Evangelicalism in the Crosshairs: Kobes Du Mez, Constantine Campbell…and Francis Schaeffer (Part 4)

Here we now are, at my final post in this short series in which I am briefly looking at Evangelicalism’s tendency to say that Evangelicalism is going down the tubes, is a disaster, is a corruption of the faith, and is a wayward movement. In my last two posts, I attempted to give a general overview of Constantine Campbell’s book, Jesus v. Evangelicals: A Biblical Critique of a Wayward Movement. Although I feel it is a much better book than Kristin Kobes Du Mez’s book Jesus and John Wayne, nevertheless, it seemed to occasionally veer off into criticizing Evangelicalism through the grid of Democrat-progressive political views.

On top of that, if one looks at the eight “summary points” Campbell gives at the end of his book about what the fundamental problems with Evangelicalism are (I list them in my previous post), they really aren’t unique to Evangelicalism.

1. Has American Evangelicalism become politicized? Sure, but so have a whole lot of other Christian groups and individuals, especially over the past 6-7 years. I have never seen such strident and judgmental questioning of a person’s Christian faith based on his/her voting record as I have over the past two presidential election cycles—and that cuts both Left and Right.
2. Do Evangelicals tend to have an “us vs. them” mentality? Sure, but again, this is true across the board.
3. Do Evangelicals suffer from the perception of judgmentalism? Of course, but can you really label an entire movement in that way? I probably know more Evangelicals who don’t display rabid judgmentalism than those who do. And I certainly have come across plenty of hateful and judgmental non-Evangelicals in my life.
4. Can Evangelicals be tribalistic? Again, sure. But what group in our culture today isn’t?
5. Does Evangelicalism tend to have its own lists of acceptable and unacceptable sins? Yes, but I guarantee you that if you go to more of a “progressive/liberal” denomination, you’re going to find that they have their own lists…often formed along political ideological lines.
6. Do Evangelicals tend to shoot their wounded? Again, yes. And again, different religious (and non-religious) groups do the same thing, if what is in question is on that particular group’s list of unacceptable sins.
7. Do Evangelicals have an unhealthy church model, particularly the megachurch? Absolutely. Of course, as someone who is now Orthodox, I tend to think the church model of every Protestant/Evangelical church is problematic! (But that’s not a hill I’m going to die on).
8. Are there fringe personalities in Evangelicalism? Obviously. I’d argue that is partly because of the faulty church model in Protestantism in general. In any case, any time you have any kind of large movement that tends to market itself, it will tend to have a big-talking, shallow, and highly emotional figurehead. This is true for many Evangelical churches, major corporations, political movements, and TED talks!

What does all this tell you? First of all, it tells me that perhaps the problem with Evangelicalism is that it really isn’t all that different than anything else in our society. Secondly, as I look at these eight things, I can’t help but think they aren’t the root problems—they are the symptoms of a deeper problem. Before I delve into that, though, I want to summarize what Constantine Campbell says about what is needed to “save faith” in Evangelicalism.

Saving Faith
To get right to the point, Campbell’s “prescription” for Evangelicalism to “course correct,” is a very typical Evangelical kind of answer. It’s the kind of answer I constantly heard in youth groups, high school chapels, and Sunday sermons. What do we need to do? We need to look to Jesus. He loved and cared for people, but he shocked people too. He shocked people when he said we should love our enemies, but he also overturned tables. And he changed people’s lives, not just when he healed the lame, but he’s been changing lives for 2,000 years. We need to be like Jesus.

Mind you, there is nothing wrong with that sentiment, obviously. But I don’t know of any Evangelicals who would disagree because, like I said, that is a quintessentially thin Evangelical answer. Besides, what does that really mean? In fact (and I don’t want to sound mean), it was those kinds of “answers” that got me to gradually leave Evangelicalism and embrace Orthodoxy. It was the theological equivalent of diet soda, Splenda, or a gentle laxative. Do you know what image comes to mind when I read “answers” like that? I think of every presentation of Jesus in virtually every Jesus movie or church play I’ve ever seen—the religious equivalent of Bob Ross.

Campbell continues in this vein for about 10 pages and then ends his book with a brief discussion regarding whether we should keep the label “Evangelical,” redefine the label “Evangelical,” or ditch the label “Evangelical,” (and the faith altogether) like many “ex-Evangelicals” have done. For him, he has ended up in the Anglican church, because he “appreciates the liturgy and its nontribal feel.” In that sense, leaving Evangelicalism and going to a more liturgical tradition is similar to my story. Not completely similar, but still kind of similar.

Still, the way he ends the book reminds me of when I was wrestling with the “Christian” label back when I was 23 and in the Peace Corps. Did I want to be known as a “Christian” or a “follower of Christ? Because the label “Christian” had become associated with so much judgmentalism, hypocrisy, etc. The focus of my 23-year-old brain was one of labels. And why? Because I grew up in Evangelicalism, and everything in Evangelicalism seems to come down to labels, presentation, and, in a word, advertising. When you are young and immature, you always are concerned with “your look” and how other people view you. That kind of insecurity is what advertisers rely on to sell their products. Insecure people looking for an identity are more likely to buy your products if you market them correctly.

