Field Guide to the Wild World of Religion: 2011 Edition. Pamela J.D. Dewey
“the Tribulation.” They may invest all their financial reserves in gold and silver coins, and move to a Caribbean Island to escape what they believe to be the coming collapse of American society. They may cancel plans for a college education, marriage, or having children because they are convinced The End is imminent. More than one has even tried to help speed the Second Coming of Christ along by plotting to destroy the Muslim Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, so that a Jewish temple can be built on the location—a pre-requisite, they believe, to Jesus’ return.
Most of these people likely have some sort of basic theological beliefs about other aspects of life. They may have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and believe that the Bible is their guide to life. But, at some point in their spiritual quest, they have shifted almost all of their focus away from the Sermon on the Mount and the other basics of the Faith, and toward an all-consuming emphasis on prophecy. They devour all the latest books on the topic, watch endless prophecy programs on the Christian cable TV stations, and travel around the country to prophecy conferences, where alleged “prophecy experts” swap their latest speculations.
These people have embraced a One-doctrine Wonder which gives the primary meaning to their life, a doctrine that insists that we are living in the very Last Days of man’s dominion over the Earth, and that it is vital to prepare immediately for The End.
But they are not alone in their obsession with such a One-doctrine focus to life. There are other individual doctrines around which whole religious subcultures have formed. Another such doctrine is the one that insists that miracles, particularly miracles of healing, were not just limited to the first century AD, but are available today. Those deeply involved in the Healing Ministries Movement devour all the latest books on how you can “claim your healing.” They travel around the country to attend the latest “miracle crusade” by Benny Hinn or Morris Cerullo. They attend workshops on “how to heal.” And they watch the endless parade of healing crusade television specials on TBN and other Christian networks. Such specials show huge stadiums in South America, Africa, and elsewhere, filled with tens—or even hundreds—of thousands of people. The crowds have gathered in hopes of receiving or witnessing a healing in the presence of Reinhard Bonnke, Claudio Friedzon, and others like them.
Still others focus much of their energy, time, and resources in promotion of the Hebrew Roots movement. The central tenet of this subculture is that, in order to fully understand salvation through Jesus Christ, you must explore and embrace the “Hebrew Roots” of Jesus; in other words, study the customs and beliefs of first century Judaism. Those deeply involved in this movement devour all the latest books and tapes of their chosen Hebrew Roots teachers, attend conferences and conventions that feature “Hebraic” music, pageantry, and dancing, and perhaps adopt such customs as wearing prayer shawls trimmed with blue and white tassels.
Another One-doctrine Wonder that has attracted a huge following in the past two decades is what has been termed “Word Faith” theology. This is the primary theological foundation of most of the programs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network, promoted by such popular televangelists as Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Rod Parsley, and Joyce Meyer. Its central feature is the belief that Christians have “power” in their own words to claim unlimited health and prosperity for themselves and others. Sometimes flippantly referred to by outsiders as the “Name it and Claim it” doctrine, this notion insists that God has promised unconditionally to give believers whatsoever they desire, if they will only claim it in total faith.
In Word Faith circles, other topics are at times addressed, such as family relationships, basic salvation messages, and prophecy. However, the lion’s share of books, evangelistic tracts, TV programs, DVDs, conferences, and weekly sermons are focused on teaching people how to claim their health and prosperity.
The End Times Prophecy, Healing Ministries, Hebrew Roots, and Word Faith movements are only the tip of the iceberg of religious subcultures in America at the beginning of the 21st Century. But because they are four of the most influential and fastest-growing at this time, this Field Guide includes a more extensive overview of each of them.
Trend Six: One-man Wonders
Paralleling the One-doctrine Wonders is the emergence of a significant number of “One-man Wonders.” These are individuals (primarily men, but a few women are in the category) who have attained a status of guru among their followers. Each one, within his/her own circle of supporters, is viewed as, at the very least, the most significant teacher on Earth today. And he or she may be viewed, at most, as a unique end-time apostle or prophet, one who has “restored truths lost since the first century.”
This sort of religious figure has been with us since the first century. But, other than a few notable exceptions such as Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, and Ellen G. White, alleged “prophetess” of the Seventh Day Adventist movement, such gurus have had a very limited impact in the past. It is the 21st century’s explosion of communication capabilities that has allowed modern religious figures to quickly gather a following over wide areas far from their home base. And it is this very long distance factor that allows followers to maintain illusions about their hero that might well be easily shattered if they were in personal contact with him. Most communication between teacher and student in this situation flows only one way, through a barrage of newsletters, recordings, radio and TV programs, financial support solicitations, and more. The student can try to communicate in the opposite direction, but any letters or phone calls from supporters will likely be answered by some low-level functionary in the guru’s ministry.
In the past, such teachers as Billy Graham and Hal Lindsey have had a wide contingent of admirers who really enjoyed their books or broadcasts. However, those admirers usually had a local church to which they belonged, a local pastor whom they consulted for their problems, and a local group of like-minded believers with whom they enjoyed regular face-to-face fellowship. Their interest in Graham or Lindsey or others like them was a “side” interest, just as would be a hobby such as stamp collecting.
But the One-man Wonders of the 21st century are more than a side interest of their followers; each one is the spiritual center around which his followers live their lives. Some such men are relatively benign in their influence, although supporting them may be a major financial drain on their most dedicated followers. They are perhaps even unaware that some of their followers are focused so narrowly on their ministry. It is those who have delusions of grandeur of their own that are the cause of the greatest concern regarding this troubling trend. For such men and women can begin to believe so strongly in their own importance, and be so convinced that they have an intimate pipeline to God, that they begin imposing their own idiosyncratic teachings about every minute part of life on their followers. This can include the mundane—what sex positions are permissible for married couples, how long is too long for men’s hair, how short is too short for women’s hair, etc. It can also include the spiritual—the authority to declare who has the Holy Spirit and who doesn’t, to cut off from fellowship those who do not bow to the teacher’s every command, to give authoritative interpretation on the most obscure and debatable passages of the Bible. Those who are obsessed with one teacher in this way often find themselves associating or affiliating only with others who share their obsession. They frequently withdraw from fellowship with whatever local congregation they have been a part of, in order to gather with those of like mind to listen to CDs or DVDs of their new teacher together—weekly, or even daily.
Those groups that form around such teachers are susceptible to the next troubling trend.
Trend Seven: Spiritual Abuse and Deception in the Name of God
Although the six troubling trends listed above each have certain aspects which may be unbalanced and unbiblical, the most serious troubling trend goes far beyond that. In every generation since the first century AD beginnings of the Christian faith, there have been religious teachers and preachers who have gathered around themselves a following through the use of deceptive and abusive tactics. However, it is only the development of the technology of the late twentieth century that has allowed this phenomenon to reach epidemic proportions. A hundred years ago, the influence of most such individuals would have been limited, by time