As a friend recently observed, there is so much talk about how, for conservative evangelicals, politics has reshaped theology. Some of that criticism is valid, but Sojourners is a case in point that progressive politics has also reshaped theology, albeit for a different demographic and in the opposite direction. And while there seems to be a veritable cottage industry that critiques how the Religious Right corrupted the faithful, little circumspection exists in most mainstream circles regarding the problems of the religious left. Surely this is because the religious left’s agendas, concerns, and values align with the progressive mainstream.
After all, when is the last time we’ve seen a high-profile “deconstruction” story of a progressive Christian who became more traditional and criticizes his revisionist background and forebears? It wouldn’t fit a particular narrative that would insist that orthodox Christianity must be sloughed off to achieve progress, however that is to be defined (if it ever is).
How many ex-Mainliners and now evangelicals have been “left behind” by increasingly progressive organizations like Sojourners? How many leaders have drummed the Scriptures and theological insights into service for liberal goals? How many churchgoers have become increasingly extreme in their progressive views in order to suit political ideology? Would it be more shocking to an ancient church father that those that claim the name of Christ should fall under the sway of populist demagogues or should engage in gender-bending and the wholesale redefinition of marriage? In fact, from the standpoint of Christianity, isn’t this collapse into revisionism the more notable historical trend, especially considering how this falls in line with Conquest’s Second Law?
Read more at WORLD Opinions.
St. Jude's Anglican Church
We are a parish of the Reformed Episcopal Church. We have been worshiping together in the greater Richmond area for over a decade. We’d love to have you join us for Christian worship in the rich Anglican tradition.
