Saturday, July 30, 2011

On American Gnosticism (in Evangelicalism)- iMonk

Here's another quote from this article from Michael Spencer AKA Internet Monk from a few years back.

…what is called American Christianity is actually some sort of American Gnosticism, a religion of direct human experience with God that has no need of the Bible, the Gospel or Christ and the Cross in the classically Christian sense. We are apparently such basically cool people, that we can get in touch with God our little ol’ selves if we just tune in the right way. Today, we have a Bible that is described as a “love letter,” a Gospel of manipulated and self-generated feelings and experiences (complete with band), and a Christ who is a whispy, feminized, dispenser of hugs and life management principles and no-cost/no discipleship salvation. Of course, this is the appropriate religion for people whose only actual concerns are feeling good about themselves and having it all without feeling guilty. Sinners seeking a remedy for the righteous wrath of God need not look into modern Christianity for any help.

Yikes!!

I think his points would be better suited if he were to expand on them and I leave it to you to read the full article, but this quote, sadly, does seem to outline some of the problems I have observed and read about...The God of the Bible and the Jesus of the Bible is so much bigger than what we see in evangelicalism these days. What do you think?

DB

3 comments:

Kwame E. said...

We’re all doomed: it’s that simple. Those who recognize the kinds of problems that you mention do not spend enough time working on that which would make these same problems go away, realistically.

D.B. said...

I don't know if it is a matter of not working on making these problems going away.

I think a big part is that too many don't even think there's a problem...and those that point out there's a problem, are labeled the troublemakers.

So, yeah...doomed. :-)

Kwame E. said...

«I don't know if it is a matter of not working on making these problems going away.»

It’s not. Those who recognize the kinds of problems that you mention do not spend enough time working on that which would make these same problems go away, realistically.