Confessions of a former evangelical child

I have been dying to read this book since I saw the author, Chris Hedges, on The Hour (see clip below). But I have been inundated with scholastic reading and didn't seem to find the time or space to be able to take it in. I found it at my local library as an audio book, and was totally excited to listen to it on my hour long commute to and from school.

Summary from Democracy Now

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and a former seminary student who has a master's degree in Divinity from Harvard. Heexplores the rise of the Christian right in America, drawing parallels with the rise of fascism in Europe prior to the Second World War. In his interview with Strombo he says that the sect of Christian Evangelists that he writes about, The Dominionists, "Have acculturated the Christian faith with American imperialism and American capitalism."

The reason that I was so fascinated by this book is because I was raised in a fundamentalist, evangelical household. It was filled with bible studies, church service, sunday school, bible summer camp, evangelist revival tents, bluegrass christian music concerts (oh gawwd), and countless church-ran organized events that filled my childhood. The faith of my mother and stepfather had complete hold over my childhood, I was not allowed to listen to "secular" music, pulled out of my elementary school classes on evolution,  and not allowed to take dance classes (too "sexy" for a young girl).

This experience was not all bad because I did learn some great core principles and guiding morals that have helped me stay grounded, honest and true. I wasn't without my rebellion period during my adolescence though, but that is an entirely different matter.

So having been raised to witness evangelical tents where speaking in tongues and healing was normalized. Remember that TV evangelist who used to push the palm of his hand forcefully into  the middle of people's forehead and say "you were healed in the name of the Lord" and then they would swoon and fall to the ground? Yeah that was pretty much my childhood. Totally weird. I always hated going to church and refused to go when I was thirteen years old.

So I got this book to really look at how these evangelical movements (not all but some) were created for political persuasion. Listening to this book (audio CD) reminded me of all the strange, almost cult-like practices (a funny one was banning the TV show 'The Smurfs' somehow it was deemed evil) were held inside many of these churches and gave me a fresh perspective on the movement and my childhood.

This excerpt from the book (page 31) was particularly of interest to me. Quite obviously because it is about the genocide of Native peoples justified by the name of God. But also because my mother was a missionary that came to my father's reservation to preach the word of God. Yes it's the shocking truth. She fell in love with my father and they got married, she settled on the northern BC remote reservation leaving the U.S. behind her, and they started a family. I do thank the Creator for that miracle.

So if you are interested in the inter-marriage of Christianity and politics in the United States definitely read this book. I know it has changed my perception and understanding and I am now delving into more books on politics and the economy from having enjoyed this book so much.

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