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Conflicted Charisma.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      0 comments      link this post     


Charisma Magazine is a seriously conflicted publication.

It's a Christian magazine for "charismatics" and pentecostal Christians, which is, in itself, a seriously conflicted vein of belief. It's made up of conservative believers, Word-Faith, Name-it-Claim-it...the whole nine yards. To put out a magazine for such a wide (and often disagreeing) audience leads to a kind of bi-polar content rivaled by none.

For example, in the current May 2008 issue, we have, in selected order of appearance:
  1. The excellent writing of J. Lee Grady1 talking about that dirty little secret: God Loves Arabs, Too. He gently takes Christians to task for their unquestioning support of Israel (in a magazine heavily saturated with pro-Israel articles and ads) and not taking into account our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted not only by the Jews of Israel, but by Muslim Arabs.
  2. The Feedback page where letters from readers comment about past issues. In these letters, a past article about money and Christian ministries and Sen. Charles Grassley's efforts, as well as another article by Grady on pride in ministry, raise the most uproar. One reader writes about how, in the middle of an article that featured a humble missionary, he found an advertisement for a "love cruise" with two prominent Christian leaders promoting themselves.
  3. Joyce Meyer's regular column, Straight Talk. Meyer's was a topic of discussion in the Feedback section in regards to Grassley's probe.
  4. An ad for Feed the Children, featuring images of starving and desperate children from Africa.
  5. An ad for Meyer's latest book The Secret to True Happiness.
  6. An ad for TBN's Holy Land amusement park.
  7. Some miscellaneous blurbs, ads, and articles until we get to...
  8. ...an article pressing Christians to pay for bomb shelters for Israeli citizens.
  9. Etc.

The magazine has good stuff in there, but it takes a serious deep breath before diving in. Some of the ads and the blessing/word-faith/get-rich-be-blessed crap drive me insane, particularly when placed next to an ad for starving people in need or articles on persecution of fellow Christians in another country who may not benefit from knowing an American Christian's "true secret to happiness"2 in their geographic location, and also might appreciate some of that money that would be going for a bomb shelter in a wealthy nation to head their way for a few meals and a roof over their head.

I would just love to know the editorial policy, and sit in on some of the meetings, since the advertising conflicts with some of the articles which are written by writers/ministers subtly taking shots at other writers/ministers' beliefs or behavior.

Crazy.

I don't think my conscience could handle working there.



1 Grady is a favorite writer of mine, in part because of his book 10 Lies the Church Tells Women (a gift from a reader following this incident, and a book I recommend for women). He is a regular writer for the magazine and is usually pretty blunt.

2 Which, since it only applies to very few (actually) geographic locations on this planet, makes it not really a "true" secret since it wouldn't be a universal truth. More a selective truth, or truth with a catch.

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Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      5/01/2008 12:07:00 PM      (0) comments      Links to this post    

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World Magazine has a new look.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      0 comments      link this post     


I have to say I'm very impressed with the new World Magazine and online webzine format.

Because of postal rate increases, the magazine (after getting feedback from subscribers) decided to go to a bi-monthly format. Instead of a magazine each week (which rarely happened because the postal service lagged and we'd often get two magazines on the same day), we now get two a month, twice as thick.

I'm very impressed by the first issue of this new format: thick, jam-packed with great articles and material. And the new web site that they've got up and running... excellent.

I'd encourage you to consider World Magazine. They are sometimes described as the "Christian Newsweek" (I've used that description myself) but I rather hate to see the word "Christian" used as an adjective for material items. The content is from a Christian's perspective, but it is, by no means, predictably conservative. In fact, I always get a kick out of reading the letters to the editor from Christians who were offended by something and want their subscription canceled.

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Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      3/07/2008 12:35:00 PM      (0) comments      Links to this post    

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Rob Bell interview.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger      0 comments      link this post     


An earlier post recommended Rob Bell's most recent book, Sex God.

I now recommend an interview in The Wittenburg Door (a magazine I used to get for a few years) in which Rob Bell says many things about art and Christianity and nouns and adjectives, an interview that left me thinking "here, here!"

Go now, and read.

Hat Tip: CRN.info


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Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger      9/19/2007 08:03:00 PM      (0) comments      Links to this post    

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