Thread by @DavidAFrench

A thread in response to Kevin's critique of my work: If a set of propositions are common to a group of religious people, and those propositions don't flow naturally from the tenets of that religion, it's fair to ask whether something else is going on. /1

https://twitter.com/RevKevDeYoung/status/1471504171903815692

In my piece Kevin critiques I collected examples of a host of propositions white Evangelicals disproportionately hold that don't flow naturally from the theological tenets of Evangelicalism--for example, Trumpism, anti-masking, anti-vaccine, immigration restrictionism. /2

Indeed, white Evangelicals are often materially at odds with nonwhite Evangelicals on those same issues, yet those two groups have similar/identical theologies. Why? Do white Evangelicals have disproportionately superior theological insight? /3

I don't see evidence of that. Instead I see evidence of heavily disproportionate commitment to one political party and heavily disproportionate presence in one American region that has its own unique history and culture. Could that matter? /4

And what of Kevin's admonition that we need to hear more from pastors as we evaluate white Evangelical policy choices? Ok. Well. In my experience pastors don't have any particular policy expertise. Many of them don't even address policies from the pulpit at all. /5

Sadly, when I see pastors wade in on matters of law/policy, it is rare to see superior insight. And when I do it's because of a degree of committed study that is highly unusual. Otherwise, pastors risk their credibility by speaking about things they don't truly understand. /6

Those of us who know law and policy, on the other hand, know where ideas come from and transparently, obviously know that many (not all!) of the political positions that characterize white Evangelicals don't have any meaningful Evangelical theological origin at all. /7

Let's take an issue I know quite a bit about--qualified immunity. As loyal Republicans white Evangelicals tend to support it. What's the pastoral insight here as to why a judge-made doctrine that gutted part of the Klan acts should receive disproportionate Evangelical support? /8

One more thing, Kevin's closing paragraph is almost absurdly unfair and inaccurate summary of my work. He says, "it is easier to produce frequent jeremiads against the church than to produce a positive vision." Ok, fair enough. /9

But my work has been full of positive visions regarding life, abortion, adoption, civil rights, immigration, religious liberty, pandemic responses, prison reform, police reform, family formation, healthy masculinity, refugees, and human rights. It's all over my work. /10

I constantly read and see people torching straw man versions of my work, and it's disappointing to see @RevKevDeYoung join that crowd. /end