Customer Reviews

Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(14)
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1 star:		(24)

 

 

Bawer's book starts out brilliantly and had me tentatively recommending it to people by the end of the first chapter. He makes some very insightful points, and he has the enviable ability to create a sound bite that actually has deep meaning; there were several points in the book where he sums up complex spiritual issues in one terrific sentence. Unfortunately, the book does not live up to the promise shown at the beginning.

The points Bawer brings up about Fundamentalist Christianity are all valid, but his support for many of them is rather weak. He does not use footnotes, his references are incomplete, and the bibliography adheres to no style I've ever seen. This wouldn't matter if I wanted to accept his work as truth in and of itself, but I prefer to check sources.

Bawer also tends to express opinion as fact. He twice makes the claim that legalist Christians (his term for Fundamentalist Christians) know their doctrines are untrue, although they will never admit it to themselves. To make such a claim is arrogant and uninformed-Bawer does not know the true feelings of individual legalist Christians. I know several people who fit Bawer's definition of legalists, and they hold their beliefs more dear than anything else, including things most people cherish such as family and career. If scientific or empirical evidence refutes these beliefs, the evidence is wrong, and the people who bring this evidence against Christianity are deceived. One could easily and truthfully say legalists are just putting their heads in the sand, but that doesn't mean they do not believe their doctrine.

Bawer also rails against Pat Robertson, his editors, and his readers for not checking facts or having any knowledge about the subjects of his writing. The one incident Bawer uses as an example is a reference to Marie-Henri Beyle in Robertson's book "The New Millennium." Robertson states that Beyle is the birth name of Voltaire, but Bawer points out that it's actually the birth name of Stendhal. Robertson is therefore a distorter of history, and since no one caught the mistake four years later when the book was reprinted, his readers are unlearned and manipulable. I showed this Beyle error to three of my friends. Between us we have five graduate degrees, including three Ph.D.s. None of us knew Voltaire's birth name. It seems unlikely that this one sentence in Robertson's book (which is very badly written and full of bizarre claims) implies malleability or a lack of education. If it does, Bawer should check page 112 of "Stealing Jesus" where he confuses Lao-Tse, the founder of Taoism, with Confucius.

Overall this is a disappointing book, perhaps because I expected more actual research and less opinion, especially when discussing leaders of the Religious Right. The sketchy, sometimes incomplete supporting evidence for Bawer's statements coupled with the lack of references make me question the overall accuracy of the book. A far better look at the evil aspects of Fundamentalist Christianity is Tom Sine's "Cease Fire," though he tends to get preachy near the end.

I enjoyed this book very much. I happen to agree with the basic premises Bawer introduces, although at times his frustration is a little too evident. It is not as much of a scholarly work as "A Place at the Table", but Bawer does include many quotes and anecdotes which add considerable weight to his assertions. I found Bawer's splitting Christians into two camps, "Legalistic" and "Non-Legalistic" a bit too simplistic (he admits this), but it is useful to make his point. His point is, in my opinion, that in pursuing a legalistic or fundamentalist approach to the Bible, legalistic Christians are missing the biggest Christian teaching of all: love. If you are sympathetic to Bawer's views, you will probably agree with much of the book. If you are a fundamentalist/legalistic Christian, this book will probably be added to your list of "banned" books, and you won't enjoy reading it.

I was oohing and ah-ing in understanding and agreement through many parts of this book. Bruce Bawer describes the fundamental or legalistic Christianity that many Americans think we have to follow or we're not Christians at all. It is the Christianity that has stolen Jesus from the rest of us who, because we think that the only true requirement of God is to love God and humankind in thought as well as action, must give up on Jesus who is represented today as narrow and condemning. Bruce Bawyer makes us realize we can still call ourselves a Christian even if we don't go along with the harsh doctrines of the media-acknowledged Christian Coalition style of Christianity. There are times when Bawyer's bitterness towards legalistic Christianity is evident, yet his message is extremely important for making us think about what it really means to be a Christian, and for encouraging those of us who believe in a church of love to speak up and not be intimidated by aggressive and judgmental button-holers.

Mr. Bawer makes a distinction between those Christians who want to emphasize God's love ("there ain't no Hell" group) and those who want to emphasize God's law ("the hell there ain't" group). I think fundamentalists of all brands are ripe for exposure and that Bawer raises some very valid points. Most fundamentalists that I know are quite nice people. Unfortunately, when idealism gathers in groups, a mob tends to form, regardless of the dogma. A large enough mob can start a war.

