Self Help Christianity
Posted on January 24th, 2008 by catalyst into the Christian Pop Culture categoryGood Magazine has a profile of Joel Osteen with some fascinating insight into Osteen's ministry:
It's the Bless-Me Club," says Dr. Ben Witherington, professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, an interdenominational seminary with a Wesleyan heritage. "It is self-help, and that kind of message plays very well in America. It's the opposite of the message of salvation, which is that you are saved by grace from God. Joel Osteen is preaching the psychology of self-worth. There's nothing wrong with a strong sense of self-worth, but it doesn’t have to be linked to material success."
And of course, the article discusses Joel's business acumen:
Joel is a very good businessman,” Paul Osteen says. “He’s surrounded himself with people who are very good at what they do. …He oversaw a $100-million renovation to the Compaq Center; it takes some business savvy to do that.”
I have no problem with preaching a positive self-help message. It's just, I don't need church for that. I can feel good about myself after watching two hours of American Idol. And again, it doesn't seem that Christ had such a feel-good life. He ended up dying on a cross. I just can't see Christ preaching this message:
The reason [Osteen is] so popular is because of the spiritual infantilism of America. Not just spiritual, the infantilism of American culture,” Anthony says. “And he feeds the Paris Hilton, Britney Spears culture. It’s all me. Benefit me. What can I do for me? How can I feel better? What can I do about me? How you can get the best of your life? It’s all me-centered.”
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January 24th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
for more fodder on Lakewood Church and the controversy magnet, Joel Osteen, check out
http://www.churchrater.com/review.php?id=221
This is a site put out by authors Jim Henderson and Matt Casper. Jim, who is a veteran of the faith having pastored for many years, and now leads the progressive Christian organization, Off the Map, and Casper, dubbed Casper the friendly atheist, wrote a book about a dozen churches they toured across America. The mission was for Jim to be the tour guide and see the Sunday morning church thing through the eyes of an outsider. The book, Jim and Casper go to Church, has been on the market for about a year. (you can read my review of it here
Church rater is an interesting site that was set-up after the book came out. Cllck on the Find a Church button and it will give you a list of churches that have been rated at their site. And um, no, CBC is not on it. Yet.
But my church, The Bridge, here in Portland, is on it…with a four out of five star rating…whoo-hoo!
Anyway, FYI……
January 24th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Seminaries seem biased against any church over 300. I know this from personal experience, having attended one. Also, I’ve watched Joel Osteen quite a bit and I’ve never heard him say anything theologically incorrect. It didn’t’ seem like this article could pin him down on anything either. They were just saying he’s too feel goody. I would concur with that sentiment, I don’t think I would ever attend his church, but if others got something out of it, I’m more than happy for them.
January 25th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Talk about raw meat to savage wolves… I expect some responses to that.
January 25th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I read an article on Joel Osteen recently. Joel Osteen was giving the journalist a tour of his facility when a woman who was in line to also tour the grounds called out “you make religion a pleasure!”. To which Joel Osteen flashed a toothy smile and replied “Thank you”. Reading about that exchange made me more than a little nautious.
January 26th, 2008 at 2:29 am
So, I take it you missed him waffling on Larry King?
FYI, a full transcript of the interview can be read on CNN’s site.
-joebib
January 26th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Sorry. This link should be the one.
-joe