The Wandering Heretic

This is the last part of my review of Jeff Sharlet’s, “The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.” In the process of my review, I have contended that the subtitle is extremely misleading. As the terms are commonly defined, the organization (if it can be called that) headed by Doug Coe—pictured [...]

(Note: See my previous post for explanations of what the initials mean next to my references or quotes. Also see those previous posts for Sharlet’s assertions about the Family, as a Christian political group. This is, after all, the fourth is a series. To catch up, first read part one, then two, then three.) Though [...]

This is the third installment of my detailed review of Jeff Sharlet’s expose entitled The Family. Much of my dispute with the book involves the hype that is attached to the subtitle: “The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.” My first installment laid the groundwork in noting how the endorsements and publisher comments [...]

Jeff Sharlet has written an expose of the Family. The organization, currently headed up by Doug Coe, is touted in Sharlet’s book as a secret, semi-underground society that directs American politics both domestically and in international relations. In reading the book blurbs as well as the endorsements, one is left with the impression that the [...]

When The Da Vinci Code fervor was at full crest a year or two ago, it made some inroads into the Protestant Churches. The reason may have been because the majority of Dan Brown’s targets were contained within the Roman Catholic Church—also a favorite target of fundamentalists. Now it is the Fundamentalists’ turn. What Dan [...]

In September of 2007, the internet columnist Kathie Shaidle changed the name of her blog from Relapsed Catholic to Five Feet of Fury. At that time, I posted an article basically expressing my fears the Shaidle had started on the slope downward toward compromise. I assumed eventually that formally cutting her ties to the Catholic [...]

I have just finished reading Bruce J. Malina’s and John J. Pilch’s latest contribution to the “Social Science Commentary” series: Social-Science Commentary on the Book of Acts. It is no secret that I am a great fan of this series. After all, I have focused years of my life and reputation on them; basing my [...]

One cannot express interest in the implications of the Jewish/Christian connection and relationship without finally encountering the works of Michael Wyschogrod. As a Jewish “Barthian,” Wyschogrod is an invaluable resource in reflecting on the issues involved in the process of bringing Jews and Gentiles together into one body. Though not accepting Christianity himself, Wyschogrod, as [...]

While doing internet research for my series on Romans and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, I somehow ended up at the Asia Times website. There I encountered an internet columnist who writes under the pen name of Oswald Spengler. The original Oswald Spencer was the writer of The Decline of the West. That Spengler [...]

Publishing is a curious business. Frank Viola has written a book entitled Pagan Christianity in which he contends that many of the common practices of the modern church have their origins more in Paganism than in early Christianity. This is not the curious part; many people from Mormonism to Muslimism have made similar claims. Even [...]