Binding the Strong Man | Sojourners

Binding the Strong Man

This man wants to bring the message of God'

This man wants to bring the message of God’s unfailing love to your children. The ring is his pulpit, screaming fans his congregation. If you’re on your knees in his church, someone has you in a "lion tamer" wrestling hold.

Welcome to the Christian Wrestling Federation (CWF). Amidst "scorpion death locks," "Frankenstein leg drops," "jackhammers," and good old-fashioned "pile-drivers," God’s message of hope is supposed to shine like a beacon. Using the theatrics of wrestling as an evangelistic tool, the CWF has pared wrestling down to its roots: staged outcomes, bad acting, dirty tricks, "inattentive" refereeing, and plenty of power bombs. And when the last bell rings, you can come forward for the altar call. Discussion question: Just what is the theology behind a "submission hold"?

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Sojourners Magazine June 2005
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