Stealing Jesus, How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity

[bean]

My book showed up!
Okay, so I have gotten through the first probably 20 pages. Fascinating.
It's answering a question in my mind as someone who attended a "non IFB" church but was himself a fundamentalist in many regards, and was surrounded by many like minded people.

Fundamentalism is bigger than IFB. It cuts a rather wide swath. (I've always kind of suspected this.) Many conservative evangelicals are really close to full blown fundamentalism in many areas. I know I was. I look at the list.
Judgmentalism.
"We are the real Christians"
"please pray for so and so, who don't know the Lord."
Strict adherence to behavioral beliefs about alcohol, smoking, gambling, and even being seen near these things.
*A shunning of "worldliness"
*Almost exclusively taught is pre-tribulation rapture..my kids were told many times in confirmation or youth group that next year probably won't matter because Jesus was coming back very soon.
An exclusive lock on "truth." People Bawler was describing are people who think they have it all figured out and you better get on board.

Traditional Catholics who are extremely conservative..Seventh Day Adventists..Jehovah Witnesses...and legalistic protestants all have some of these tendencies and this is why they are lumped together in this book.

The title "stealing Jesus" is from the fairly recent movement in American religion and politics to almost claim, copyright, and trademark the message of Jesus so that the average person thinks that the church of LAW is what is being talked about.

One of the things in my departure from "performance based religion" was an in-depth reading seminar one summer where my eyes were opened to the origins of some of this stuff in the US..along with the lunch conversations with our professors. Little by little, I could see they the message from God of "I Love ALL Of you" had been co-opted and changed by people for various reasons. Mostly political, sometimes to pound home their version of "the truth."

Can't wait to read more!

[Presbygirl]

Fundys worship the idol of REPUTATION. What other Christians think of you is more important that living out the Gospel to others.

Jesus had a really bad reputation with the Pharisees.

[bean]

Well said Presbygirl. Well said.

[bean]

Things I have learned so far or had confirmed...WOW.

The constant division of the entire world into saved vs. unsaved.
A disdain, almost a hatred for anything involving higher thinking or education.
Basic history of legalistic Christianity.


One of the things that really stood out with me is the unique, US version of fundamentalism. It really rose as a response to those who felt that God's love and kingdom could be ushered in right now in our world through loving their neighbor. This is God's kingdom, not some bloody apocalypse of the end times theology. People like Fosdick were encouraging the growth of the the church of love and there was a huge fight in the early 1900s with the "fundamentalists" retaliating. Bawer contrasts the theology (and VERY WELL) I might add between the message of God Loves You and "God Loves You so You Need To Be 100 percent Holy."

Bawer takes the reader through a fundamentalist church service in Georgia...which sounded VERY much like a church service I knew, except the pastor toned it down a little in my church.

What else?
*Oversimplification of everything. Sound familiar? Everything reduced to a simple formula. No grey...anywhere. Black. White. Right. Wrong.
*Fundamentalism and travelling tent revival preachers were popular in the rural areas because people had nothing to compare it to, no context to balance things, and it was the only live show you might see all year.
*Two chapters on the development of the theology of love and what was disdainfully called the "social Gospel" by the fundamentalists and then on the rise of the fundamentalists.
*Pat Robertson, who was a big part of this book and Bawer feels that in most respects he is completely a fundamentalist. (God's Generalissimo)
*A chapter that I am currently on is on Dobson and Bill McCartney and Promise Keepers..

I don't have my book in front of my and have to leave for work early today, but wow. So many times I was reading and really saw my own experiences in this book. Indeed this is a group that going back to the late 1800s have stolen Jesus and reshaped him to meet their image..and nothing changes. To top it off, I think people in these groups are also being manipulated politically by the far right...and he does get into the political conventions of 88, 92, and 96.

I still remember a local republican (yes, I used to be a right winger too!) convention and some lady came on stage with a fairly silly dog and pony show about how great this country used to be back in the 50s and how "she wanted her country back." It was the whiniest political talk I had EVER seen. Ever. Of course, the flag was waving, soldiers marching through, kids pledging allegiance, and religion was all part of her little one act play to endorse so and so for congress. I look back at horror to some of this stuff. WTH. Your country is still here and it's still great.

I'm almost done but am so glad I had this book recommended to me!

[Apathetic or whatever]

Bean,

I am glad that you have been helped by this book. I know that it was eye-opening for me.

The part that struck me is something you mentioned as well; that fundamentalism extends far beyond the IFB movement. I had this confirmed to me by a recent visit to the big SBC in my town. There were some differences from the IFB but they were mostly cosmetic.

I found the parts dealing with the dualistic nature of fundamentalism very perceptive. It is astonishing how this black and white way of thinking pervades all of a person's life.

I still cannot believe that the author was never a fundamentalist himself. He has the whole mindset pegged so well it is amazing.

I am glad that you enjoyed the book. Originally I checked it out at my local library. I normally don't reread books (what with the number of books in the world that I have not yet read) but I think I will make an exception for this one. I plan to purchase it soon.