***Southern Baptists call themselves Christians, but like most Americans they are closer to ancient Gnostics than to early Christians.***
I believe the author is trying to make the point that the evangelical experience of being "born again" is somehow a gnostic in nature.
The author quotes Howard Bloom like he's Scripture. But being that Bloom is himself a homosexual, I find his "expertise" in the area of authentic versus inauthentic Christianity hard pill to swallow.
Bloom was recently accused of sexual harrassment by Naomi Wolff.
http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/features/n_9932/