Evo Politics Watching

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 21 April 2010 10:37:50

This article in Christianity Today has provided some food for some interesting evo watching. Remembering that evangelicalism is like feminism you get a Heinz 57 varieties thing going on, which can only be understood by watching the splitter scene in Life of Brian, it looks at the way two of the conflicting US strands "Purpose Driven" and "con. Reformed" have been working together a little more closely.

The article explains, from a US perspective, why evangelicalism is so diverse and no longer has the cohesion it did when Billy Graham was the posterboy for it. It says:

" Graham and his allies struck a middle course between isolationist fundamentalism and ecumenical Protestantism. An evangelical was someone who liked Graham and did not align with the other groups.

Yet today, with these antagonisms diminished, it's not so easy to identify an evangelical. Some evangelicals claim to be post-conservative. Others are confessional. Still more are progressive, Reformed, emerging, or mainstream evangelicals. A few drop the term altogether and call themselves simply "Christ followers." It was a simpler time when evangelicals found common cause in their mutual distaste for Rome, communism, the National Council of Churches, and the fightin' fundies. But now we're realizing that so-called evangelicals often struggle to reach a common definition for the evangel, the gospel. Hence, we splinter into competing camps. This is hardly the posture of a coherent movement."

That simpler time when evo's were apparently just part of the better dead than red brigade and smelling popery everywhere is gone. Yet the shadow still remains for some, I think, whilst others seek to remove any sign of the embarrassing past. In this country it explains why we have two "competing declarations" for people to sign up to: The Westminster Declaration of Christian Conscience or the Faithworks 2010 Declaration. I have explained in the past my position on the Westminster Declaration, which I wouldn't sign. The Faithworks Declaration I can sign. The Westminster Declaration lot have gotten rid of the fear of popery, realising that in the current "better dead than red" crusade the Catholic Church is a key allie.

The Radio Four Interview on You Tube below is very interesting and reflects the key differences in UK approaches at the moment and the way the debate about the role of "pure doctrine" against "social involvement"  is what the division is based upon in contemporary evangelicalism.

If you like what Steve Chalke has to say on there you may be interested in Changing For Good, which he is one of the speakers at.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFNaJwuUGXQ[/youtube]