The Revealer: Translating for True Believers

A daily review of religion and the press

Translating for True Believers

20 April 2005
Sharlet: Paul Asay of The Colorado Springs Gazette reports on the minor media blitz surrounding New Life Church, a congregation of 11,000 in his hometown pastored by Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and thus a power player in the current political climate. Among the gawkers: Me. Asay focuses on my forthcoming Harper's cover story, "Soldiers of Christ: Inside America's Most Powerful Megachurch" (May issue). What's interesting about his balanced report are Haggard's responses to my article, which might be said to be critical. Haggard takes two tacts. His free market theology leads him to a strong free press position, and then some: “I think it’s the role of the secular press to do analysis,” Haggard told Asay in response to questions about my article. “It is our role (as a church) to read it thoughtfully and correct the problems we’ve got.” That's a subtle ecclesiology and a lovely concept of the relationship between reporter and subject. But part of the story here is that Haggard, as a spokesman for politically conservative evangelicals, speaks two languages -- one for the world, and one for the believers. Speaking of my story, Haggard told Asay: "It is a wonderful, entertaining article that communicates what it’s like for a totally secular person to come and visit our church.” Far be it from me to complain about such graciousness. I'll point out only that I am not a "totally secular" person, and that I said as much to Haggard; indeed, we discussed a mutual acquaintance, a member of his church, whose work I've proudly published here on The Revealer and elsewhere. For Haggard to characterize me as such -- and in doing so, the media that's beating a path to his door -- is not a matter of misrepresentation, but of poor translation. Calling me "totally secular" defuses my critique of his theology for most of his fellow believers; by definition, I'm missing something about their experience of faith. It signals to fellow believers that this representation of their faith, some of it "out of context" is "other," from the land of them, the "unbelievers." My report, says Haggard, is that of an anthropologist from Mars. Such a characterization neglects the fact that the two languages spoken by Haggard share a great many terms. It fails to recognize that a reporter, even a "totally secular" one, visiting a politically powerful church, is not wholly an outsider. Haggard and the secular press may not be united in faith, but they our bound together by governance. The value of the secular press to the church is not as an outside observer (nor as an "objective" commentator), but as an inquisitor, not grand, related by marriage.