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More on the "Evangelical Manifesto"

Posted May 19, 04:08 AM | 1 comments | by Editor | Link

Discussion of the “Evangelical Manifesto” continues, so here’s an update on some of the latest:

The Evangelical News service reports that Dean Nelson, a conservative black pastor and political activist, feels the “Evangelical Manifesto” excludes black Christians: “African-American Christians have been involved politically for years, and for them to have this type of document without having participation from the minority community really calls into question if [the writers of the Manifesto] are really serious about being progressive, as they say that they are.”

Fred Clark at Slacktivist points out what he feels is an inherent contradiction in the document: “The authors affirm that they oppose abortion and same-sex marriage in order to demonstrate that they belong, to demonstrate that their voices are legitimate voices in their community, to demonstrate that they are ‘Evangelicals.’ And what is the key, the touchstone, the Shibboleth for that demonstration? Two, and only two, political opinions. To be anti-abortion and anti-homosexuality may not be sufficient to demonstrate that one is an Evangelical, but it is necessary—far more necessary than any given theological or confessional belief. ... [The ‘Evangelical Manifesto’] is an often persuasive and eloquent argument that political and cultural definitions of ‘Evangelical’ are illegitimate. Yet even here—in the midst of that argument—the authors cannot avoid bowing to the demands of exactly those political and cultural definitions.” (HT: Zach Lind)

The Washington Post/Newsweek forum “On Faith” has responses from N.T. Wright, Martin Marty, Chuck Colson, Cal Thomas, and others (including many comments from readers) on the question, “What is an evangelical?” (HT: Justin Taylor)

Scot McKnight weights in, “There are too many today who want to usurp control over evangelicalism by demanding uniformity in theology. Evangelicalism never has been and never will be uniform in theology.”

He adds, “I believe the threat of complete disintegration is far more serious than many today seem to realize.” He identifies three groups who “threaten to destroy the fabric of historic American evangelicalism”: the Religious Right, the Neo-Reformed, and the Political Progressives.

But he concludes, “I love what I’m reading [in the ‘Evangelical Manifesto,’” and he says James K.A. Smith (who panned the “Manifesto” earlier) has “misread the intent and the thrust of this document.”

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Welcome to the Reader's Forum

1Darren King - Precipice Magazine 05/21/2008 01:12 AM

My take is that, overall, this document suggests the evangelical movement (notice I use a small “e”, after all, this is no defined entity or organization) is headed in the right direction. At the same time, one can’t help but wonder if the manifesto’s open-armed, open-ended stance suggests that the term “evangelical” itself will soon prove redundant. More thoughts on the issue here:
http://www.precipicemagazine.com/response-evangelical-manifesto.html