If one goes down the block, across the nation, or around the world to each church, synagogue, mosque or holy place, some fundamentalists of each theology may be found. Each sub-group has the irritating habit of thinking that their group alone, once and for all, has solved the great riddles of life. It seems to me, amongst all that varied dogma, there is only one way any one of them or all of them can be right; that being the extent to which a group teaches a theology of tolerance and love.

A Review of Stealing Jesus by Neil Wilkinson

If the government could mandate reading any one book, Bruce Bawer's Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity would be a suitable candidate. It is a must read for any American who takes seriously such basic Constitutional tenets as freedom of speech, expression, and religion. The Right Reverend John Shelby Spong writes: "Bawer emerges as one of this nation's premier religious commentators. One by one he parades the leaders of America's Religious Right--Falwell, Robertson, Reed, Dobson--before our eyes, and without rancor or hostility makes his readers listen to their own words... Bawer's background as a practicing Christian gives this volume a disarming brilliance." What does Bawer mean by "stealing Jesus?" "In recent years, legalistic Christians have organized into a political movement so successful that when many Americans today hear the word Christianity they think only of the legalistic variety. The mainstream media, in covering the so- called culture wars, generally imply that there are only two sides to choose from: the God-of- wrath Christian Right and the godless secular left." It is "a dangerously misguided notion" to take the Christian Right lightly, as simply a holdover from traditional Christianity that will eventually fade away. By distinguishing between nonlegalistic and legalistic Protestantism, that which concerns itself with doctrine, authority, and law, at the expense of love as Christ preached it, Bawer observes, "Born out of anger, modern legalistic Christianity has, over the long arc of the twentieth century, become steadily angrier in reaction to spreading secularism." Tracing fundamentalism from its earliest roots to the present day, Bawer explores the origins of such nonscriptural precepts as "the rapture" that emanated from a book known as the "Scofield Reference Bible," a 1909 document written by Texas preacher C. I. Scofield and ! upon which much of modern fundamentalism relies. An overriding theme in Stealing Jesus is the question of love. It is Bawer's assertion that fundamentalism does all it can to convert the spirit of Christianity into vengeance, a mainstay of legalistic fundamentalist thought. The views of Robertson, Reed, Dobson, and others are devoid of love, but heavy on buzz words and arcane inconsistent rules-bound pseudo-theology, one of the major reasons that devout people become defensive when asked the question, "Are you Christian?" The fundamentalist intrusion into the American political process by wealthy, powerful zealots is of particular concern to Bawer. He pays close attention to the "esoteric theology," of "God's Generalissimo," Pat Robertson, It is through flagrant historical, scriptural, and factual distortions to a constituency upon whom such alterations of reality are lost, that fundamentalists have parlayed themselves into a position of incredible political power. They have infiltrated the Republican Party to such an extent that many traditional Republicans find the party unrecognizable, much the same as Christianity is becoming unrecognizable to many of its followers. Crisply written, succinct, and well-organized, Stealing Jesus is a unique and provocative work that leaves behind partisan or, special interest politics in favor of a clear, concise, and even- handed social commentary. Stealing Jesus, published by Crown Publishers, Inc., is three hundred and twenty-eight pages, with an exhaustive bibliography and index. It is available in hard cover only.

Neil Wilkinson lives in Cobb County, GA, in the absolute heart of Gingrich territory (he was here before Newt). He practices law (one day he might get it right) and he is in the Master's of Professional Writing Program Kennesaw State University. He has published poetry, short fiction, essays, book reviews, and features.

As a Jewish girl raised in the southern Bible Belt, my religious experience began early and struck hard. Both my parents worked and the only day care they could afford was the local Christian daycare center, where I received my first introduction into the world of proselytization and religious betrayal. As a child, my only memories of Christians were hearty women towering over me, telling me I wasn't allowed lunch or snacks unless I prayed to Jesus in thanks. This left a legacy in my mind that caused me to feel a pervasive resentment and distrust of fundamentalist Christianity -- and indeed Christianity in general. As I grew older I questioned my prejudice . . . and Bawer's book was what I found.

This book completely changed my perspective on not only Christianity, but all the major world religions. To think that this book is merely a criticism of Christianity is superficial and undeserved, for the actual message carried by this book is so much deeper. In a world torn by the violence of religious extremism, the psychological, economic, emotional, and social pressures that endorse the trend toward fundamentalism in Christianity can easily be expanded to give us a greater understand of fundamentalism in ANY religion.

Victor Hugo's adage that the faults we see in others are those we see in ourselves comes to mind when I consider this criticism of Christianity from the inside out. As a predominantly Christian nation, we so easily criticize Muslim extremism, and yet extremism exists among our own ranks. If we can see faults in the rest of the world (religion-wise or otherwise), then we can easily find those same faults within our own ranks. Bawer exposes this hypocrisy with solid arguments and examples whose reality is striking. Props to Bawer for an open-minded book endorsing tolerance and self-reflection!

