Thread by @BrantleyGasaway

.@C_Stroop focuses on conservative evangelical leaders & voices trying to salvage reputation of evangelicalism in light of white evangelicals' overwhelming support of Trump. But note that progressive evangelicals have also engaged in this exercise 1/6
rewire.news/religion-dispa…

Most recently, progressive evangelicals who signed the "Chicago Invitation" (sojo.net/sites/default/…) were also trying to "rehabilitate the [public] perception of evangelicals." Here's how @jimwallis described the goal of the "Chicago Invitation"(sojo.net/articles/towar…) 2/6

In his conclusion, @C_Stroop criticized moderate & conservative evangelicals such as @edstetzer for remaining "complicit and part of the problem." 3/6

I wonder if @C_Stroop & other #ExVangelicals view progressive evangelicals differently since they have consistently denounced Trump & his support among white evangelicals. The Chicago Invitation also included a confession of and repentance for evangelicals' shortcomings. 4/6

But at the same time, progressive evangelicals remain committed to promoting "a more authentic" evangelicalism, often emphasizing messages that "we're not like those [Trump-supporting] evangelicals. (I interpret @VoteCommon as essentially dedicated to this type of messaging.) 5/6

Thus not only anti-Trump conservative evangelicals but also progressive evangelicals are worried abt image of evangelicalism. As @kkdumez argued, we can view evangelicalism as an "imagined religious community" being created/contested before our eyes. 6/6 patheos.com/blogs/anxiousb…