There has come to be a movement among evangelicals, a counter to what they think is a movement, the progressive christians. The lynch pin is a book calld Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers. [1] In this book, which is a runaway best seller, she asserts that all those who call themselves "progressive christians" constitute another faith, another Jesus; and are in fact open to the anathema of Galatians. She has asserted that known Christians such as Rachel Held Evans (a well known christian commentator) are going to hell. she expressed hope that Evens repented on her deathbed. [2] her book has been lauded by evangelical stalwarts such as Sean Mcdowell.[3]
There are progressive counters. Radall Rouser, professor from Canada who does Christian apologetics, has posted many things about this on Youtube.The reader is urged to watch this one.[4]Childers conflates theological explanation with doctrine. That means rather than say the atonement is a core doctrine of the faith and there are several views of how it works she says you have to have her version or you are a dreaded progressive and you are part of another faith, She says progressive christianity is not even christian it's another faith. So unless you buy her version of substitutionary atonement you are a fake Christian. That is merely black mailing all Christians into asserting her specific line of theological explanation; That is the only one.
The time has come to take off the gloves. I wrote off the evangelicals with the last election. I don't call them "evangelicals" I call them "Trump church." Now I ask why are these Trump church guys so unwilling to accept that there could be anyone who is a real Christian and is progressive?
You can say it's far fetched but think about it. If there is a large group of Christians who criticize the Trump Church then they effectively undercut the possible political factor of the progressives. Even though politics has not surfaced as being part of the issue I bet that is lurching in the background and motivating the Trumpies.It would be easy to exchange theological professions for political progress. They might start draining votes from republicans.
Suppose they leave them unchallenged? Progressive Christians could give people the idea that Christians don't have to be republican. It could take away votes. That's why they must rule out every progressive as not a Christian.
Notes
[1]Alisa Childers, Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity.Tyndale Elevate: Tyndale Elevate,October 6, 2020.
[2]Rndal Rouser, "How Alisa Childers Hopes Rachel Held Evans Got Saved Before She Died" Tentative Apologist bog, (February 20, 2023), https://randalrauser.com/2023/02/how-alisa-childers-hopes-rachel-held-evans-got-saved-before-she-died/
[3]Ibid
[4]Rouser, "Are Progressives Like Me Going to Hell? A Response to Sean McDowell and Tom Gilson" video on Yuo Tube,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5Hl7wYHlF0
Not only do Christians not have to be Republican, but they can be anarchist like me and this guy:
ReplyDeleteAnarcho Christian: Answering Greg Koukl (Stand To Reason)
sure. One's politics should be informed by one's faith but no political formation is holy.
ReplyDeleteRachel Held Evans was one of the best Christians I have ever known. She lived out her faith in honesty and integrity and so much grace. It's terrible how people who disagreed with her have vilified her. She is in the arms of God.
ReplyDeletethose guys are really up to somethings. That's why I think it's political.
ReplyDeleteI think both in theology and in politics, their chief motivation is to maintain power structures. If you look at whom they oppose, the person or group is challenging existing hierarchies of power and control.
ReplyDeleteExactly, good point.
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