It’s The Theology, Stupid!
Full disclosure – my first university was Colgate in Hamilton, New York which was founded in 1819 by a group of Baptists, including at least one of my ancestors, to train Baptist ministers. Another ancestor, a minister, may have been responsible for Grover Cleveland becoming President when, at an event for Cleveland’s opponent he referred to the Democrats as the party of “rum, Romanism, and rebellion”. This annoyed the hell out of the Irish Catholics in New York who voted for Cleveland, and carried the state and the election by just over a thousand votes. I’m quite aware of the possibilities of mixing pastors and politics, but it has historically been a Republican problem. In this election John Hagee is more suited to the role of Samuel Dickerson Burchard than anyone else, if the media would report on his words, especially concerning “Romanism”.
What is really going on with Reverend Wright, the “Evangelical Manifesto”, et alia is a basic conflict in theology between Liberation Theology and the Prosperity Gospel. This is a war over some bedrock beliefs in Christian churches and the Presidential campaign is the background, not the reason. Barack Obama was a convenient weapon to be used against the Liberation Theology side, and Reverend Wright knows that this is an attack on his core belief system.
EBW has been following this “war” and in an interesting piece points to a post by the ever insightful Sara Robinson, Jeremiah Wright: What (Else) Is Going On. Sara explains the outlines of the war.
EBW also provides the links to Rev. Wright at the National Press Club. If you are short on time and patience, the bottom video of Reverent Wright responding to questions will make it apparent why he is not apt to get good press any time soon. He doesn’t brook any nonsense from reporters and calls them on their bad habits.
Reverend Bill Moyers [you knew he was an ordained minister, right?] interviews Jeremiah Wright on Bill Moyers Journal in his usually informative manner, and you notice that Reverend Wright doesn’t have to tell Bill how to be a reporter.
[Update: via Hipparchia] Terry Gross on Fresh Air from WHYY, March 31, 2008 interviewed Reverend James Cone on Black Liberation Theology, in its Founder’s Words. This is the basis of what Reverend Wright preaches and believes.
This is a lot of information, but if you want to understand what the controversy is really about, and want to comment on it intelligently, make the effort. Barack Obama is a tool, a prop, not the star of this conflict.
[Edited for a typo in a name.]
12 comments
I believe McSame’s pastor’s name is Hagee, not Hagge. And I think the distinction in the title of the last book you cite is an important one, as, given what I know of his beliefs, I would not characterize Rev. Wright as a proponent of liberation theology as it is meant in the Catholic tradition.
Thanks for the correction, Michael, it wouldn’t be so bad if the name wasn’t in the Wikipedia link.
The difference in the two types was confusing to me initially because I have always associated the term “liberation theology” with the Catholic Church in Central and South America and the conflict with the repressive regimes in that area of the world, although they are both concerned with improving the lives of the people.
The important thing is to realize that this is conflict for the souls of people, not just their votes. The “Prosperity Gospel” has never made sense to me. I see no basis for it in the New Testament, in fact, I read rejection of many of its concepts in the real Gospels.
disclosure: i was found on a doorstep, so you can’t blame/thank me for whatever my ancestors did. 😈
thanks for those links.
i’m still working my way through the black nationalism / black separation / black liberation theology family tree and hadn’t even got around to the white people yet, in large part because malcolm x calling me a white devil is a whole lot less creepy than jim and tammy faye bakker, robert tilton… ugh, i can’t go on.
from the wikipedia link:
Dissatisfied with resistance by the men of the major parties to woman suffrage, a small group of women announced the formation in 1884 of this third party. Belva Lockwood, an attorney in Washington, D.C., agreed to be its candidate even though most women in the United States did not yet have the right to vote. […] The Equal Rights Party had no treasury but Lockwood gave lectures to pay for campaign travel. She won fewer than 5000 votes but taught the nation an important civics lesson: that women were interested in politics and could be good candidates.
too bad your ancestors couldn’t have swung the election in that direction.
In case you haven’t noticed, my ancestors, other than the weak minded John Chapman who went around planting apple trees, tended to tick people off, not embrace new concepts.
surely getting a mere woman elected president would have ticked off A LOT of people. 😈
In Catholic circles, liberation theology got its start in Central/South America and does, indeed, have a strong focus on the preferential option for the poor and the need for a just and free society. Despite being tagged for a lack of references, the Wikipedia entry is pretty good.
Although I lack formal competence to do so, I would preferentially describe the “prosperity Gospel” as rankest heresy. It is clearly contradictory to everything Jesus Christ says in the canonical Gospels about money and its proper place in a Christian’s life–not that pettifogging facts have ever gotten in the way of a scammer or a certain type of preacher, mind you.
“disclosure: i was found on a doorstep, so you can’t blame/thank me for whatever my ancestors did.”
Hahahahaha… I like that! 😀 😀
Hmmm… As I mentioned in my last comment on your “What Hath Wright Wrought?” thread Bryan, I was raised a screwed-up Catholic. I didn’t point out that the primary school I went to was a Catholic Private school (Corpus Christi) run by… *shudder* The Nuns!! (I still have nightmares! They can teach even Stormtroopers some things about discipline!) Then I went to Therry College, (your typical good old Christian Brothers sadist training camp). 🙂 So… I think I turned out OK all things considered. 🙂 Instead of getting an automatic weapon and going up a clock tower, I joined the military and took out many years of anger and abuse against the Khmer Rouge and other deserving types. 🙂
It took me a long time to get over Catholicism and to stop thinking that perhaps Satanism is the *good* part of the good vs evil thing). Cambodia was the real turning point. I saw evil in every way and lived in Hell on Earth. Then, I discovered America’s involvement (supporting Pol Pot etc), and got angry all over again. I’m still working on that one.
Hmmm… perhaps your ancestors would approve of me then Bryan. I tend to tick people off. 😉 LOL I *DO* try to aim for the neo-Christians though these days, like Catholics, Mormons… the list is rather long I’m afraid! 😉
For example, Catholics become annoyed when I point out things like…
The Bible states that every child born is a child of god. Baptism is supposed to be a *choice* by the adult individual when said individual decided to choose Christianity (hence the term ‘to be reborn in Christ’). Therefore, baptizing a baby is a) pointless, b) taking away their fundamental right to choose. There are other examples, like the whole Catholic concept of ‘Holy Communion’… etc. 😉
Don’t get me started! LOL
Thanks for the links! Much reading to do. 🙂
Cheers!
Umm… Bryan… can you fix the italics thing? *sigh* Thanks!
There is a trend developing that I think we can all agree on, that the message of the Gospels is not the problem, the problem is the way people are bending the message to suit their own purposes. It is amazing how often the purpose involves separating people from their money.
Frankly, I view Prosperity Gospel as a variation on supply-side economics which results in the transfer of wealth to the top.
I agree with your comments Bryan, and Michael’s too (especially regarding the so-called *Prosperity Gospel*)!
The *Prosperity* part is strictly a one-way street, bottom up (or if you prefer, flock to shepherds, hence *fleecing the flock*). 🙂
I think we know where all the old Mafia hoods went. After all… many were devout Catholics! LOL
You can make a lot of many with minimal education as a televangelist, and the risk of jail time is almost non-existent.