RichTatum/blogrodent

This is my full-length commentary on the "Jesus Camp" documentary that has been creating raging commentary all over the blogosphere. This commentary/reaction is from a classical Pentecostal and Evangelical perspective. In it I argue that the film-makers, despite their protestations of objectivity, were not objective by any means. Virtually everybody depicted in the film has been misrepresented by liberal interpretation. The children are not being trained to be a new Evangelical terrorist group. This is not an American Taliban. The children do not worship George Bush. And this summer camp does not represent all of American Evangelicalism.

From the page: "Jesus Camp, what an experience. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady's investigation into the hidden world of one Pentecostal kids' camp simultaneously delighted me, fascinated me, and embarrassed me. I love this film. I hate this film.

It angers me."

This is my review. It's the original, longer version of what appeared on Christianity Today's website yesterday.c

Interesting online Bible application with some of the same-old commentarys and tools like Matthew Henry's commentary and Vines, etc. But there are some for-fee titles available too. Of special interest to Pentecostals/Charismatics is the addition of Jack Hayford's Biblical Encyclopedia/commentary/dictionary. At the time of this commentary, however, the site seems sluggish.

From the page: "This week, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady%u2019s indie documentary, Jesus Camp, is set to release, and already the blogosphere is all abuzz about it. I can%u2019t wait. I will be catching a pre-release screening of the film through the auspices of Christianity Today International, my employer, and will write my reactions to it as soon as possible. Of course, I%u2019ll share it with you.

Upon seeing the trailer, linked below, I was shocked and fascinated. Repelled and embarrassed. And angry. You see, I went to these camps as a kid. I witnessed this kind of exuberant excess, only I saw it with the eyes of an insider, both as a teenager and later as a camp counselor. I have seen the pseudo exorcisms (I sincerely doubt any of the exhibitions I saw at the altar were genuine possession) and I%u2019ve seen my peers faint and wooden on the floor, both praising, weeping, and sometimes faking it.

And, looking back, it is a little creepy. But it was also formative.

So, I don%u2019t know if this outsider%u2019s view of an intimate setting will truly repulse me or enlighten me. Maybe both.

But I%u2019ll be sure to let you know what I think."

From the page: "I submit for your consideration two apparently unrelated questions:

* Is the Assemblies of God a cult?
* Is Wikipedia an authoritative encyclopedia?

I submit that the Assemblies of God is as much like a cult as the Wikipedia is authoritative."

Top ten lessons learned from a year of Godblogging. From the page: "Let's talk about what's been good, bad, and what I've learned as a newbie Pentecostal blogger."

From the page: "Here%u2019s a clip below of poor high school pastor Blake Bergstrom, who tried to work his way around a bit of a tongue twister as he introduced a sermon that might have already been doomed, based on his unusual use of metaphors. As you listen, just wait. No: the 'Clight ourselves on fire so they can watch us burn' is not the gaffe you are listening for, surprisingly, but that imagery is bad enough that he might actually have improved his sermon with an extreme Freudian slip!"

Personal weblog of Rich Tatum, former webmaster for the Assemblies of God, and currently online media managing editor for Christianity today. Godblogger observing and commenting on events of interest to Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic Christians.