Modern Heresies
Phillip Jenkins (see quote below) noted that American religion is marked by "a fundamentalist evangelicalism." As times become uncertain, fundamentalism grows in strength. Around the world, unhealthy distortions of historic faiths prove contentious in their collision with modernity. Recently I have been reading the "statements of belief" that many churches and church organizations list on their web sites. In a word, Jenkins is right, orthodoxy is in retreat. Odd, but most people don't realize that fundamentalism is a recent arrival on the religious scene; literal readings of historic texts often misread them. Beginning next week I am going to be commenting on some of the more obvious distortions. Monday's Faith Focus will deal with "the rapture" - on the one hand the notion is just plain silly, but on the other hand, it has unwelcomed consequences.
In faith,
Pastor Tim
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"Extreme and bizarre religious ideas are so common place in American history that it is difficult to speak of them as fringe at all. To speak of a fringe implies a mainstream, but in terms of numbers, perhaps the largest component of the religious spectrum in contemporary America remains what it has been since colonial times: a fundamentalist evangelicalism with powerful millenarian strands."
Philip Jenkins
Under the Banner of Heaven
page 9
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SPAGHETTI DINNER DONATIONS
We welcome donations for the
Spaghetti Dinner on Tuesday, May 17th. We are in need of jars of Ragu Traditional sauce (no meat) and plain brownie mix (no nuts). If you are able to help, please drop off items no later than Friday, May 13th, by noon in Faith Center or the church office. Thank you!
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This 13-week program offers life changing financial advice with a common sense approach to financial empowerment! Two preview sessions will be offered here at Faith. You may attend either Sunday, May 15th, at 10:30 a.m., or Wednesday, May 18th, at 6:30 p.m. Each session runs approximately 30 minutes.
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