A gaggle of evangelical Christians hoping to reclaim their tradition from the culture wars put out a call on 9 September for a broader understanding of evangelicalism urging a rejection of “political idolatry and its messengers” in addition to the “false idols of power, wealth, and strength somewhat than the true God.”
The effort, titled “Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction,” is specified by a recent religious statement unveiled last week, signed by an array of evangelical pastors and leaders. “We reject the false teaching that anyone apart from Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Savior, or that a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party,” the confession reads partly.
The signers include Dan Boone, president of Trevecca Nazarene University and board chair of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; Raymond Chang, a pastor and head of the Asian American Christian Collaborative; and Richard Mouw, a theologian and a former president of Fuller Theological Seminary.
Former President Donald Trump is not mentioned within the statement, and supporters of the confession, speaking in a virtual news conference Monday, insisted their efforts weren’t singularly about his presidential campaign. But they acknowledged their recent movement is at the very least partly a response to fervent evangelical support that helped to fuel the business mogul’s rise to power.
Among the document’s seven “convictions,” Mouw noted on the news conference, is the decision to “recognize godly leaders by their character,” an instruction he framed as timely: Some conservative Christians, he said, explain away politicians’ immoral behavior by citing otherwise unethical biblical figures who nonetheless helped implement God’s plan — an argument utilized by conservative Christians who back Trump.
“I see this statement as a vital call to teaching,” Mouw told reporters on the decision.
The other “convictions” listed within the document include giving allegiance to Jesus Christ alone, leading “with love not fear,” submitting to the “truth of Scripture,” believing the Gospel “heals every worldly division,” committing to the “prophetic mission of the Church” and valuing every body as created in God’s image.
“We pray that God’s Spirit will revive our Church and strengthen Christ’s people to be agents of his presence and blessing on this turbulent age,” the document concludes.
Several of the signers said political polarization and the culture wars are driving evangelicals away from the tradition, with some abandoning the term “evangelical” altogether. But Christina Edmondson, former dean of intercultural student development at Calvin University, insisted on a broader vision for evangelicalism, pointing to 2 historically Black denominations, Church of God in Christ and Progressive National Baptist Convention, which have also endorsed the confession.
She was echoed by the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, head of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, who said some pastors avoid preaching on the New Testament’s Sermon on the Mount because “it could be seen as too polarizing or political.” He argued Hispanic and Latino evangelicals — a fast-growing sector of evangelicalism — don’t desire the tradition “to be defined for us.”
“Some people have abandoned the term (evangelical) because it has been too rooted in partisanship or cruelty or incivility,” Salguero said. “But I’m considered one of those that desires to say it and say, ‘Hey, look, nobody gets to define the term ‘evangelical’ — from (the Greek word) ‘evangelion’ — but Scripture.'”
The statement includes signatures by figures once broadly lauded by evangelicals but who’ve been pushed to the margins of the tradition for the reason that rise of Trump. That includes Shane Claiborne, an activist and co-founder of the social justice group Red Letter Christians, who was among the many first to organize protests against conservative Christian supporters of Trump after his election in 2016. The Rev. Russell Moore, an early Trump critic who once ran the Southern Baptist Convention’s policy arm but now attends a non-SBC church, also signed the statement.
Asked concerning the confession Tuesday, Moore, who’s a partner within the anti-polarization effort called the After Party, told Religion News Service that he views the document as an “attempt to present words to a specific state of unease that some Christians have with the polarized environment around us, and to assist them to think through what’s next.”
It’s an open query how much traction the group will get from the broader conservative evangelical community, but Skye Jethani, co-host with Phil Vischer of the evangelical-oriented “Holy Post” podcast, said he hopes the confession will embolden individuals who feel unable to talk out.
“There are well-intentioned godly ladies and men in leadership roles and congregations, but they’ve felt so isolated because there hasn’t been more of a coordinated response,” Jethani said.
He also pointed to a “strategic” aspect of the statement: chatting with younger evangelicals who feel frustrated by the theology — or politics — of their religious elders.
“Hopefully, younger generations can have a look at this statement, have a look at the ladies and men who’ve signed the statement … and recognize it as a remnant who’re putting their commitment to Christ and his gospel ahead of political allegiance,” he said.
© Religion News Service
