I found this quote by Michael Spencer both exciting and unfortunate
Evangelicals have identified their movement with the culture war and with political conservatism. This will prove to be a very costly mistake. Evangelicals will increasingly be seen as a threat to cultural progress. Public leaders will consider us bad for America, bad for education, bad for children, and bad for society. The evangelical investment in moral, social, and political issues has depleted our resources and exposed our weaknesses. Being against gay marriage and being rhetorically pro-life will not make up for the fact that massive majorities of Evangelicals can't articulate the Gospel with any coherence. We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith.
Read more here
I would really like to hear your reaction.
Not sure what my reaction is, but I've had recent conversations lately about being "post-evangelicals". Dave Tomlinson's book speaks well to this very subject and I often find myself right there in the middle of it.
You're right when you say that this is both exciting and unfortunate. I myself, want to be prayerful about the "exciting' and not try to fix the
"unfortunate'!
Posted by: rex hamilton | March 10, 2009 at 02:59 PM
I just have quick question. I see the unfortunate part, but why is this exciting?? I find it heartbreaking.
Posted by: Michael and Michelle | March 10, 2009 at 08:04 PM
This is what kinda freaks me out...
"Emphasis will shift from doctrine to relevance, motivation, and personal success – resulting in churches further compromised and weakened in their ability to pass on the faith."
Less doctrine is NOT good. Am I reading this wrong?
It just kinda makes me sad.
Michelle
Posted by: Michael and Michelle | March 10, 2009 at 09:05 PM
As I said, I still feel like I need to digest this a bit more to see what the collapse could mean, what could cause it, and what the ramifications could be... He had a lot of really good things to say, but some I wasn't as convinced about.
"We fell for the trap of believing in a cause more than a faith." Amen to that. I think that is why so many people always feel the need to defend the Gospel instead of live the gospel. To many the Gospel is a cause to fight for instead of a dynamic, life giving faith.
Posted by: Matt Jones | March 11, 2009 at 10:27 PM
@michelle: For me, the exciting part is that Christ's church will never fail! But who's to say it won't be blown up and started all over with an entirely new Christology and orthopraxis? The future of the church is completley unknown at this point, but few would beleive that massive change is not taking place today in the major cities of America.
Posted by: rex hamilton | March 16, 2009 at 12:41 PM