From Bosnia to the Middle East to Waco, religion wears a violent face. Barbarous actions cause thinking per sons to question the value of Christianity as well as that of other religions. Some Christians solve the dilemma by sacrificing the heart of the faith, while keeping its form. One such example can be found in this book.
A remarkable aspect of the book is the writer's profession--an Episcopalian vicar. Yet his theology seems in compatible with his position.
But a thoughtful reader will go beyond Leo Booth's personal belief system to understand his main message religious abuse and fanaticism do exist and can be recognized. He defines the condition as "using God as a fix." The 12-step formula has been suggested for almost every human indulgence; this book offers the plan to the overly religious.
Booth tells how his own childhood experience predisposed him to straggles with alcohol and religious addiction. He describes unbiblical yet dominating church systems that have existed through out Christian history and have been pushing us in the direction of dysfunctional religion. But the author doesn't adequately define the line between healthy and unhealthy religion, if indeed he believes there is a healthy orthodox religion.
Booth includes interesting case studies and a helpful list of symptoms that should be read by every pastor. But each reader will interpret the symptoms of addictive religion differently. A strict interpretation of some of them would fit Christ into Booth's definition of a religious addict. Conversely, many of the same symptoms could be present in an atheist or anyone with a personality dis order. For example, perfectionism as a dysfunctional answer to low self-esteem is not necessarily a religious disease!
Many threads of truth intertwine in Booth's rope of liberal theology--but not enough to keep the author from hanging himself. Booth finds the cornerstone of Christianity--the substitutionary death of Christ--as one reason for religious dysfunction. A hint of pantheism haunts his suggestions for recovery.
Booth believes such doctrines as original sin cause dysfunctional religion. But he passes over obvious problematic traditions. For example, anyone believing in a god who punishes conscious persons eternally for a mere 70 years of sin will have a difficult time enjoying a relation ship with that god. Salvation by works also kills a healthy faith, leaving us in a state of guilt and doubt as to our acceptance with God. The cross remains the only answer to this predicament. Yet Booth views Christ's death, not as validating our worth, but as causing more guilt!
Booth does make a contribution by proving the value of presenting doctrines through the lens of God's love. But evangelicals will have a difficult time following Booth's convoluted logic on the gospel. His admitted earlier problem of categorizing certain religious beliefs comes through in his writing.
Other Christian writers have ad dressed the issue of dysfunctional religion and authoritarianism in a more balanced manner. Those who take the Bible seriously as their guide to salvation will be more comfortable with sources friendlier to their faith such as Paul DeBlassie's book on religious neurosis (see the Recently Noted section).
