Evangelical Politics Seeks a New Path (The New York Times)

You know things are changing in the evangelical world when the New York Times takes notice.

This Sunday, the New York Times Magazine published a feature article titled "The Evangelical Crackup." It's a quite lengthy and well-researched piece detailing how many evangelicals are waking up to the reality that God's social concerns are broader than the platform of the Republican Party.

If you don't have the time to read all 10 pages of the article, Jim Wallis has the highlights.

I find this quote from the article particularly insightful, on the theology that drives competing views of the proper Christian response to politics:

Ever since they broke with the mainline Protestant churches nearly 100 years ago, the hallmark of evangelical's theology has been a vision of modern society as a sinking ship, sliding toward depravity and sin. For evangelicals, the altar call was the only life raft — a chance to accept Jesus Christ, rebirth and salvation. Falwell, Dobson and their generation saw their political activism as essentially defensive, fighting to keep traditional moral codes in place so their children could have a chance at the raft. But many younger evangelicals — and some old-timers — take a less fatalistic view. For them, the born-again experience of accepting Jesus is just the beginning. What follows is a long-term process of "spiritual formation" that involves applying his teachings in the here and now. They do not see society as a moribund vessel. They talk more about a biblical imperative to fix up the ship by contributing to the betterment of their communities and the world. They support traditional charities but also public policies that address health care, race, poverty and the environment.

Younger evangelicals still recognize that this world is not our final home, that we long for "the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Heb. 11:10). However, we also recognize that, like the Israelites in exile, we are called to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city" where God has placed us for a time (Jer. 29:7). We strive to minister holistically, for we know that God does not merely save souls, but people. We hope that through the creation of a just community we may hasten the day when "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (Hab. 2:14).