A reader has sent a link to this fascinating opinion piece by a Protestant writer. He predicts a massive collapse of Evangelical Christianity within the next 10 -20 years.
I think his analysis is correct in the whole, but I believe he underestimates the tenacity of Protestant religious organizations and their ability to adapt to the changing cultural landscape. How will evangelicalism change? Look to the Episcopalians. Mainstream Evangelicals have always followed the example of the liberal mainline Protestant denominations. They are usually about 15 years behind the radical cutting edge liberalism. As Episcopalians were the first to accept artificial contraception, the rest soon followed. Now many Evangelical churches turn a blind eye to remarriage after divorce, co habitation and even abortion. Most are ready to debate, if not accept women’s ordination and homosexual ‘marriage’ is right around the corner.
Along with this will go a softening attitude toward dogma. Evangelicals are already saying, “Dogma is divisive, and the seemingly successful post modern mega churches downplay dogma for a mixture of Scripture, entertainment, self help, positive thinking and practical living courses. The liberals went down this road long ago. Evangelicals don’t seem to recognize that they are simply doing ‘Norman Vincent Peale’ for today.
I just read that this morning! Crazy!!! Yeah, I think this guy has it mostly correct.The Mega Church is a frightful disease… and everyone there has big smiles and hands raised. Both my wife and I think there are demons run rampant there. Self help is pulling blinders over peoples eyes, and the flashy lights and soaring guitar solos (complete with video zoom in on huge screens) is feeding the culture more of the same. This is not counter cultural, but consumerism at its best. I have sat in such a church, and I wondered if I had payed a ticket to see a rock and roll show, with the Starbucks out in the gathering area… which is full of shinny metal chairs and hipster lights.Everyone is revved up on caffein, guitar praise, video presentations and watered down self help drivel. Makes me want to shout out… THE WORLD LIETH IN WICKEDNESS, BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS SIP OUR LATE AND JUMP UP AND DOWN TO A CATCHY TUNE!!!Lord Have Mercy.-g-
Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral is exactly like you describe. Based on Norman Vincent Peale’s Positive Thinking, Pastor Schuller has built his ministry on self-help with God. I admire Pastor Schuller tremendously but I do believe that it lacks something. Now that he is getting up there in years, the ministry has had to downsize quite a bit. He’s had disagreements with his son in how to run it. This is a personality driven ministry. Now that Schuller isn’t so involved (due to age), you’re seeing it go down.
I don’t see co-habitation, abortion, or homosexuality as being normed in evangelical churches. I don’t even see a trend that way — not at all. In fact, I would say that in the average Catholic parish, co-habitation and (limited-use) abortion is more accepted, at least among the congregants.There are a lot of us who think Spencer vastly overstates his case, even while recognizing legitimate concerns. I would check-out the response from Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/marchweb-only/110-31.0.html?start=1
We should also not discount the rather healthy state of evangelical seminaries. Traditional orthodoxy is an increasing priority, and you can largely assume that Schuller and Osteen are not the models being taught. The average twenty-something student on campus has nothing but disdain for the prosperity gospel.
Quote from Kevin: In fact, I would say that in the average Catholic parish, co-habitation and (limited-use) abortion is more accepted, at least among the congregants.(Me): That would be true in most churches of different faiths. I think that we’re talking here of what the Churches themselves are teaching. Not what the congregants might believe. People are people. They may call themselves Catholic but that doesn’t mean that they are.
Much of this article was anticipated in 1994 by “The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind” by Mark Noll.
Father, I sort of saw this coming back in around 1985. I remember thinking to myself that the evangelicals were starting down the path that the mainline churches had already headed down (I was reacting to some article or other in Christianity Today. I said to myself, “the day is going to come when serious Christians are going to have to become Catholic because only the Catholics are holding firm on the moral issues.” The problem was I didn’t want to become Catholic (or rather I didn’t want to become what I thought Catholic was – worshiping idols and all that sort of thing). By the mid 90’s I’d read Rome Sweet Home and the early Church fathers and it didn’t seem so outlandish anymore. I’ve been Catholic for 12 years come this Easter and I’ve watched the disintegration that I thought would come in my grandchildren’s lifetime come in mine instead. People who used to stand firm on things like divorce have waffled, and you’re right the questions of abortion and gay marriage don’t really bother some of them anymore either. It’s not that there aren’t Catholics in the same ideological camp, but the Church is standing firm, unlike the mega churches of the evangelicals with their charismatic leaders. I was right about the solution, I was wrong to dread it.