Comments on "Bad Religion", part 2

The prologue of "Bad Religion, How We Became A Nation Of Heretics" introduces the topic of "A nation of heretics". Not only have we seen a growing political and economic mess in America, it has become apparent that our culture has declined. Ross Douthat doesn't take sides politically. He clearly and comprehensively uncovers various religious theories about what has brought on the decline; and why religious institutions have lost so much influence over the culture.

Whether it is a voice from the right that says America started as a Christian nation and, having moved away from its Christian principles, has lost God's favor, or a voice from the left that says America is in decline because it is too religious, both are inadequate explanations. Douthat says "America's problem isn't too much religion, or to little of it. It's bad religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of a variety of destructive pseudo-Christianities in its place."

These distortions of traditional Christianity don't have the full stream to draw from--only self-indulgent truncated copies that in the end don't have the power of the real thing. Interestingly, Douthat says that the various "experiments" or "heresies" in American Christianity's history have not been all that bad. They have been good for traditional Christianity because the push and pull of innovation versus orthodoxy have served to strengthen the orthodox stream and make the faith broader and able to serve more people.

Freedom of religion in America has in the past made the orthodox stream stronger. "In America, because orthodoxy couldn't be taken for granted, orthodoxy came alive."

The problem today, though, is that the stream itself is weaker. The so-called "mainstream denominations" have declined in membership and influence. Many, having moved themselves out of the stream of orthodoxy, are now simply ignored as irrelevant by the cultural elites who set the memes of the news cycle.

Meanwhile, although the explosion of the tributaries shows that Americans are not less religious, the don't have the unity or collective power to affect the culture in a positive direction. Instead, we're a collection of individuals who each has his or her own "choose your own Jesus" that meets the requirement of providing some personal benefits without a sense of corporate responsibility.

Douthat wrote his book with the hope that things can be turned around. "Both doubters and believers stand to lose if religion in the age of heresy turns out to be complicit in our fragmented communities, our collapsing families, our political polarizations, and our weakened social ties." He will argue for a renewal of faith in and a return to the 2,000 year old stream. And, in spite of the pessimism of much of the book, he has hope that renewal can come.

I will write my comments with that same hope. Perhaps some readers will pick up the book themselves and read along. Perhaps others will simply rethink their own relationship to the religion that forms the roots of our culture and seek some answers in those churches where the gospel message is still being taught and lived.  After all, even heretics are not beyond the reach of God's grace.

Comments On "Bad Religion", part 1

I've started reading "Bad Religion, How We Became A Nation Of Heretics", by Ross Douthat.  It is so intriguing that I've decided to write a post on each chapter to share it with my friends.

Douthat traces the decline in influence of religion on American culture since the optimistic years following WW II. He sees the problem not as too little religion nor too much religion, but as what he calls "bad religion".

From the preface comes this illustration. "A chart of the American religious past would look like  a vast delta with tributaries, streams, and channels winding in and out, diverging and reconverging--but all of them fed, ultimately, by a central stream, an original current, a place where all the waters start. This river is Christian orthodoxy."

There has always been a struggle between the stewards of orthodox Christian belief and practice and those who seek to adapt to new circumstances by experimenting with, adding to, or deleting from that orthodoxy. America, with its lack of central authority, its melting pot of cultures, and its enshrined freedom of religion has been a fertile ground for these experiments.

These "experimenters" typically have taken one aspect of the multi-faceted (and sometimes seemingly contradictory) Christian stream and emphasized it, resulting in a tributary that at first is connected, but eventually departs dramatically from its origin. The result has been a collection of "choose your own Jesus" movements. So, we have become "a nation of heretics"--still religious, but with declining influence in the American culture.

Challenging Myself

Like many others I put 2008 behind me as the annus horribilis I want to forget. Looking to 2009 in hope for a better year in many ways, I set a goal to read at least one book a month ("and none of them with pictures" as I wrote on my Facebook page).

An article in The Wall Street Journal Online about the books President Bush reads challenged me to read more and watch TV less. So far my list of books to read in 2009 is up to 18. Notice I said, "to read" not "have read".

I've finished 2 so far, and one of them--The Blessing of Christmas, by Pope Benedict XVI--does have pictures. They are beautiful reproductions of classic paintings of Advent. It was a Christmas gift along with three others that are on my list: Jesus of Nazareth, by Pope Benedict XVI; Truman, by David McCullough, and The Reason for God, by Timothy Keller.

