...To Christian leaders, and many Christians themselves, it was incomprehensible that they came to occupy such a small space of our political discourse. How could it be that they could elect a nations president, but lose its politics? But Christians also faced a similar and still more pressing question: How could it be that they could elect a nations president, but lose its people? Two books in the late 2000s helped answer that question. In 2007, Unchristian, a book written by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman based on original research, sent shockwaves through the church that continue to resonate. They found that young non-Christians have profoundly negative views of Christians. For instance, among 16- to 29-year-old non-Christians, Christians were viewed as anti-gay (91 percent), judgmental (87 percent), hypocritical (85 percent), sheltered (78 percent) and—surprise—too political (75 percent). In 2010, respected academics David Campbell and Robert Putnams landmark book, American Grace, concluded that partisan politics was directly to blame for the rise of religiously unaffiliated Americans. The growth of the nones, Campbell argued, is a direct reaction to the intermingling of religion and politics in the United States. Jonathan Merritt was more blunt in his assessment of the impact of a partisan faith: As American Evangelicals have become more partisan, American Christianity has suffered as more shy away from the faith. Pastors increasingly found that a partisan politics was pushing people away from faith and causing tension among those in their churches. Things had to change. For Christians, this research confirmed what they were experiencing in their own lives: an open antagonism in the culture toward Christian ideas and doctrine; a sudden change in conversations when they mentioned their faith; the assumption of their politics that came with a knowledge of their faith; the sudden need to make clear that they were not that kind of Christian. Pastors increasingly found that a partisan politics was pushing people away from faith and causing tension among those in their churches. Things had to change. ...
Posted on: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 16:14:20 +0000
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