Book Review, ch.1-3 The Transformation of American Religions

So, I have to write these for class, and this book is particularly interesting, so I thought I'd share some tidbits... I definitely recommend picking it up for a read - he's somewhat repetitive, but has excellent insight into the Christian culture and America's influence on cultural Christianity... Granted, there are exceptions to the rule as always, but... much of what he has to say, I have experienced and observed within Christian circles.

Wolfe encounters the merging of traditional religion with American culture, and further proves his point made in his previous book that American Christians are more American than Christian in this day and age.

Religion has moved more towards the individualistic and participatory movements in our culture, where choosing a church is now based more on how the church meets your immediate needs (such as childcare or youth programs) than which denomination, doctrine or practices it professes. It’s all about the personal, religious experience derived from hedonistic, self-centered principles, since principles of selflessness and disciplined study of religious doctrine are too demanding and complex for the average American. Granted, it’s not that religious Americans aren’t studying – but they’re engulfed in books like The Prayer of Jabez, loosely based on 2 sentences of the Bible, made normative by the author's interpretation, lauding the ideals of success and prosperity theology. No offense, but haven't we all heard the old "God's not a vending machine" saying?

Wolfe hits the nail on the head when he says, “It is as if the Bible, considered as a body of ideas, is something of an afterthought, there to ratify ideas already so well formed that one need never puzzle over them.” People simply pick and choose what they want out of Scripture to support the ideas they’ve already figured out for themselves. Or, people believe blindly in God and possibly even the doctrines of their church, but never move beyond blind faith to the realization of truth based on a discovery of support and basis for their beliefs. He says these people “are people who believe, often passionately, in God, even if they cannot tell others all that much about the God in which they believe.” Both of these problems seem to come from the emphasis on feelings and experience over logic and doctrinal study. I'm all for experience, but I've met so many religious people who want to be religious simply because, and they have no basis for practicing their religion other than feeling good about what they believe. That's just strikes me as very dangerous - no offense. What if I "feel good" about a false belief? What good does it do me? Not that I judge anyone who does... I just want to know truth - not based merely on what I think should be true... as hard as that is for me to say.

In a country and religion where saving the highest # of souls is a reflection of your holy status, and belonging to a particular group of people identifies who you are, religion and American culture fit nicely together, giving people somewhere to belong and increasing the numbers on the pastoral portfolio. Anyone who has attended worship conferences or mega-churches is possibly familiar with the numbers game and the "rejoicing" over the thousands of souls "saved" in the service. I'm not saying it's not genuine - I know a few who were brought to Christ and his incredible example through that. I'm just curious the percentage of the number of those who say the Jesus prayer as compared to those who discover the heart of Jesus (as best we can with our limited understandings).

Lacking Jesus’ huge concern for the poor and marginalized, the emphasis is placed on the personal relationship (individualism, anybody?) with Jesus Christ – whatever form that might take. As long as you say the Jesus prayer, you’re set. Whatever doctrine flows from that is your personal business.

Nancy Ammerman makes a pretty good stab at hypothesizing the 3 main types of religious people in the Protestant faith: the activist (those who put considerations of social justice at the heart of their faith); the evangelical (those who identify with born-again forms of conservative Christianity); and the “Golden-Rule Christians” (those whose faith involves trying to lead a good life – and making the world a better place – by doing for others as they would do for you). She points out that the majority of Americans claiming Christianity as their faith tend to fall in the last category – some of those doctrinally ignorant or displaced, but wanting to be good people, anyways.

One last interesting thing he points out is that he does “respect the willingness of fundamentalist Christians to stand against the emotionality of American culture in favor of ideas – strongly held ideas, to say the least – about who God is and why he asks so much of us. [He] just wish[es]… that they would be a lot more willing to engage in ideas with which they disagree instead of being so quick to proclaim them wrong or unchristian.” I would agree. Good job on the research - but don't just research those in favor of your opinion.

Thoughts, anyone? I hope this doesn't come off as terribly offensive... it's just fascinating to me. :) How much of our religion is based on our cultural upbringing as opposed to the discovery of truth possibly found in Scripture and complemented by our experiences communicating with God?