and 'postmodernity.' ...

   "The key epistemological error of metamodernism is that it assumes trust must be fluid because human experience is fluid. It assumes that reality itself is unstable because human emotions and cultural narratives shift. Again, this is moral relativism 2.0 - the assumption that because human beings perceive reality differently, reality itself must be a function of perception. Let's all make it to the judgment seat, and we'll see how well this perception holds up.

   "The claim that truth is not merely an abstract concept is at the heart of Christian epistemology! ...

   "This is why, in the long run, metamodernism - like all relativistic philosophies before it - will collapse under its own weight. A society that embraces epistemological incoherence cannot sustain itself indefinitely." <www.tinyurl.com/4fuv7jpw>

    ---

LOCAL CHURCH MOVEMENT (WITNESS LEE)

"Russia Bans Local Church Publication as 'Extremist'" by Massimo Introvigne <www.tinyurl.com/za6snbjn> (Bitter Winter, Mar 18 '25)  -- "On March 7, 2025, Russian media reported that the Moscow City Court declared "extremist" the "New Testament Recovery Version" produced and distributed by the "Local Church" founded by Chinese preacher Witness Lee, aka Li Chángshòu (1905–1997).

   "The court found that the comments by Witness Lee on what it called a 'non-canonical translation of the New Testament' contain signs of 'exclusivism,' a frequent Russian accusation against groups banned as 'extremist.' 'Exclusivism' means implying that the Biblical interpretation by Witness Lee is superior to others, including the one by the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

   "The decision stated that the translation includes 'special linguistic signs of propaganda and humiliation' against other religions, including the ROC, based on specific 'linguistic analyses' by anti-cult 'experts.'

   "Finally, the court believed that the translation includes hidden or subliminal messages persuading readers to send donations to the Local Church.

   "The Local Church originated from an international Evangelical Christian movement that began in China during the 1920s. It is characterized by the belief that there should be only one active Christian church within each city, as a response to denominational disputes. This movement was founded on the teachings of Watchman Nee, a Chinese Christian who was influenced by the Plymouth Brethren. In the 1930s, Nee authored books on his beliefs and established churches across China.

   "After the establishment of the Communist regime, the CCP reviewed Nee's activities and initiated an investigation. Consequently, he was removed from Shanghai and subsequently imprisoned in 1952 for life.

   "In 1948, Nee sent Witness Lee to lead the mission in Taiwan. Lee's church expanded to nearby countries and the United States, gaining members from Chinese American communities and beyond.

   "In 1962, Lee founded Living Stream Ministry in California to support his writing and teaching. This publishing arm offers guidance to autonomous congregations in the Local Church movement, which follow the teachings of Nee and Lee.

   "Having its literature banned as 'extremist' normally in Russia paves the way to declaring 'extremist' the movement itself, thus prohibiting all religious activities in Russian territory."

   Living Stream is no stranger to controversy. For example, in 2001 The Local Church, The Local Churches, and Living Stream Ministry filed a $136 million defamation lawsuit in the state of Texas against Harvest House Publishers and authors John Ankerberg and John Weldon. In their suit, The Local Church claimed that the book the Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions was libelous in regard to them. On January 5, 2006, the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas issued an opinion in favor of Harvest House Publishers and its authors. Though the Local Churches and Living Stream Ministry appealed to the Texas and US Supreme Courts, their case was not heard, and the appellate opinion stands. <www.tinyurl.com/427252a5> For more on Witness Lee and his "Recovery Version"; see (for example) <www.tinyurl.com/mt67p4xe>

   For more on Introvigne and CESNUR, see <www.tinyurl.com/AR-on-M-Introvigne> and <www.tinyurl.com/39ue9p9s>

( - previous issue - / - next issue - )