This is an important book that should be read by all Americans--whether of a religious persuasion or not. The agenda of American Fundamentalists (and their close cousins, conservative Evangelcals) is a true threat, not only to freedom of religion in particular, but to freedom of thought in general. It is not surprising that so many Fundamentalists are offended by this book--the truth sometimes hurts. But as many of the reviews on this post indicate, it doesn't always open eyes.

I do agree with some of the criticisms aimed at this book--I disliked Bawer's choice of a general bibliography rather than more specific documentation; and he does, at times, sound a bit bitter. As to the former, I was raised in the Southern Baptist Church and graduated from a conservative evangelical college. I have followed the careers of many of the people Bawer discusses in this book and the activities of many of the organizations he mentions. Allow me to be a witness: he is right on the money. As to the latter, Bawer's experiences as a homosexual in a bigoted "church" have certainly earned him the right to a little bitterness.

Comments made by admitted fundamentalists on this post only underscore Bawer's point. Consider such comments as "What you are not free to do is claim to be OF US WHILE DENYING WHAT WE BELIEVE" and "...why continue the pretense of naming oneself Christian?" These are people who claim the authority to define what Christianity is. The rest of us either fit their definition or we are out of the picture. How sad and how devisive. This cannot be the church that Jesus intended.

It has taken me a lifetime to free myself from the indoctrination I received as a child and young adult and to discover the true essence of Christianity--an inclusive Christianity that has room for those who take the Bible literally and those who do not. (I always have to wonder about those people who cannot conceive of finding value in the Bible without a literalist interpretation--people who seem to live in an either/or universe.) I didn't learn much new by reading Bawer's book, but it did my heart good to know that someone at last is getting the message out there.

I first read "Stealing Jesus" at a point in my life when I really needed a book of its type. I had become disillusioned with what I perceived as the painfully exclusive nature of Christianity, and I was at the point of forgetting it all together. This book made me aware of the fact that Christianity does not necessarily have to be that way, which was an awakening and a relief for me at that point in my life. However, as I re-encounter the text now, I am concerned at Bawer's lack of understanding for those he terms fundamentalist Christians. Bawer is more than happy to endorse a Christianity that is all-inclusive of those who have traditionally been excluded from Christianity, but those who have a point of view that he sees as incompatible with Christianity are not treated with the embracing love and understanding that he would otherwise recommend. In fact, they were frequently criticized, leaving little room for understanding of the way in which they were raised or their backgrounds. This is troubling to me, and I think it would also be to other Christians who are trying to live the life of love that Bawer is so quick to endorse.

Yes, I will admit, this is not the perfect book. Like others, I was a little frustrated with the lack of specific source citation. Bawer does give us a bibliography at the end, but I would have liked to have had specific references to specific works he quotes, which he does not always do. And, a minor but important point: Bawer points out that legalistic Protestant churches are very segregated; you'll seldom see a black face in a white church. True, but unfortunately, the same can be said for mainline Protestant churches, too.

That said, I still say this book is a must read. Bawer does an excellent job of explaining how the fundamentalists (or "legalistic Protestants," as he prefers to call them) became the power they are today, and why they are so dangerous as they worm their narrow-minded, God-as-wrathful-avenger views into mainstream society. This book has inspired me to renew my own commitment to God, not the fundamentalist "god," but the God of Love, the God who gave us his Son, not as currency with which we buy our ticket to Heaven, but as a perfect example of His love, which we in turn, having accepted that love, try our best to emulate.

To underscore Bawer's point, I got email while I was reading the book from a friend who goes to a fundamentalist church. She wondered if she should feel guilty for hanging up on a solicitor who represented some charity, when she had just given, not only money, but her considerable artistic talent, to no less than four other charities! This is a classic example of how legalistic thinking has made her feel guilty for what she hasn't done, rather than feeling good and thankful for what she has done. I think she's getting a copy of this book!

This book raised many interesting spiritual issues for me. While it contains some ideas and arguments that I do not accept, it affords a context within which I can examine my own spiritual journey, and it has helped me articulate the discomfort that I felt with the churches that my family attended while I was in high school. It distinguishes between "law" and "love" as the bases for different strands in contemporary Christian movements. (Guess which one it prefers.) The tone is a little strident (especially in the chapters that amount to personal attacks on certain leaders of the religious right), and I have run into one or two passages that make assertions with which I am predisposed to agree but which I cannot accept uncritically and which the text does not document, but it is well written and makes several interesting points. The most informative part was perhaps the history that traces contemporary fundamentalism to social movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.