Who is Megan Basham?
I'm deliberately reading controversial books this year. A new, relatively expensive book Amazon.com: Megan Basham: books, biography, latest update is being released soon. However, from the blurbs I can't tell whether the book is factually reliable regarding the position it takes. Does anyone know anything about the author or book? I ran into the title on How progressives are plotting to take over the Evangelical church (msn.com)
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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I can't tell you about the author, but it sure looks interesting. I see the book got a positive review by John MacArthur so that adds some credibility in my opinion.
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KevinV said:
I can't tell you about the author, but it sure looks interesting. I see the book got a positive review by John MacArthur so that adds some credibility in my opinion.
That is very interesting since Johnny Mac told Beth Moore to “Go home!” When he was asked what he thought about her 😂
DAL
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I first learned of her a few years ago on the podcast, The World and Everything in It, made by WORLD News Group, started by Joel Belz (got to eat lunch with him one time). On the podcast, she was the smart, peppy (but not too peppy), youngish female voice that would do the middle of the show things. Not headlines but like the portions of a news broadcast that talk about some recent happening or whatever. I think she might have done some book and culture review type stuff it seems.
then a couple of years ago she got a job at (I think it is called) The Daily Wire, one of those conservative podcast places that has a larger reach than WORLD. Her husband still works at WORLD and host the every morning 10 minute news broadcast video aimed at kids and teens (my son loves it).
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Tony Walker said:
I first learned of her a few years ago on the podcast, The World and Everything in It, made by WORLD News Group, started by Joel Belz (got to eat lunch with him one time). On the podcast, she was the smart, peppy (but not too peppy), youngish female voice that would do the middle of the show things. Not headlines but like the portions of a news broadcast that talk about some recent happening or whatever. I think she might have done some book and culture review type stuff it seems.
then a couple of years ago she got a job at (I think it is called) The Daily Wire, one of those conservative podcast places that has a larger reach than WORLD. Her husband still works at WORLD and host the every morning 10 minute news broadcast video aimed at kids and teens (my son loves it).
Can you link the 10 Minute news broadcast link here? I'm having trouble finding it (partly because I don't have high speed internet where I'm at over this weekend). I think my kids could benefit from something like that.
Pastor, Mt. Leonard Baptist Church, SBC
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Megan Basham was a guest lecturer in my virtual Journalism class at Liberty University for a week and she came to Convocation while I was a virtual student there. She is very well known and has a fierce voice. Basham was a 2022 Claremont Lincoln Fellowship. This might be of interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuCNf67Qzeo She went to school here. https://wji.world/alumni Tim Alberta’s new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory is comparable in my view. This article also might pique your interest https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party I have this book on my TBR List. 0 -
Megan Basham was a guest lecturer in my virtual Journalism class at Liberty for a week and she came to Convocation while I was a virtual student there. She is very well known and has a fierce voice. Basham was a 2022 Claremont Lincoln Fellowship. This might be of interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuCNf67Qzeo She went to school here. https://wji.world/alumni Tim Alberta’s new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and the Glory is comparable in my view. This article also might pique your interest https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2024/01/follow-the-money-to-the-after-party I have this book on my TBR List. 0 -
Tony Walker said:
I first learned of her a few years ago on the podcast
Yes please link the podcast if you find it. I remember it but cannot find it online either.
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The Tim Alberta's book does look interesting and does not raise the question marks/suspicions that the Megan Basham book does. Follow the Money to the After Party | Megan Basham | First Things seems to confirm my suspicions.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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I was sure that it probably would MJ. Can you tell me what your suspicions are without violating the rules of the forum? I am just curious if they align with mine.
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MJ. Smith said:
The Tim Alberta's book does look interesting and does not raise the question marks/suspicions that the Megan Basham book does. Follow the Money to the After Party | Megan Basham | First Things seems to confirm my suspicions.
From the brief explanations of each book, it appears Basham blames the left and Alberta blames the right for the ills of today's evangelical church in America.
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Christian Alexander said:
Can you tell me what your suspicions are without violating the rules of the forum?
Consider this.
- Christians Group A send missionaries to a country that is predominately Christians Group B. This is called evangelizing, saving Christians Group B from Hell.
- Christians Group B considers Christians Group A to have a few anti-Christian values. Christians Group B send teachers to convince the leaders of Christians Group A of their errors. This is called demonization, consorting with the enemy, unfaithfulness ...
- Christians Group C comes along with a strong belief in there being a single truth. They sit down with Christians from group A wanting to understand the what and why of their beliefs. In their questioning there are sometimes implicit indications of the inconsistencies/gaps in group A beliefs. Group C does the same thing with Group B.
Commonly across multiple faiths, the results are that Group A pulls farther away in their beliefs while Groups B and C draw closer together. As the cycle repeats many times, Groups B and C may even merge and Group A may become extremist. Until Group A develops an interest in understanding why Group B wants to reform it and an interest in why Group C wants to understand it, Group A maintains an environment that breeds cults and extremism. Even looking just at contemporary Christianity, there are hundreds of pairings one could place in slots A, B, and C. The same church will fill different slots depending upon the pairings. My suspicion was simply that the author in this particular case filled slot A. In other words, she is not interested in why Group B wants to reform Group A; she is only interested in proving that they do. In this context I often use the term "hubris" as I am more interested in the why.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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I haven't not listened to these yet but they are on my podcast list:
https://crossexamined.org/shepherds-for-sale-with-megan-basham/
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Megan is rock solid. Some just don't like the questions she asks. Any honest student of church history should not be surprised or disturbed by the fact that the god of this age tends to make unwitting hirelings for his purposes. It's been going on since the early church.
The mind of man is the mill of God, not to grind chaff, but wheat. Thomas Manton | Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow. Richard Baxter
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MJ. Smith said:
I can't tell whether the book is factually reliable regarding the position it takes. Does anyone know anything about the author or book?
I had never heard of her until THIS year. on X her name comes up quite frequently in accusation against the SBC and Tim Kellar. Notice the post that she reposted below. There are no citations for her accusation against Kellar's staff that would have required significant research to verify.
Making Disciples! Logos Ecosystem = LogosMax on Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (Win11), Android app on tablet, FSB on iPhone & iPad mini, Proclaim (Proclaim Remote on Fire Tablet).
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I do not trust any "journalist" who uses of Democrat/Republican in that way. One must look at positions not labels to gain my respect. I suspect I'll end up reading this book for all the "wrong" reasons.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Of interest might be this response from Gavin Ortlund, whom Basham uses as an example in chapter 1 of her book. He explains how she used partial quotes and outright fabrication to make it sound like he believes precisely the opposite of his actual position.
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Thank you. He confirms what I was beginning to believe.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Dave Moser said:
Of interest might be this response from Gavin Ortlund, whom Basham uses as an example in chapter 1 of her book. He explains how she used partial quotes and outright fabrication to make it sound like he believes precisely the opposite of his actual position.
This was an interesting thread on X about that... https://x.com/tlloydcline/status/1818836226692001974
An unroll here: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1818836226692001974.html
Another critical review here that seems generous with a what's right and what's wrong: https://www.digitalliturgies.net/p/review-shepherds-for-sale-by-megan
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One of the few people dealing with Big Eva in the way they should have been 10 years ago. God Bless Megan Basham.
John 3:17 (ESV)
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.0 -
Barnabas said:
Big Eva
Had to look this term up ...
Thank you, Mattillo and Barnabas.
I have picked up and started reading the book. It checks many boxes for writing style and reasoning practices that make me mistrust the book. But I find the book fascinating for what it reveals about the group of people that is its intended audience. I'm glad I picked it up.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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