American Evangelicals

Beliefnet has a great roundtable blog discussion about Evangelicals in America. It's not one-sided, either. Jerry Jenkins, a famous evangelical and co-author of the Left Behind series, is one of the bloggers. Also taking part are Hanna Rosin, author of God's Harvard; former Bush aide, David Kuo; sociologist Michael Lindsey; and reporter Jeff Sharlet.

Some excerpts:

Hanna Rosin says:

I disagree with evangelicals on most political issues, so it's hard for me to welcome this development. But what makes me uneasy is not so much the issues as the effect on the political culture. Political disagreements are great - healthy for a democracy, fun for a journalist. But not when those disagreements are loaded with the weight of sin and evil. This generation grew up thinking of Republicans and Christians as twins, and in my experience it's hard for them to separate between those two. Supply side economics is a staple of the Republican party platform, not something dictated by the Bible. Ditto on tort reform, and even gay rights. I would bet that some part of Bush's brain confuses his commitment to the war with his commitment to God.

Jeff Sharlet says:

[Evangelicals are] not "just" anything -- they're the mutant strand of DNA that makes American politics so different from those of other developed nations, the genes that tilt American democracy toward messianic empire. And yet to say that they're "bad" for America is to suggest that there's an America to be neatly distinguished from evangelicalism. I don't think so, and neither do the conservative evangelical leaders -- elite and populist -- I've spoken with over the years. The smartest among them recognize that it's not evangelicals who are becoming more like secular America, but secular America that's becoming more like evangelicals. The example with which Hanna closes -– Hillary's penchant for theological talk -– goes right to the heart of elite evangelicalism's success. Not in the trenches of culture war, but behind the lines.

Jerry Jenkins says:

Before I speak to Hanna's cogent comments re Hollywood, let me say that I have long been uneasy about Evangelicals in positions of political power, largely because I see this as antithetical to the very teachings of Jesus. He was a preacher of paradoxical truth. If you want to be rich, give your money away. Respond to anger with kindness. Love your enemies. Do good to those who spitefully use you. Want to be exalted? Humble yourself? Want to be a leader? Become a servant of all.

The whole discussion is very fascinating especially for someone like me who is very intrigued by the growth of the Evangelical movement. Check it out.