1) While your point about evangelicalism's cultural irrelevance is well taken, one way we could be even /more/ relevant is by prophetically addressing and refuting /critical theory/, one brand of which is Marxism. 2020's outbreak of Black Lives Matter protesting /isn't about black lives/. It's about the advancement of Marxism.
If we as Christians fall into the trap of assuming that "all" we need to do is address /racism/, then we've seriously missed the larger point, and the larger opportunity.
The core viewpoint of critical theory is /oppressionism/: somebody's done me wrong, and that's why I'm not flourishing and don't have all that's rightfully mine. This is writ large throughout Scripture, and is first seen in the Devil's appeal to Eve, in Genesis 3. I would argue that this is the central anti-God ideology depicted in various ways throughout the entire Bible, and was conceived in the mind of Satan himself, the first "victim" (as he sees it).
2) You offered the following particular example:
"I remember reading an article in /First Things/ about how the Roman Catholic Church had failed lower class white neighborhoods. . . . Oh, and [the author] never once mentioned that a horrifying number of priests were molesting white working class children—one would think that would’ve made a list of the ways in which the church 'failed' the neighborhood. . . . That’s what passes for sober self-reflection in the American church today."
Roman Catholicism is part of "the American church" only if by "church" we mean the visible, institutional version: i.e., a group that calls itself, and is broadly categorized as, a "Christian church." Theologically, however, RCism /isn't Biblical/; it's actually a /cult/.
Excellent article. Thank you. A couple suggestions, however . . . .
1) While your point about evangelicalism's cultural irrelevance is well taken, one way we could be even /more/ relevant is by prophetically addressing and refuting /critical theory/, one brand of which is Marxism. 2020's outbreak of Black Lives Matter protesting /isn't about black lives/. It's about the advancement of Marxism.
If we as Christians fall into the trap of assuming that "all" we need to do is address /racism/, then we've seriously missed the larger point, and the larger opportunity.
The core viewpoint of critical theory is /oppressionism/: somebody's done me wrong, and that's why I'm not flourishing and don't have all that's rightfully mine. This is writ large throughout Scripture, and is first seen in the Devil's appeal to Eve, in Genesis 3. I would argue that this is the central anti-God ideology depicted in various ways throughout the entire Bible, and was conceived in the mind of Satan himself, the first "victim" (as he sees it).
2) You offered the following particular example:
"I remember reading an article in /First Things/ about how the Roman Catholic Church had failed lower class white neighborhoods. . . . Oh, and [the author] never once mentioned that a horrifying number of priests were molesting white working class children—one would think that would’ve made a list of the ways in which the church 'failed' the neighborhood. . . . That’s what passes for sober self-reflection in the American church today."
Roman Catholicism is part of "the American church" only if by "church" we mean the visible, institutional version: i.e., a group that calls itself, and is broadly categorized as, a "Christian church." Theologically, however, RCism /isn't Biblical/; it's actually a /cult/.
Ever heard of Cart Narcs? Heh. Our future police...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClMUlr8yHymYgSe58DpUH7w