I smell a rat…
The Catholic Apologetics Industry
I believe the term may have been coined by The Western Confucian, a very intelligent blog covering religion, economics, politics, and a lot more. I perked up at his label, “apologetics industry“, simply because it identified what I was attempting to editorialize in previous posts of my own, only I referred to it as, ”the God business”.
Interestingly enough, it appears one of the reasons this is a growing business in Catholic circles, may well be attributed to the Evangelical converts to Catholicism whose popularity has raised the level of marketing sophistication in Catholic publishing, as well as the Catholic apologetics lecture circuit. Media has played a big role in the phenomenon as well, such as EWTN and Relevant Radio, to name just two popular outlets.
Is it all about money?
As in politics, the entertainment industry, or any other business, the potential for the abuse of power and influence, along with the cult of celebrity and temptations to greed, can be an ‘accident’ waiting to happen in the Catholic apologetics industry. (Although a marketing strategy is no accident.) I found this article on Christian celebrities at Charisma, a Protestant website. It is rather interesting.
While doing research on a well known Catholic author/blogger, I came across an interview she did on one of her more ‘in the news’ topical books, which addressed one of the latest controversies of that moment. Here is an excerpt:
IgnatiusInsight.com: If you had five minutes with Dan Brown, what might you say or do?
The Author: Ask him for some money.
Hey, why not? Maybe not for me, but perhaps for some of the thousands of institutions around the world – orphanages, schools, hospitals, old age homes, hospices - that are filled with people who’ve given their lives to sacrificially serving others in the direst of circumstances, inspired, called and nourished by the One whom Dan Brown continues to exploit, sitting up there in New Hampshire on his wads of cash. He should be ashamed. Perhaps, one day, he will be. - Ignatius Press
Maybe I’m jaded.
Perhaps I’m too suspicious and critical when it comes to people who turn religion into a career or business opportunity. (I suppose they have to profit from their otherwise useless, philosophy and theology degrees somehow.) After all, one has to earn a living. Nevertheless, I always roll my eyes and chuckle when the same people criticize Lourdes as too commercial because of all the religious shops, or complain about the cost of religious goods for Church or home, while religion has ‘kinda, sorta’ become their new business.
It is a strange time in the Catholic Church, when some Liturgists, Music Directors, DRE’s, and other parish employees earn higher incomes than the priest. But then again, a priest has a vocation, not a career. Let’s hope that never changes.
[Art: "Money Changers in the Temple" - Tate Gallery]
July 29th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Agreed, some of the lay-preachers-theologian-apologetics folks just creep me out. It sometimes seems like their dragging the “huckster” Protestant minister thing into the Church. I’ve seen one guy on EWTN with a flashy plaid suit, diamond rings, slick hair-doand speaking with a thick Southern drawl,I guess preaching/speaking, on a visit to a Catholic Parish. He looked just like a Jimmy Swaggart type, and it just gave me a chill. Some might be well-meaning, but it just has a bad smell.
July 29th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
All I can say is that Elmer Gantry is alive and well…
July 29th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
…and converting to Catholicism because Protestantism is dying. Right on target, again.
July 29th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Terry, you gave a name to a vague feeling I have had about this very thing.
My friend went to Steubenville and had Prof Hahn as one of her teachers. She said he is wonderful and all that but when I read his books there is always that faint feeling that he’s not “Catholic enough.” I admit I own 7 of his books and one of them irrevocably changed how I understood the Eucharist (which was a necessary lesson for me) but I just feel something is missing? I don’t know.
I know you are not quoting Prof. Hahn in your post but I couldn’t help but think of him. My friend assures me he is kind,humble and devout and I am sure she is right but still something nags at me. Probably just my own guilty conscience….
July 29th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I think actually that there might be a general sense of vague jealousy that so many converts have come to the forefront in a form of Catholic leadership (ie public figures). There is a certain celebrity status that they carry, but it begs the question; why aren’t cradle Catholics the ones to speak out and defend the faith to such a degree?