I'll leave the one with pictures on the list as a balance to some of the others that are much longer and heavier (literally--Truman is hard to hold as I read it).

There are lots of other challenges ahead in 2009. I'm grateful to have one that I have set for myself and that I have some control over its outcome.

May your challenges in 2009 be ones you can have some control over, too. Happy New Year!

My 2007 Book Recommendations

It’s that time of year when lists of recommended books come out. I’ve gone over several of those lists, and see some of the books I’ve read on some of them.

For whatever it’s worth, here is a list of some books I’ve read this year, and my comments on each.

1776, by David McCullough: A captivating narrative history of the critical year in American history. It shows how difficult it is in reality to gain freedom, and then to keep it once gained. Excellent read.

A Mormon in the White House?, by Hugh Hewitt: With a subtitle of 10 Things Every American Should Know About Mitt Romney, it is a friendly look into the character and qualifications of one candidate for President. And of course, it deals with “the Mormon question”. Worth reading, especially as Romney is leading in several states.

America, The Last Best Hope, Vols. I & II, by William Bennett: An excellent narrative history of the United States. It is essential reading for those who have read nothing in American History since high school or those who would like to read something positive about the United States, but still see how we really are, warts and all.

Christianity For The Rest Of Us, by Diana Butler Bass: This could be a beautiful read about “Christian practices” that have been helpful to many and are signposts of some healthy and growing “mainline Christian” churches. I say it “could be” because to get to the beautiful parts you have to endure a lot of negative, polemical, bigoted, and condescending comments about those groups Bass doesn’t like: evangelicals, fundamentalists, the “religious right”, and others she ironically deems narrow-minded. If you fit into one of those categories, skip this book. If you like polemical writing, you may like this one.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling: The last book of a series that is great fun. I loved them all.

My Grandfather’s Son, by Clarence Thomas: This is a truly inspiring story about one of the Supreme Court’s most controversial justices. His rise from a poverty and prejudiced culture that is unbelievable to all except those who have seen it firsthand is a challenge to all of us who complain about whatever roadblocks we may have had to success. I loved it.

Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference, by Philip Yancey: Our Sunday School class did a study of this book early in 2007. You can see some of the weekly lesson guides online here AntleHope.blogspot Prayer Study. It is a most important book on prayer, with no false promises but with a lot of excellent information and advice. A great study!

Simply Christian, by N.T. Wright: This is N.T. Wright’s approach to what some have called an update of C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”. It’s an attempt to present the Christian faith in a manner that will appeal to 21st Century non-Christians and Christians alike. It may be a bit hard to get into for those who don’t understand metaphors. I like it very much, since I’m trying to adapt my approach to “evangelism” to reach those who aren’t steeped in the evangelical Christian culture I grew up in.

The Forgotten Man, by Amity Schlaes: I knew very little about the Great Depression and the FDR administration, even though it’s effect on my parents affected me greatly. I learned how much that era continues to dominate the political landscape and arguments about the role of the Federal government (in Social Security, taxes, health care, etc.). It is a lively readable book that throws light on a lot of people whose names I only vaguely knew. This narrative history of the 30’s is one of the most important books that can be read by those who will vote in 2008—if you believe that “the past is the prologue to the future”.

The Last Word, by N.T. Wright: This book, along with the last one on my list by N.T. Wright, gave me the framework for an extensive study of the Bible that my Sunday School class is doing now (God Speaks To/Through His People, the story of the Bible as a Drama in Five Acts—see more about that here. It is an important smaller work whose value is seen in its sub-title” “Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture”.

The Looming Tower, by Lawrence Wright: This is THE classic (true) story of the rise of Al Qaeda and the road to 9/11. Anyone who claims to have the answer to ending the war that Al Qaeda declared on the United States and has not read this book is only fooling themselves. A MUST READ!

The New Testament and the People of God, by N.T. Wright: This is the more extensive study from which “The Last Word” derives its framework. It’s a big (476 pages), detailed, scholarly book by a pre-eminent New Testament scholar who is also the (Anglican) Bishop of Durham, England. The first of a trilogy, it’s not a book for those with little biblical background; but it is still a great book that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Christian theology and today’s culture.