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March 10, 2009
Is Evangelicalism Doomed?
A thought-provoking column at the Christian Science Monitor.
Oneida, Ky. - We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.Cheery, no? I'm a pessimist by nature, but halfway through this oped I was thinking Wow. Cheer up, dude.Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.
This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.
Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close.
Spencer has some interesting thoughts on the shallowness of evangelical culture, but I think he makes too many unwarranted assumptions about the current state of evangelical churches. Not all churches are dying or consumed with 'selling' Christianity. I'm probably as suspicious of megachurches as Spencer, but a few of them have more depth than one would expect. The new small group movement is largely coming out of those churches.
If anything, I believe fundamentalist churches are in more trouble than the evangelical megachurches because many of them refuse to acknowledge the existence and needs of a younger generation. I am a member of a church that is fundamentalist and evangelical in doctrine, but not culture.
I have read Spencer's blog, and largely agree with him in principle, even if I do find his tone off-putting at times. Plus, I cannot agree with him on the issue of worship music. Some contemporary Christian music lacks theological grounding, but I do not believe the answer lies in hymns, since many of them are just as doctrinally shallow. Insisting on hymn-centric music, to me, shows a lack of trust in God's ability to influence creativity, and makes me wonder whether those who hold that opinion are willing to claim that God-inspired creativity ended when the last hymn was written.
Still, I think this article does, or should, lead to some soul-searching among those of us who claim the title of evangelical.
Posted by slublog at March 10, 2009 08:30 PM
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Comments
the church will never go away, it'll come back in cycles.
but this is where we agree to disagree, I don't like the pressure that religious parents put on their kids.
it's a decision you need to make for yourself, right? the repeated bible studies, forced sunday masses, etc..
indoctrinating your kids early didn't work for me, hell, I did all sorts of drugs as a form of rebellion. I still don't appreciate any sort of persuasion to join the church.
it might be great for them in the long run, but let them decide. isn't that the point?
Posted by: coldmexican at March 11, 2009 12:19 AM
There are many hymns that sacrificed doctrine for rhyme, and go against biblical principal. I would go crazy if all I heard was the old hymns!
"I don't like the pressure that religious parents put on their kids.
it's a decision you need to make for yourself, right? the repeated bible studies, forced sunday masses, etc..
indoctrinating your kids early didn't work for me"
I agree that it is a choice, and one that cannot be made fairly and honestly unless the person making the choice is exposed to both God's word and the worlds ideas. God's word (indoctrination)is heard in church! You received plenty of "indoctination" from the school system and TV.
Posted by: Peter's Dad at March 11, 2009 12:37 PM
ugh, sorry, that was an old argument started by a situation (and a conversation) you both had no idea of. I was looking for a fight frankly.
I'm sorry for bringing it up here, or anywhere.
Posted by: coldmexican at March 15, 2009 11:39 PM
try again, i'm not used to counting potatoes
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Excellent info…going to go use it right now
Posted by: Korey Simmer at December 3, 2010 11:49 PM
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Posted by: Link Building at December 14, 2010 05:24 PM
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Posted by: Link Building at December 15, 2010 06:31 AM