I’m not trying to diminish what these people have brought to the Church; they are indeed gifted. But these “celebs” are very convert-heavy, and I do think the lack of balance is a bit disturbing.
Maybe “jealousy” is the wrong word, but I can’t think of a better one.
And I do think that it’s great that these ex-Protestant Pastors have found a place to use their degree/education; they do need to support their families and they have found a place for their talents within the Church. This is a glorious thing.
It’s kind of a hard topic to discuss because there are so many variables involved.
July 29th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Angela, Scott Hahn is a good guy, but he has his critics, as does Steubenville and the whole post-Angelica EWTN gang, and their “spin-offs”. I can’t say I pay much attention or care either way - but it does seem that a “protestant work ethic” is emerging rather prominently on the Catholic side of the “God business”.
I think I get the same feeling you do - which is why I post about Stepford Catholics and evidence of protestant influences in Catholicism. Things seem to be getting a little too “white bread”, or “Repulican” lately.
July 29th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Julie - You bring up excellent points. I agree. And there definitely are a lot of variables and unique situations. I don’t know anyone who would be jealous of these people however, unless they’re approaching the whole thing as a career or business opportunity themselves, and therefore regard these types as competitors.
The blog, Athanasius Contra Mundum has a recent post on why college is a waste of time, it connects somewhat to my last few lines regarding people with philosophy and theology degrees. Athanasius is in my sidebar if you can’t link here. Over the years I have worked with numerous men and women with a pedigree of degrees in philosophy and theology who could only find employment in the service industry.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Thanks for the plug
If I might say, I had Dr. Hahn for a teacher in Steubenville, and well yes he does make a lot of money from his books, but he gives quite a bit to charity out of it. He is very humble and recognizes that though God has given him talents, the talents come from almighty God and not him. There were many occasions when I saw him in the adoration chapel at 2 or 3am. I don’t agree with him on everything, but he is a good man who is concerned with his eternal salvation.
Nevertheless, I get bad vibes from the “apologetics” industry, which is why I try hard to point out on my blog, when I talk about theology I do not say obey me, but obey the spouse of Jesus Christ, the Holy Catholic Church. I try very hard to differentiate my opinions from authentic teaching. Sometimes I am wrong or just plain nuts! Sometimes by the grace of God I am not. I don’t get that feeling from various apologists, especially Karl Keating, and the Catholic answers crowd, or the people at EWTN who sometimes come off as their own magisterium (even if they don’t actually think that). It just seems like there is too much temptation to take the position of lay theologian seriously, as if it were some office in the Church. It is not. Being a lay theologian is no different from being Philip Candido, Terry Nelson or Bono. I know Dr. Hahn understands this, but I question some of the other figures out there. As if any of what we do on blogs or apologetics ministries matters in comparison to Christian discipleship, how we bring Christ to the poorest among us.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Thanks Athanasius! I too believe Scott Hahn and many others are very good, devout Roman Catholics. I also had other folks in mind while writing this.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Interesting post, and I get the same vibe from many of these folks, although many of them helped me return to the Church after many years away.
I really don’t have a problem with a Protestant-minister-convert making a living off apologetics . . . what else is the poor guy (or gal) supposed to do after becoming a Catholic and losing their lifelong career?
As long as he/she is faithful to Church teaching, of course.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
If I might be blunt, then duck out fast to avoid the brickbats, a lot of it has to do with the fact that cradle Catholics have more of a tendency to follow vocations as faithful priests, religious who serve the Church, and charity workers who do good works, rather than setting themselves up as celebrity, professional Catholics.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Regarding “Stepford Catholics” and Protestant influences in Catholicism; maybe. A little. However I have to agree with Julie when she said “…why aren’t cradle Catholics the ones to speak out and defend the faith to such a degree?”. It is mostly the home-grown talent we have to thank for de-emphasizing the Real Presence and the true meaning of the Eucharist in the past several decades. It is in part due to some of these newcomers to the faith that things ar starting to turn around a bit. However, I don’t like blatant commercialism, either, and there has been some of that.
