Reading
this book was instigated by a discussion at our church book group. We
were reading Desmond Tutu's new book (this will be in a separate
blog) and discussing prayer when we started talking about how some of
our friends and coworkers speak about prayer differently than we do
and that sometimes we don't quite understand how to respond. Then
this book appeared on NPR so my friend and I decided to look it over.
To clarify – we don't think there is anything wrong with thinking
or doing things differently than we do, but we want to understand why
certain denominations do and say the things they do that seem so
different from what we have grown up believing. Understanding is the
key. When a few times that I have tried to gently ask a person who
attends a charismatic or fundamentalist type church questions the
response was often a defensive quip like, “It's in the Bible just
read it.” That is not really helpful to broaden understanding, so to a book we went.
Reading
the first several chapters of this book was very enjoyable. The history
of the evangelical or charismatic movement across the nation was
interesting. However, the author is an anthropologist and the book
soon began to feel like a doctoral dissertation that became a book
and I began to drown in information too technical for me. Do you know
the difference between apophatic and kataphatic prayer? I read about
it and still don't get all of the nuances. The best parts of the book
for me were the footnotes.
The author was kind and respectful towards her
study subjects. Too often those who don't agree with their subjects
end up making fun of them and that is not what I was looking for. I
wanted background and explanation without opinion or criticism. Luhrmann seemed professional,
sincere, and careful.
Lurhmann
explained that perhaps the biggest difference between these types of
sects or denominations and those I grew up with is that they have
made the break from academic Bible study such as we know. They do not
care so much about the historic background of the texts. They are
reading them as messages specifically to the reader. Mainstream
denominations insist that pastors be educated, that it is important
to study who wrote the original texts, why and for whom they were written, how many times and into what languages they were
translated, and also discussions of what they mean for us today.
Reading
about how differently we all view prayer was most enjoyable and educational. It was
so interesting to read about training the mind, de-centering, reaching an almost a trancelike state in order to feel that God is talking to one
directly. However, that same chapter offers up stories of girls
praying about hair styles, what color to polish their toenails, and
talking about God as being their “boyfriend” which I did not
enjoy. But still, it is good to see that when people talk about how they pray and about God
being beside them and talking to them they are sincere and simply
view the world differently than some others. Luhrmann covered worship
demonstrations also like swaying, waving of uplifted hands, crying,
and shouting during services. I would have to say that I am not comfortable with those things but it is good for me to read about
why it is done and to be understanding.
When
Luhrmann discussed demon possession, tongue speaking, and faith
healing she did so with reverence except for one little humorous
interjection. I am an introvert so those things
will probably never be on my agenda. But, if that makes some people feel
closer to God then that is what they need. There is so much more in
this scholarly book like; spiritual direction sessions, God as
therapist, singing as prayer, the feel good blurries, emotional
cascading, and becoming a prayer warrior that I simply don't have
time for right now. But if you want to understand these things and
have not grown up with it this book is for you.
If
I am to be entirely honest I would have to say that it is comforting
to me also to learn that this movement is relatively a new thing beginning
around the mid to late 1800s. The reason that is comforting to me is
that since for almost 2,000 years Christians worshipped without it so...
I'm ok.
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