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The “New Breed of Evangelicals”

Orginally published on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 10:58 PM
by Todd Rhoades

The New York Times ran a fabulously interesting article yesterday on the "New Breed of Evangelicals". I've seen some speculation on a couple of blogs on who the next Jerry Falwell might be. The face of Christianity is changing. Many of the leaders we've had, (whether they be political activists like Jerry Falwell or James Dobson or Pat Robertson; or movement leaders like Rick Warren and Bill Hybels) are aging (or in the case of Falwell, gone.) Who will the new 'face' of evangelicalism be? Here's part of the NYT article...

The evangelical Christian movement, which has been pivotal in reshaping the country’s political landscape since the 1980s, has shifted in potentially momentous ways in recent years, broadening its agenda and exposing new fissures.

The death of the Rev. Jerry Falwell last week highlighted the fact that many of the movement’s fiery old guard who helped lead conservative Christians into the embrace of the Republican Party are aging and slowly receding from the scene. In their stead, a new generation of leaders who have mostly avoided the openly partisan and confrontational approach of their forebears have become increasingly influential.

Typified by megachurch pastors like the Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif., and the Rev. Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago, the new breed of evangelical leaders — often to the dismay of those who came before them — are more likely to speak out about more liberal causes like AIDS, Darfur, poverty and global warming than controversial social issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.

But the conservative legacy of the religious right persists, and abortion continues to be a defining issue, even a litmus test, for most evangelicals, including younger ones, according to interviews and survey data.

“The abortion issue is going to continue to be a unifying factor among evangelicals and Catholics,” said the Rev. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, who is often held up as an example of the new model of conservative Christian leaders. “That’s not going to go away.”

The persistence of abortion as a core concern for evangelical voters, who continue to represent a broad swath of the Republican base, could complicate efforts by Rudolph W. Giuliani, who has been leading the Republican presidential field in nationwide polls, to get primary voters to move past the issue and accept his support for abortion rights. The broader impact that the changing evangelical leadership may have on politics appears to be just beginning. Many evangelicals remain uneasy about the other leading Republican contenders, Mitt Romney, because of his Mormon faith and his past support for abortion rights, and Senator John McCain of Arizona, who has long had a tenuous relationship with conservative Christians.

The evangelical movement, however, is clearly evolving. Members of the baby boomer generation are taking over the reins, said D. G. Hart, a historian of religion. The boomers, he said, are markedly different in style and temperament from their predecessors and much more animated by social justice and humanitarianism. Most of them are pastors, as opposed to the heads of advocacy groups, making them more reluctant to plunge into politics to avoid alienating diverse congregations.

“I just don’t see in the next generation of so-called evangelical leaders anyone as politically activist-minded” as Mr. Falwell, the Rev. Pat Robertson or James C. Dobson, he said.

Read more here at the New York Times...

What do you think?  Who are the bright ‘up and comers’ that will represent the face of evangelical Christianity in the next 10 years?  Who will the news people (like the NYT) seek out?  And will they be any more well received than some of today’s spokespeople?


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  There are 12 Comments:

  • Posted by

    Well, I hope it’ll be people like Erwin McManus and Rob Bell…

  • Posted by Randy Ehle

    There is certainly a place and a need for Christians in the political arena, but over the past several years I have begun to hope that “the face of evangelical Christianity” will be less identified with a political agenda and more identified with a radical transformation that begins in individuals and flows out from there into their communities, then across the nation, and ultimately across the world. 

    In addition to Erwin McManus and Rob Bell, the names I think of are Rick McKinley (Imago Dei Community in Portland, OR), Matt Hammett (Flood Church, San Diego), and Bob Roberts Jr (Northwood Church in TX).  In their unique ways and settings, these three are leading churches toward intentional transformation that really can - and, I think, will - result in transformation far beyond their personal influence. 

    The thing is, I’m not sure that any one of these five men will become a household name the way
    Falwell and Dobson, et al have.  In some respects, that’s too bad, because I think they would earn the respect of the nation; on the other hand, the best leaders are often the ones who are just outside the glare of the national spotlight.

