An Evangelical Manifesto
by Joe Thorn ~ May 7th, 2008. Filed under: Church, Culture.An Evangelical Manifesto: A Declaration of Evangelical Identity and Public Commitment was officially released today. This is a document that seeks to clarify what it means to be an evangelical and how we should engage culture and politics. I like it a lot, but have only read it through once.
For more check out Ed Stetzer’s blog, Justin Taylor’s interaction here, and his interview with Os Guinness here.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:32 am
i confess that i had some hesitations and misgivings before reading the document, but was actually quite impressed and invigorated after taking in the whole of what it addressed.
i am glad they chose not to say that creationism and inerrancy were non-negotiables. for the first, there’s very little biblical justification anymore behind whatever latest flavor of anti-natural selection is being put forward; for the latter, somehow we can admit that we can’t prove the existence of God, but goshdarnit we have a golden egg this unprovable God laid right here. kind of stupid when you think about it … not that thinking is a pre-requisite of course in any of these endeavors.
more than anything, i was motivated and energized by the very positive nature of the piece - that it wasn’t yet another “here’s everything we’re against” rant but an effort to make the gospel again a message of good news. imagine that - the gospel being good news. American Christianity has lost this defining characteristic ever since it embraced the neo-con’s Jesus bobble-head doll.
perhaps one unintended benefit of the proposal is a clear opportunity to take this EM (Evangelical Manifesto) and align it with the other EM (Emergent Manifesto) and finally have all our EM & EMs in a row without demonizing the other side.
one can only hope…
mike rucker
fairburn, georgia, usa
mikerucker.wordpress.com