Patton Dodd: October 2007 Archives

I’ll begin by (again!) agreeing with Jeff: It’s good for democracy when a group of citizens become politically engaged. Debates are more robust, candidates have sharper visions, and civic participation rises. All of us agree that evangelicals now have power. But their legacy is still up for grabs. What does the future hold?

Power is still relatively new to evangelicals, and as people of the Book, they are in a tough spot when they want guidance.

Ok, I want to inject a little reality check into this conversation. So far we seem to agree on three things that should happen to make us less queasy about evangelicals in high places:

1. Powerful evangelicals stop the servant talk and acknowledge that they want power, and have it, and have to figure out what to do with it.
2. They stop their reflexive support of the Republican party platform.
3. They focus more on soup kitchens and less on transforming the culture.

Here is why I think we have a long way to go.

The problem with evangelicals today is that so many have lost confidence in Jesus. I think that explains the problems that all of us have with them today.

Consider this from Michael:

"What unites evangelicals is that they believe something is wrong with American culture and that they can help set it aright. 'Cultural redemption' is a phrase I heard from a lot of the people I interviewed."

Note that he didn't say what unites evangelicals today is their belief that the Gospel of Jesus is so life-transforming, so utterly staggering, that to put that Gospel into action through sacrificially loving their neighbor would be change the world.

Jeff rightly calls evangelicals on the carpet for hiding their quest for worldly power behind the mask of “servant leadership.” It’s not Jerry’s notion of servanthood, of course, that Jeff disagrees with. Helping the poor and hungry are certainly worthwhile. David asked what I think is “the most under-reported but promising parts of evangelicalism today (in terms of living up to Jesus' Gospel).” One thing I can point to is a number of corporate executives who are choosing to forgo the kind of opulent lifestyle we’re used to seeing and are instead using their money to do good works, making a difference in people’s lives. It’s not a revolution, but it’s not nothing.

David asks me, "Jerry - How do we begin to change that perception? You give tremendous examples of evangelicals who are serving and loving - how do we get more and more Christians to do that? Christians, for instance, like me?"

David, you must realize those are two loaded and very different questions. There is no changing the perception. I say that the true Evangelical leaders are servants, and Jeff says beware of and frankly disbelieve leaders who claim to be servants. (My point, of course, was that it isn't the political leaders who are true leaders but rather the sincere servants -- those who don't claim anything.)

I can't help but admire David's determination to make "evangelical" something other than a political term. David wants to be part of a real movement, one for which politics is no more than one front among many. The good news...

Part of me feels like I should just step aside and let Jeff and Michael duke this one out, because I'm really interested in this question of the cosmopolitans and the populists, and who counts as which, and who is...

First, greetings to everyone. I'm excited to be part of this. Let me start with something upon which everyone might agree. No matter how some of us wish that evangelicals are currently defined and no matter how much we might...

Hey, everybody! It’s great to have the chance to interact with a group that has thought so much about the ascent of American evangelicals. After interviewing several hundred elite evangelicals, I’ve concluded that the evangelical movement is a lot more...

Greetings, all. I'm honored to be invited to interact with thinkers far above my academic pay grade (read GPA). Before I speak to Hanna's cogent comments re Hollywood, let me say that I have long been uneasy about Evangelicals in...

Since I'm going to disagree with Hanna, I'll start with some good feelings about her new book, God's Harvard, the first real work of narrative nonfiction about Christian fundamentalism and political power. Hanna has gone further than any other writer...

Hi everyone. I've spoken to most of you but I'm thrilled to have a chance for this slightly more organized discussion. Something is changing out there in evangelical land – politically, sociologically, culturally. Jerry Falwell's death sort of made it...

Hi Hanna, Jeff, Jerry, Michael, and David, Welcome one and all. Each of you has already made significant contributions to the matter at hand—either by fostering it, covering it, or studying it—and I'm glad for the chance to bring your...

David Kuo blogs for Beliefnet at "J-Walking." A former special assistant to President George W. Bush, Kuo chronicled his time at the White House in his book " 4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2964547-2159668?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192218041&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction." ] Kuo...

D. Michael Lindsay is a sociologist at Rice University who specializes in issues surrounding leadership, religion, and culture. The author of several books, scholarly articles, and research reports, Lindsay most recently completed " ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2964547-2159668?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192217388&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Faith in the Halls of...

Jerry B. Jenkins is the author of more than 170 books, including the 65,000,000-selling Left Behind series. Riven, Jenkins’ standalone novel, will release in March 2008. Jenkins's writing has appeared in Time, Reader's Digest, Parade, Guideposts, and dozens of...

Jeff Sharlet is a contributing editor for Harpers and Rolling Stone, and his writing on religion, culture, and politics has appeared in The Dallas Morning News, Nerve, Oxford American, and Salon, among other publications. Sharlet was a founding editor...

Hanna Rosin is the author of “God’s Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America.” She has covered religion and politics for the Washington Post. She has also written for the New Yorker, the New Republic, GQ,...