In 1957, #ReinholdNiebhur predicted why #evangelicals are paralyzed by #CRT & #systemicracism discussions, and so on, today. It all started from tragic flaws in the theology and preaching of Billy Graham.
Billy Graham and the evangelical “form of the Christian faith,” writes Niebuhr, “relies on an oversimplification of the issues in order to create the ‘crisis’ that prompts conversion and the acceptance of the Christian faith.
The best way of inducing this crisis is to call attention to some moral dereliction of the person, in which some accepted moral norm has been transgressed and the conscience is consequently uneasy.
It may not be entirely unfair to observe that the section of the country in which the present crisis in race relations is most acute is precisely that section which has experienced annual ‘revivals,’ all calculated to ‘redeem’ the sinner & guarantee the perfection of [the soul].
...[Evangelical revivalism is a] technique [that] requires the over simplification of moral issues and their individualization for the sake of inducing an emotional crisis. Collective sins are therefore not within the range of a revival...
Perhaps this is the reason why revivalistic Christianity has not been particularly effective in challenging collective evil. It grew to power on the frontier, where its moral appeals were limited to the condemnation of drunkenness, adultery, and Sabbath violations.”
It’s really sad that Billy Graham never preached on racism as sin as a normative part of his preaching rendering Christianity individualistic and pietistic. It should explain a lot about the current CRT controversies, evangelical’s individualistic focus on Matt 18:18-20 and
their inability to see where addressing social and structural evil fits into God’s redemptive mission. They inherited Graham’s blindspots and flaws. Today’s oversimplification: “just preach the gospel and disciple people.” Or, “the gospel is the answer.” lib.tcu.edu/staff/bellinge…
He recognized it privately but didn’t preach on it as a normative part of his ministry. @whatsupchase
*Matt 28:18-20
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