Thread on "evangelicalism." Decades ago, a young group of Christians including Billy Graham, Carl Henry, Harold Ockenga and others set out to start a movement that didn't fall to the extremes of liberalism on the one hand and fundamentalism on the other. 1/9
They became known as "neo-evangelicals," but soon they were just "evangelicals." They wanted a Christianity that was orthodox but also engaged culture constructively and not just antagonistically. Henry would write about social justice. Graham befriended MLK. 2/
Ockenga started the org that would become "World Relief." John Stott included social action and justice language in the Lausanne Covenant. Their vision was growing.
Yet this all stagnated over the course of the century. 3/
Yet this all stagnated over the course of the century. 3/
"Evangelicalism" became enmeshed with the GOP due to the Religious Right. Henry's brainchild, "Christianity Today," failed to consistently highlight the need for racial justice. MLK expressed disappointment at Graham for not explicitly supporting the Civil Rights cause. 4/
Fast forward years later, "Evangelicalism" has become a GOP voting bloc, and young evangelicals are abandoning it for theological liberalism and progressivism due to its failure to speak on justice issues. 5/
BUT....I am encouraged by the new crop of evangelical voices that are rising up in the millennial generation: those that would identify as "theologically conservative but socially compassionate" (@Rondell_Trevino, millennial). 6/
Like me, they have rediscovered the beauty of Christian orthodoxy as well as the need to speak up on justice issues. Like the 1st generation of evangelicals, they seek to blaze a "third way" or option that doesn't fall to extremes of liberalism or fundamentalism. 7/
That's what I've sought to establish with "Confessing Millennial." 8/
The original vision of Graham, Henry, and Ockenga was never fully realized to its potential. But with our generation, it can be. What do we call this new movement? "Neo-evangelicalism" was used previously. But I like @ianharber's title: #REvangelical
Who's with me? 9/
Who's with me? 9/
