Blog #2 History and Religion

Faith is a belief in a certain code of ethics, or a standard of merit. For some, their faith is much more profound than a simple lifestyle. This is when faith changes from ordinary to an extraordinary state that is more spiritual. In fact we do not even look at many faiths as extraordinary anymore; numerous religions have slipped their way into every day life. We pledge allegiance to our nation under God and are read bible versus before our high school football games. These influences become even more prominent in smaller communities. A perfect example of this is my grandmother, Gloria Murphy, was born and raised in a southern community that was rich with Christian culture. Today Gloria is a Pentecostal preacher here in California. Gloria is a product of the environment and era that she was raised in; she was able to find comfort and support from the gospel while living deep in the south at the peak of televangelism. Still, other forces existed which would shape her religion for she is also a product of post-pluralism.

            In my prior blog I spoke about my grandmothers first personal connection with religion. She was a single mother trying to survive with a lower class income. She found solace in prayer and other Christian practices. She was raised Christian, not uncommon in the south, but she was given the choice to practice her faith. In her community televised preaching strived for many of these televised churches were based in the south. Evangelists had finally found their way onto the television by the 1950's and were preaching true fundamentalist Christianity that attracted southern Christians like my grandmother¹. After World War 2 televangelism saw great growth with great speakers such as Billy Graham leading the way. These televangelists would preach the gospel as well as many conservative ideas related to anti communism². Gloria was another individual who fell in love with the new age of televised preaching. She would watch many televangelists however she had one who was her favorite. This man’s name is Benny Hinn and he preached the Pentecostal doctrine my grandmother so appreciates. However, we can look to Benny Hinn as an example of post-pluralism.

            Post-pluralism is the idea of religions sharing ideas and thus another sect of a religion is formed. For example the Ghost dance was a native interpretation of a Christian idea. The Televangelist Benny Hinn was a Pentecostal preacher and the leader of a large televised ministry. Similar to the words of Mary Baker Eddy, Hinn claimed he could heal any sickness. He led “miracle crusades” where it is said he healed cases of anything from cancer to blindness. Later investigations questioned such claims. One cannot deny the connection between Hinn and Eddy. Eddy truly believed that sickness was an illusion that could be healed with proper spiritual technique³. Hinn would use his special prayer technique to heal those who came to his televised show. Gloria was unaware of the fact that she was not following a simple Pentecostal preacher but rather a Pentecostal who preached Christian Science ideals as well. Soon Gloria became even more connected with God as she witnessed her own personal healings of prayer. As I noted in my earlier blog she had two separate cases where her daughters were healed through prayer. Also these healings occurred in the 1980’s when televangelism saw it’s largest growth².

            Thus we can see that Gloria stumbled upon her religion through personal choice but was also guided by history and her surroundings. Growing up in the south left her with an innate Christian background that gained depth through southern televangelist ministries such as Benny Hinn. Due to the prevalence of televangelism in the 1980’s my grandmother became a devout believer in Pentecostal ideas as well as religious healing.

1. Alexander, Bobby Chris,     Televangelism reconsidered :   ritual in the search for human community /    Atlanta, Ga. :   Scholars Press,   c1994. 

2. Balmer, Randall. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America.Expanded ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

3. Voorhees, Amy Black.     Writing revelation   Mary Baker Eddy and her early editions of Science and Health, 1875-1891

Gloria Murphy

Gloria Murphy, my grandmother, was born into a Christian family. Her mother was a Native American who was actually a devout Christian. However, her parents never forced her to go to church or other religious practices. In spite of that they were able to instill a creed that Gloria would ultimately follow for the rest of her life. That creed was the belief that God created the Universe a Jesus is the Messiah. Though she believed in this creed she did not always follow the code of Christianity. In fact her early years were actually spent acting against most Christian ideals. She drank alcohol, she tried new things and most importantly she met a number of individuals from different religions. This was a sort of learning period for her to gain knowledge about each religion.

            It wasn’t until she was fully grown with children that she found her faith. Being a single mother was not an easy task and Gloria found herself praying on almost a daily basis. Soon she was reading religious texts, mostly the bible, and listening to Christian leaders. She claims that praying in the name of Jesus left her feeling a sense of peace and protection. Of course she did not feel protected from just the simple act of praying. She is convinced that God answers her prayers and it is her duty to worship him.

            Her first interaction with God’s power occurred when she was a very young mother. She was surprised with twins, which is not an easy task for a single mother of two.  To her dismay one of her daughter, Ronna, had a tumor like growth on her naval. Doctors told her that the growth would not be able to be removed until Ronna was at least two years old. Gloria was left feeling helpless, so she did all that she knew to do. She attended a special church service the following Sunday where a preacher prayed for her child. After the prayer Gloria felt like all of her stress was released; she felt as if her child no longer had the growth. Two days later she remembered that sadly her daughter was still sick but upon changing her she realized the growth was gone. She describes this as one of the most defining moments of her faith.

            After this miracle Gloria began studying Christianity. She read the bible multiple times and eventually opened her own church where she preached. Her way of preaching is very much similar to that of a Pentecostal congregation. Service is by no means formal; individuals are free to express themselves. I believe her church grows because others feel her belief and honest love for Jesus. She loves Jesus because he has been there for her through thick and thin. In times of trouble she has called upon him and Jesus has answered many a time. Therefore it is her duty to serve Christ and spread his name.

            Gloria exemplifies why religion is a part of ones culture. Christianity is not simply to believe in Jesus but rather a way of life. The Ten Commandments are the basis upon which every Christian lives his life. The golden rule is what Gloria feels is most important. She tells me every day to love my neighbor as I would love myself. I am convinced that Christianity is a part of my grandmother now. Just as Judaism is seen as an ethnicity I believe Christianity can be seen as a culture. My grandmother lives her life every day as if it is her judgment day. She follows the footsteps of God and he has blessed her with a beautiful life in return.

Here is a verse from the bible that I believe describes my Grandmother

Psalms 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

The unsynagogued Jew

Lynn Davidman conducted a study on a number of individuals who claim to be Jewish though they do not practice traditional religious Judaism. The issue condenses down to the question of ascription. Are these individuals innately Jewish or are they Jewish by choice? Davidman notes that Judaism may be a special case where ethnicity plays a role. While a Protestant can choose whether they want to be Christian, to be Jewish is slightly different. The significance of being Jewish goes far beyond believing in a religion. There is a cultural aspect to it which people embody. There is a whole part of being Jewish that is separate from religion. For instance Davidman describes a family who eats pizza every Friday for Shabbat. This is a seemingly unreligious act that adds to this families Jewish identity. In conclusion Davidman explains that Judaism is different from other religions; Jewish individuals feel a different connection to their ancestors who have been oppressed over the centuries. Judaism can be seen not only as a religion but also as a cultural entity.



1.) Do you agree that Judaism is an ethnicity not only a religion?
2.) Do you believe an individual who Converts to Judaism is less Jewish than an individual from a Jewish bloodline.





Here is an example of a Jewish boy who does not practice Orthodox Judaism. He is still religious and practices Judaism however not in the strict devout manner that an Orthodox Jew would. : http://youtu.be/G_sWoZJGCTQ