July 29th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Oops! I really do know how to spell “are”.
July 29th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
For certain I wasn’t writing about former protestant ministers or techers - not at all. They have great gifts for the Church. Again, I had other folks in mind.
July 29th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Jeffrey - I really like your comment - you phrased it well. Thanks.
July 29th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
There’s certainly a place for active converts, but the little subculture that’s growing around the, as you so aptly put it, Stepford Catholics, is disturbing. A bit of humility would help, too, especially in light of what all the “cradle Catholics”, like the Holy Father are doing for the Church.
July 29th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Terry - “Stepford Catholics, white bread, Republican” - yes, you get where I am coming from.
Also choosing Prof. Hahn as the subject of my commnets was probably a bit off but it was more about the “feeling” than facts. (ewww, did I really just write that?!)
July 29th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
The plaid coat wearing guy on EWTN is named Michael Cumbie. He is the former pastor who has no other source of income for his family. His teaching is NOT designed for Catholics…only incidently…its designed for Protestants who have all the wrong ideas about Catholicism. He does the whole televangelist thing as a way to make them comfortable with the preaching they are used to. He definitely is not my style–and I very much agree with what Jeffrey had to say–but at the same time, I do appreciate Michael Cumbie’s service–I can’t see his soul, but I do believe he is genuine.
July 29th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
The Catholics that I started college with in 1960 either have totally fallen away from the practice of the faith or they have become Peace and Justice Cafeteria Catholics, totally committed to the ecumenical movement and the concept that there is no “right way” to get to Heaven.
If the Church had depended upon us to defend the faith, it would have been trampled underfoot quickly.
I am exceedingly grateful to Professor Scott Hahn and the dozens/hundreds/thousands of other converts, reverts and tough cradle Catholics who have saved my Church.
I am a latecomer in attempting to assist them. I hope I’m not too late.
July 29th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Speaking of Lourdes, I had a friend in college who was from France. The commercialization of religion, specifically at Lourdes where her mother worked in some capacity, made her an atheist. I never really knew what to say to her, it was just tragic. How could I argue that was she saw wasn’t “true Catholicism,” when it was the very thing, in her mind, that turned her off to religion.
And, I think Jeffrey has a good point. A few posts back of yours, Terry, I was lamenting about not having the zeal and fervor of a convert, but then I look at my family and see how they quietly practice their religion. Their examples softly speak volumes.
July 30th, 2007 at 4:03 am
Terry, you say that you aren’t talking about Scott Hahn or converted Protestant ministers or teachers. I guess I am wondering precisely who you ARE talking about. Is this interview with Amy Welborn? If there is a specific group of people you have this problem with, why not say so?
Anyway, what was it about her quote that bothered you? I am not clear on that.
Jeffrey, I think you are being awfully unfair to many Protestant converts by saying that cradle Catholics tend to be priests, charity workers, etc., instead of celebs. Some of the best priests we have in the Southeast are Protestant converts. They have the courage of their convictions and actually HAVE some convictions -unlike many (but not all) cradle Catholics - they are great preachers, and I suspect they are much more effective in reaching out to Protestants and to Catholics who have dabbled in Protestantism. (BTW, they are also humble and virtuous.)
Maybe those of you who don’t live in the Southern USA don’t understand the importance of this, but if you’ve ever seen the census “religion” map, you will see that the Catholics are in the majority everywhere except the Southeast, which is heavily dominated by Baptists. The Southeast was considered Catholic “mission territory” until very recently. And please note that Welborn (Tenn.) and EWTN (Ala.) are in this neck of the woods.
It is very hard to find a Catholic person to marry, and Protestant kids in school are always trying to convert the Catholics. Catholic apologetics has been very helpful in getting many of us who had slack religious upbringing and uninspired priests to understand our faith and defend it.
I agree that it can be abused (and is abused), and I’m not very interested in reading apologetics any more because I now know it all (te-he), but it sure did help at one time, and I see it helping with teenagers who haven’t really thought these things through. Also with Hispanic transplants who are aggressively being courted by Protestant churches.
