The Greatest Proof of Christianity (to me!): The Galli Report

The Inconceivable Start of African-American Christianity | [View online]( [Give Now]( Advertisement [The Galli Report]( [Home]( [Podcast]( [Subscribe]( Friday, February 16, 2018 The Greatest Proof of Christianity (to me!) In honor of black history month, our Christian history vertical just published “[Why the Enslaved Adopted the Religion of Their Masters—and Transformed It.”]( A few years ago, I wrote along similar lines with a very similar title: [“The Inconceivable Start of African-American Christianity: Why slaves adopted their oppressor’s religion—and transformed it.”]( This is a phenomenon worth repeating. That an enslaved population would not merely reject but despise the religion of their oppressors—that’s to be expected. But when they adopted it despite the cruelty of their Christian masters, you’ve got to think they discovered a truth, a reality, and a power that transcends the evil of some of its practitioners. A New Kind of Christianity James K. A. Smith does a good job of introducing readers to what he calls [INC Christianity:]( The nodes of INC Christianity form a web of online venues, YouTube channels, roaming conferences, and church-based ministry schools that draw an international audience seeking both spiritual transformation and the power to carry out such signs and wonders. INC Christianity does not have a headquarters and is not tied to a denomination. Instead, it is a network of content providers that are tied to talent: Ché Ahn’s Harvest International Ministry; Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church in Redding, California; Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) in Kansas City, Missouri, home to a particularly influential group of “prophets.” “Rather than seeing the emergence of INC Christianity as simply another round in the Weberian routinization process,” Christerson and Flory suggest, “one could see its emergence as part of a larger societal shift away from formal organizations toward networks as the primary organizing matrix of social groups.” New Leader in Mass Murder This was new information to me: Mao killed more people than Stalin and Hitler combined. That at least is the argument of this [New York Time Review of Books article.]( It may be a morbid topic, but we must never forget what happened in the 20th century, and such studies help us take in the scope of the horror. For reasons mysterious to me, this is a subject that has long fascinated me. Philosophy Made Easy—Sort Of Speaking of apologetics above, take a look at [these videos]( that attempt to explain the key philosophical insights of Alvin Plantinga, who was recently awarded the prestigious Templeton Award. I don’t pretend to understand all of these short videos, but I’m a little smarter because of them! Grace and peace, [Mark Galli] [Mark Galli] [Mark Galli](mailto:GalliReport@christianitytoday.com) Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today [The Inconceivable Start of African-American Christianity]( [The Inconceivable Start of African-American Christianity]( Why slaves adopted their oppressor's religion—and transformed it. [Read more]( Advertisement More from Christianity Today [Why the Enslaved Adopted the Religion of Their Masters—and Transformed It]( [Christian History]( [Why the Enslaved Adopted the Religion of Their Masters—and Transformed It]( The story of early African-American Christianity proves the power of the Resurrection against oppression. Dante Stewart [Read More]( [The Deep Satisfaction of Accomplishing Something Together]( [Interview]( [The Deep Satisfaction of Accomplishing Something Together]( A Christian college president defends institutional life—even the meetings!—as a high calling. Interview by Tod Bolsinger [Read More]( [View All of our Latest]( In the magazine [January/February]( [Cover Story]( [Cover Story: Lord of the Night]( In God there is no darkness, but in the darkness of the South Pole I found God everywhere. [Christianity Today's 2018 Book Awards]( [Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year]( [View Full Issue]( [Subscribe Now]( Related Newsletters [CT Books Newsletter](ctbooks/subscribe.html) Each issue contains up-to-date, insightful information about today's culture, plus analysis of books important to the evangelical thinker. [Sign Up Now](ctbooks/subscribe.html) [Christianity Today Connection Newsletter](connection/subscribe.html) Get the inside story with this official newsletter of the global media ministry. [Sign Up Now](connection/subscribe.html) Follow Us: [Follow on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( [RSS]( Want to stay informed but a little short on free time? Try The Galli Report, a weekly newsletter giving you 5 must-read articles for thought leaders handpicked by CT Editor Mark Galli. The Galli Report Delivered free via email to subscribers Weekly. [Subscribe]( to this newsletter. You are currently subscribed as {EMAIL}. [Subscribe]( to more newsletters like this. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](. Copyright ©2018 Christianity Today 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188 All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( | [Give Now]( Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.