In this second part of our series The Evangelical Shift, we look at liturgy; how it attracts and how it can be stumbling block for those coming from non-liturgical, evangelical backgrounds.
“I don’t think conservative Christianity has a good relationship with journalism. … I think you’ve got now two generations of evangelical Christians who really don’t know what the role of the press is.”
Reconciliation talk and aiming for integration have not proved to be enough. In particular, predominantly white evangelical congregations are losing black congregants because of a lack of awareness of the concerns of African Americans, or even an effort to learn those concerns. Clearly evident support for Mr. Trump in these congregation has accelerated the exodus.
In an op-ed in Forbes, Chris Ladd proposes that today’s southern white evangelicalism is cruel and that cruelty stems from our nation’s slavery and Jim Crow history.
The bishop of Liverpool, Paul Bayes, told the Guardian some religious leaders of “colluding with a system that marginalises the poor.”
He told the Guardian,
… “self-styled evangelicals” risked bringing the word evangelical into disrepute, and added there was no justification for Christians contradicting God’s teaching to protect the poor and the weak.
“Some of the things that have been said by religious leaders seem to collude with a system that marginalises the poor, a system which builds walls […]
We ask that every member of this denomination, and people who are committed to justice and righteousness, equality and truth, will join with us to thwart what are clearly demonic acts.
There are those who remain sceptical of Evangelicalism as the best form of evangelism.
Miguel De La Torre, professor of social ethics and Latino/a studies at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO has an opinion piece up at Baptist News Global where he asks; “As I witness the Evangelical Religious Right rush to present a non-Christian as a God-faithful servant, I cannot help but wonder if we are pimping the Body to the highest political bidder?”
Gillett met people surprised that a representative of the church would want to support LGBT people.
In a piece titled “Why I Left the Right”, writer and doctorate of religious studies Susie Meister shares how her faith changed her political views and party affiliation. Meister was a young conservative, who shared her Evangelical faith and GOP affiliation on the MTV reality show, Road Rules, and then went to work for the George W. Bush campaign in 2001, while double-majoring in religion and political science.
It is typically assumed that people ‘grow into’ conservative politics, per the popular quote incorrectly […]
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