And that, I’m beginning to think, is what is at the heart of the “problem” (if you want to call it that) of modern American Evangelicalism. It ultimately is an immature faith tradition. Think of it—how many sermons do you hear that, for all intents and purposes, aren’t all that different than what you heard in 5^th grade Sunday School? As I think back to my childhood, the gist of the Christian faith I was presented in church was mostly, “You need to ‘get saved,’ and then you have to start telling others about the Gospel and how to get saved themselves.” Not to sound cynical, but it came across as, “Quick, buy into our ‘brand,’ and then go out and sell it to others!”

Like I said, I don’t want that to come across as cynical. I am convinced that Evangelicalism is a very sincere and well-intentioned thing. But the fact is there is very little depth to it and the push is always outward-looking to what you can do to change others. That is why you get the mega-churches—they’re selling a brand to try to change people. That is why you get the obsession with politics and the blurring of the lines between politics and the Christian faith—the aim is to use the political gears to change people for Christ. Sure, as Americans, we should all be involved in the political process to convince people to do what we think would be best for the country. There’s nothing wrong with that. But too often, with Evangelicals and ex-Evangelicals like, there is a certain religious zealotry infused into their involvement in political debates that end up being toxic and inhumane. And that kind of thing often does destroy one’s faith.

But all those things are symptoms, not the problem. The problem for Evangelicals is that Evangelicalism, by and large, really is an immature faith, where, just like a teenager who “wants to do something for Jesus,” people are too concerned with how their faith “looks” to others and whether or not they are “doing enough.” I think most know there is something deeper to the Christian faith than what they experience in most Evangelical churches, but they don’t know where to find it, and Evangelicalism doesn’t seem to offer anything different than what they heard in 5^th grade Sunday school.

My Orthodox Reaction
Why is that? I think it is because, given the historical flow of events that eventually brought about Evangelicalism, that Evangelicalism is simply cut off from Church Tradition and the core teaching that Christ passed down to his disciples and that was preserved by the early Church and Church Fathers. Yes, I know that sounds like a very “Eastern Orthodox answer.” That’s because it is. I’ve never thought, though, that Christians in other denominations have to officially become Orthodox to be real Christians. But I can say that my Christian faith has radically matured and deepened the more I became aware of the early Church, the Church Fathers, and the teaching preserved in the Orthodox Church.

So many times, as I would read more about Orthodoxy, I found myself thinking, “That’s what I’ve always thought! I’ve always wondered about that but was confused because it was something never emphasized in the church I grew up.” Simply put, my journey to Orthodoxy has helped me more clearly see what is important, and what isn’t so important, in one’s spiritual journey and the Christian faith. More importantly, the main perspective that has really come into focus is the goal of salvation. No, it isn’t to “get others saved” or “get to heaven.” It is to become like Christ—and that means to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And that is what Orthodoxy calls theosis—the process of growing and maturing into the fullness of Christ.

Unfortunately, within Evangelicalism, as with Protestantism in general, any notion of being responsible for working out your own salvation sounds too much like “salvation by works,” as seen against the backdrop of Martin Luther vs. the Catholic Church in the 16^th century. Hence, the very notion of theosis is non-existent in Evangelicalism, even though it was emphasized and taught by countless early Church Fathers. And so, instead of having that mindset regarding salvation, most Evangelicals understand salvation solely as a gift given to them—as a thing to possess. The result of this is that instead of having the focus being, “How do I become more Christ-like? How do mature into the fullness of Christ?” many Evangelicals have a fear of losing their salvation, like you’d lose a watch. And that fear can breed insecurity, which can open one up to being manipulated by seeking security in a number of things—glitzy megachurches, political victories, etc.

But a true understanding of salvation and theosis means that my chief concern as a Christian is to focus on my own growth and spiritual maturity and how I treat others, regardless of what they do. It shouldn’t be on worrying about what other people are doing, or who they’re voting for, or what positions they take on social issues. Each one of us is responsible for our own actions, and it’s not my place to judge the validity of your faith, of the validity of the faith Evangelical Christians, or anyone, based on any of that stuff. By all means, share your views, argue for what you think is right—that’s fine. But once the discussion devolves into a heated argument to the point where you are acting in quite the un-Christ-like manner, that is when you need to stop and reassess your own spiritual maturity, then decide what steps you need to take to get back on that “narrow path.”

All that said, I’m sure many Evangelicals will keep being judgmental and confusing party politics with the Gospel. And I’m sure a lot of other groups will keep doing the same thing as well. And I’m sure a lot of Evangelicals and ex-Evangelicals alike will continue ragging on Evangelicalism for not lining up with their preferred political stances. I’m not going to care anymore. It’s not my problem or my concern. My concern is to work out my own salvation, become more Christ like, and treat others the way I wish to be treated, regardless of what they do or what their views are.

I said at the beginning of this series that I hoped to tease out my thoughts on Evangelicalism and then put this issue to rest, at least in my own head. I think I’ve done that. I hope you’ve enjoyed these ramblings, but it’s time to move on to something else.