Monday, November 26, 2007
What's Wrong (And Right) With Evangelicalism
Jollyblogger looks at Darryl Dash who looks at Tim Keller looking at Evangelicals. By the time this post gets up, this discussion will have likely gone the way of all things, but this was pretty widely discussed. David pulls several bullet points, but let's just look at two:
"We'll never get anywhere then?!" comes the rejoinder.
Nay, I say to you. As with all things God has a very different model for forward movement than we do. The key is to discover that model and adhere to it. And it is a simple model. We move forward through confession and repentance. Just that - nothing more. The way forward is through looking backward.
This works because in confession and repentance, we get out of the way and enable the Holy Spirit to do the forward movement.
To be cliche', "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
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This sets up a general formulation that we too often forget. Let me phrase in the more general fashion:
- Evangelicalism used to occupy the middle ground between fundamentalism and liberalism. It was orthodox, pro-scholarship, and facing the world. Recently, evangelicalism has become more hostile and condemning of culture. A younger generation has given up on evangelicalism as a middle ground and are looking for a new consensus. This group goes by a number of names, such as post-evangelicals or the emerging church.
- To respond, evangelicals must understand and practice biblical repentance as a result of believing the gospel. This will allow evangelicals to admit their sins, even if they disagree with 80% of the criticisms from the post-evangelicals, and even if the remaining 20% is expressed poorly. To the degree that we understand the gospel, we will be able to freely admit our shortcomings as an evangelical movement.
- We are sinners, forgiven, but still sinners
- Whatever we undertake, no matter how noble, how well-intentioned and how good will be tainted by that sin.
- Sin can only be conquered through the access to redemption provided by confession, repentance, and submission.
"We'll never get anywhere then?!" comes the rejoinder.
Nay, I say to you. As with all things God has a very different model for forward movement than we do. The key is to discover that model and adhere to it. And it is a simple model. We move forward through confession and repentance. Just that - nothing more. The way forward is through looking backward.
This works because in confession and repentance, we get out of the way and enable the Holy Spirit to do the forward movement.
To be cliche', "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
Technorati Tags:forward, repentance, evangelicalism, growth
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