10-14-2010, 02:44 PM
@ndy, I was also invited to an "Alpha course" series a couple of years ago. For those who don't know, it's a video series of talks by Anglican minister Nicky Gumbel. He explains evangelical Christian beliefs in a way that can appeal to the modern day "spiritual seeker."
I attended. I don't know if this is standard for the course, but it was a weekly series of evenings with dinner provided, video presentation and discussion around tables. People were with the same table group throughout the series.
I think Alpha is very different from Scientology. For one thing, Alpha has a free, open-book disclosure of everything they promote.
Curiously enough I've seen that Alpha is controversial among the evangelical Christian community. Some love that it brings in spiritual seekers. Some are opposed to what they see as the course's misinterpretation of Biblical tenets about spiritual gifts and prophecy.
Another giant contrast with Scientology is the role of Nicky Gumbel in Alpha. He certainly is an appealing public speaker, but the Alpha course is not dependent on alleged divine revelation that came only through that one man. If he died today, the course would continue with other people using some of his material, some of their own views about the Bible, and various other strands of evangelical Christian traditions. A hundred years from now, if there's still a 3D world of seekers, Alpha might still be around and would not have any need to make a patron saint out of Nicky - the way the Scientology considers L. Ron the infallible guru, first and only human to Know The Truth.™
I attended. I don't know if this is standard for the course, but it was a weekly series of evenings with dinner provided, video presentation and discussion around tables. People were with the same table group throughout the series.
I think Alpha is very different from Scientology. For one thing, Alpha has a free, open-book disclosure of everything they promote.
Curiously enough I've seen that Alpha is controversial among the evangelical Christian community. Some love that it brings in spiritual seekers. Some are opposed to what they see as the course's misinterpretation of Biblical tenets about spiritual gifts and prophecy.
Another giant contrast with Scientology is the role of Nicky Gumbel in Alpha. He certainly is an appealing public speaker, but the Alpha course is not dependent on alleged divine revelation that came only through that one man. If he died today, the course would continue with other people using some of his material, some of their own views about the Bible, and various other strands of evangelical Christian traditions. A hundred years from now, if there's still a 3D world of seekers, Alpha might still be around and would not have any need to make a patron saint out of Nicky - the way the Scientology considers L. Ron the infallible guru, first and only human to Know The Truth.™