The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation

Rating:
Summary: Inventive critique of indigenous faiths from an outsider
Review: Bloom, nominally Jewish, has created a most imaginative assessment of indigenous American faiths. Mormons, Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovahs Witnesses, Pentacostals, New Agers, Southern Baptists, and Afro-American religion are each addressed.

Unlike cult critiques by evangelical authors, Bloom spends almost no time comparing the beliefs of these groups to a measure of orthodoxy. The genius of Bloom's thesis is that these groups represent different shades of a single American religion - one distinct from the Jewish roots of the Jesus movement and from the European roots of historical Christianity.

He identifies, in a rather rambling and unsystematic way, three fundamental principles of this American religion. (1) The best part of us is uncreated, that is, existing before creation and remains in some sense perfect and divine. (2) That which frees us is knowledge, not belief founded on assent. (3) Freedom exists only in solitude. "What holds these principles together is the American persuasion, however muted or obscure, that we are mortal gods, destined to find ourselves again in worlds as yet undiscovered." (p. 103).

I was frequently frustrated by Bloom's ability to dance around his main point. His historical interpretations are excellent. His thesis incredibly controversial. It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that he was unable to reduce his arguments to precise formulations. Personal fascination with the eccentricities of these faiths made it impossible for him to resist digressions.

I can recommend this book for those who enjoy dabbling in theological contemplation, despite Bloom's political digression in the closing chapter. There is much to fuel a weekend's thought in these pages. If you are so inclined - enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: A Groundbreaking Look at Mormonism
Review: For years historical studies of the LDS church were locked into stalemate, with apologists for the church and its antagonists determined to prove or disprove the truth claims made by the founder, Joseph Smith. Bloom, the well-known literary critic, broke the stalemate in the long section on Mormonism in this book by setting aside questions of advocacy and looking at the Mormon gospel as a cultural artifact. There he found some amazing things. Somehow Smith had revived ancient doctrines of Jewish mysticism and Christian hermeticism that had been lost for years. Bloom also explains how Mormonism comes as close as possible to a religious distillation of the American ethos: *the* American religion, as Tolstoy once said. Bloom described Smith as "a religious genius." This is quite a compliment from a self-described Jewish atheist, of course. Bloom helped open a whole new interest in Mormons by the larger culture, as indicated by such things as Tony Kushner's play, "Angels in America."

Rating:
Summary: Book of Enoch
Review: Joseph Smith's genius and prophetic revelations provided a complete explanation of Adam's fall, the teachings of Adam, teachings so old and accurate, as to parrallel ancient Kabbalistic Jewish thought shocking Bloom, which at the time were not a part of modern Judiasm; the Abrahamic pronoucement that the elements, truth, intelligence, and priesthood are eternal; Enoch's ascension, transcending to a divine God-like personage, sphere of intelligence, with the divine power to move and act - demonstrating a higher level of existence; Enoch's Zion a refuge and place of peace; Visions of civil war, race related rioting, symbols of John the Revelator, the manifest destiny of America, God's heavanly kingdom, the ancient hierarchy of patriachs, the sounding of seven trumiphets, the smashing down of the winepress, the restoration of the tribe of Levi, and the doctrine of celestial marriage allowing eternal increase. Joseph Smith's revelation of celestial marriage separate angels from Gods - expanding understanding of established doctrines taught by the Apostle Paul about degrees of glory and shed light on the prophecies of Malachi and Elijah. Joseph successfully connected the promises of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; built temples restoring the spirit and power of Elijah; received the keys of the Kingdom from Peter, James, and John; was ordained to the Aaonic priesthood by John the Baptist connecting a preparatory hierarchy; received the keys to the gather of Israel connecting the lost 10 tribes; Joseph Smith saw the final celestial state of the earth.

The opportunity for Joseph Smith to read, study, and memorize the Book of Enoch seems deficient in strength, as a way, to plagerize the Book of Mose. Just what would have Joseph Smith read and what would he have taken? How could Joseph Smith take doctrines hated by both the Catholics and the Protestants and created a new literary work? Its impossible. Could Joseph Smith found refuge about the Gnostics? No, they didn't like the book either. What about the freethinkers? No, they could have use the Book of Enoch against the Christians exploiting any absurdities. Accessiblity is another issue. American Clergy did not have ready possession of the Book of Enoch. So what opportunity existed for Joseph Smith loan the book for an clergy? Who was Joseph source for the manuscript? Why would an American Clergy be willing to share an unpopular book with a common man?

Rating:
Summary: A decent introduction to American religious development
Review: Mr. Bloom provides a reasonable work regarding the development of religion in the unique milieu of American cultural history. I did take exception to the chapter on "California Orphism" which dealt with new age religious trends. I felt that he was probably not knowledgable enough in this area to make the broad sweeping assumptions and statements that he did. He lumped numerous figures together from a variety of traditions (buddhism, theosophy, new age etc) and put them under the same umbrella. I have not read "The Sacred Path of the Warrior", (a book he thoroughly ridiculed) but being somewhat familiar with Tibetan Buddhism the particular passage he quoted from that work made perfect sense to me. It wouldn't make much sense taken out of context without an understanding of that particular religious perspective. Aside from that gripe, I found it an OK read.

Rating:
Summary: Accomplishes a lot, but leaves plenty undone
Review: The major strength of this book is that it treats religion not as some dead artifact but as a living cultural force that is very much with us, right now. This puts Bloom way ahead of a host of thinkers who only want to look at religion as a historical phenomenon. Also, Bloom knows better than to pretend that one can be "objective" about the study of religion and dives right in with his own set of interesting values judgments. This kind of honesty and clarity has to be admired. However, in some ways this book is not as unusual as Bloom seems to think it is. Though he calls it "religious criticism" and puts it into the exalted ranks of Emerson and James, his book is in fact part of a familiar genre--comparitive religion. Like other writers in this genre, Blooms major mode is comparison--he traces connections between seemingly different sects of American religion and sythesizes everything together into a few essential characteristics. Admittedly, Bloom has more passion and perceptiveness than most religious scholars could ever hope to have (certainly more than the reviewer who blithely informs us that he finds Mormons "a bore"), but the mode is familiar nonetheless. This is where the problems crop up. Comparitive religion, because it ignores differences and insists on taking a rather abstract bird's-eye view of religion, gives offence every time it turns around--not least becuase it is so blind to the nature of its offence. Its tone may be passionate, but its position is never anything but elitist. Bloom does acknowledge that his perspective is likely to offend a bit, but he hints threateningly that anyone who seriously dislikes his argument is probably a "fundamentalist." This word becomes his category of evil, and he does not stop to think about whether his own assumptions and desires have anything to do with the way he uses it. Bloom proves once again that secular religious study can't hope to have an impact in the religious community until it can examine its own assumptions and prejudices and make that part of its mission.