  • Posted by Stewart

    Since when did issues like social justice and Darfur cease to be political issues. I’ve spent time with some of these younger evangelical leaders. They are very political. It’s just that they tend to be energized about different issues. While they might oppose abortion, it doesn’t energize them like love for the poor.

    I see a couple of potential reasons for this.

    (1) The changed emphasis is partly a response to a deeper reading of the Bible. Compare the frequency and clarity of Scripture’s call to aid the poor versus it’s pro-life agenda.

    (2) The changed emphasis is partly strategic. They are leading with issues that are important to the people they are trying to reach with the gospel. Among GenX and below - love for the poor is a very popular social/political issue. Fighting the evils of abortion is not. So if you want to start a conversation with the secular world and highlight common ground - start with love for the poor, not opposition to abortion.

  • Posted by kent

    I wonder if we are moving beyond the desire for a galvanizing leadrer for the evangelical. Do we even want to be a national movement? if in the words of Tip O’Neill since all politis are local, may be all church needs to be local as well.

  • Posted by Leonard

    Many of the younger leaders today are not as passionate about abortion or homosexuality because there has never been a time in their life when these issues was illegal.  I talked to a younger leader and he was surprised that there were laws against homosexuality on the books in our country.  Another was surprised that there was a time when abortion was illegal.  How can something be legal but wrong morally?  It is no wonder these issues do not resonate with younger evangelicals. 

    Long before these were political issues these were moral issues badly handled by the church.  But nearly 1/3 of my generation has legally been aborted and we live in the most same sex experimenting times I have ever seen.  There is no legal reason to resist so there should be no moral reason to resist either. 

    One reason evangelicals are defined by these two issues is because the opposition took the fight to the judicial and political arena.  Most every Christian I know under the age of 45 says guys like Dobson, Fallwell, Robertson do not speak for them.  In their distancing themselves from these voices of evangelicals we have lost sight over the devastation of abortion on the lives of women.  We have lost sight of the sexual confusion of our culture and the devastation that it has brought to bear upon the soul of so many young people.  As a missionary to students for 11 years I saw first hand the havoc these two issues brought upon the lives of many young people.  Multiply that to generations of people now.

  • Posted by Bill

    I think the new faces of evangelicalism will be men such as Rob Bell and Mark Driscoll.  Perhaps even Perry Noble and Craig Groeschel.

  • Posted by reGeN

    me

  • Posted by

    reGen: Not sure whether to take that as joking, serious or what…

    Leonard made the statement that:  “Most every Christian I know under the age of 45 says guys like Dobson, Fallwell, Robertson do not speak for them.” Definitely agree with that in regards to those I know as well. I have even stated that here before in regards to myself. Yet, most I know are in line with why that is true for me - they don’t speak for them merely because they are opening their mouths. Every leader says something dumb and just downright stupid at one time or another that needs apologizing for. The mouth gets ahead of the mind… more importantly the heart. And also the desire to not put individuals in places of more “power” whether it is real or perceived. Every vote counts because every individual does. Not one more so than others. Every individual that can legally vote has to responsibility and privilege to learn about issues for themselves. Afterall, we make time for what is important to us. Yes, we can listen to what “leaders” positions are but at the end of the day - what is yours? what is mine? And also, how do we show love to those who disagree with us?

    I’m going to get down off my soapbox now. Oh, so much could be said here.....

  • Posted by reGeN

    @camey:

    nah, not a joke...no sense in me waiting for someone else to step up and engage all aspects of culture whether its politics or hollywood...what matters most is bringing a kingdom perspective to the table so that Christ can be glorified and people transformed...peace

  • Posted by

    Thanks reGen for responding.  “so that Christ can be glorified and people transformed” Amen!

  • Posted by

    Amen to the above...this article and many like it decided to look at the “next generation” of evangelicals and went from folks in their 70s to folks in their 50s.

    Yippee.

  • Posted by

    Thanks for this article.  The New Evangelicals are an answer to this “old” Christian man’s prayers.  It’s about time the tide changes to focus on the word “evangelical”—as in winning the lost to Christ—and getting away from some of the aggresive political energies devoted to setting up a theocratic government.  Thank God for these newer leaders and their focus and passion for building the Kingdom of Heaven!

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