So, I think it would be helpful to define our terms. Who exactly are we criticizing?
July 30th, 2007 at 6:34 am
That generation was a lost cause. That’s no excuse for converts to be held up as superior the the cradle Catholics of preceding and subsequent generations, who are doing far more for the Church than the sort who can’t leave the Protestant ways behind. And yes, that includes Hahn.
July 30th, 2007 at 6:52 am
Robin - good points! Thanks for your reminder about the Southern Bible Belt - I forget that EWTN is situated right in the heart of things. I’m happy I posted this, as all of your comments have helped me in being more objective as regards the new evangelization, the people involved, and the strategy. It’s good to rock the boat, just as long as no one falls out!
To be charitable, I think it is better for me not to name names when posting about this stuff.
July 30th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I was never bothered by the gift shops in Lourdes. Some people are, and I guess I can understand it. But if people are going to choose to turn away from God, than the gift shops at Lourdes are the worst excuse in the world. They are mostly run by local French families, and I got to know some of the people who worked in them the summer I lived there. With all the millions of pilgrims who come to Lourdes in the summer, if there were only a few shops, the lines would be too long. As it was, I never had to wait in line when I wanted to buy a rosary or something as a gift. I was also glad to have a variety of shops to choose from. But I did not go there to shop; I went there to pray. I focused on the Masses and Eucharistic adoration, and all the sources of inspiration there. The shops and tourist places were way down on my list of priorities.
July 30th, 2007 at 8:37 am
I loved the little shops and restaurants in Lourdes, even though I hardly went into them - I could live there.
July 30th, 2007 at 10:24 am
I too am exceedingly grateful to the converts who so courageously defend the Catholic religion. Hardline protestants for the most part do not take Catholics seriously but often to stand up and take notice of a prot. convert who is openly and clearly stating WHY they converted.
I am also very grateful to EWTN as their clear, not watered down catechesis was instrumental in my reversion.
That said, I also am uncomfortable with the protestant flavor of some of those mentioned previously. I would prefer all apologetics would come from priests, cradle and convert alike, but alas how many are up to this task? How many are themselves cafeteria, women-ordinist, social justice, eco-spiritualists? I think if the workers God sends into His vinyard (those called to the priesthood) fail, He will send whomever He will.
July 30th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
The ones who are being unfair are the converts who act like they’re God’s gift to save the Church from itself. I constantly hear converts complaining arrogantly about how cradle Catholics don’t understand the Faith as well as the greatly superior ex-Protestants. Remember, the Holy Father was never a Protestant.
July 31st, 2007 at 3:18 am
What an interesting thread of thoughts and comments on this post!
Stepping back a little, I think that the influx of protestants to our faith– with that whole culture they bring with them — all magnifies the universality of the Catholic Church. The whole history of the mission Church throughout the world has examples that as the Church brought the Gospel to an area, that area also brought a little bit of its own culture into the Church : Saints and Feast days, local celebrations and customs have managed to work their way into the character of the Church, which is fitting, since She is comprised of the world, and takes all of humanity under Her wing.
I think that the plaid-coated televangelist-type Catholic preacher and all the rest of them are examples of the newest latest bit of humanity to be assimilated into the Church’s fold. After all, these character traits which we have come to identify with protestantism are really a big part of the American culture, as most of these churches got their start and bearing in our relatively young country. I may not have chosen these aspects to represent “American culture” as it is brought into the Church, but I guess that is just how it sort of naturally morphed into.
July 31st, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Well, I felt so bad about dissing Prof Hahn that I read “Rome Sweet Home” again. Yes, he talks like a protestant and so does Mrs. Hahn (they use the word “convicted” a lot - which to me is not in “Catholicspeak”) but you cannot argue that they LOVE the Lord. And while Prof Hahn practically beats Scripture to death we cradle Catholics would do well to read our Bibles more.
I hearby apologize to Prof and Mrs. Hahn if they are reading this blog.