Svigel RetroChristianity

Reclaiming the Forgotten Faith
1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4335-2851-4
Verlag: Crossway
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 320 Seiten

Evangelicalism is in trouble. Surveying the modern evangelical landscape, professor Michael Svigel asks, 'Why does evangelicalism appear to be spinning out of control, losing appeal to younger generations, dwindling in numbers, or selling out to pop culture to muster a crowd?' He seeks to answer this question by looking to the past-to a Retro Christianity. Calling for a return to evangelicalism's historical and theological roots, Svigel begins by addressing some of present-day evangelicalism's problems and explores what can be done to help churches regain a healthy perspective on doctrine. He then gives practical examples of what establishing a biblical, historical, and theologically sound foundation will mean for Christians as they think through aspects of church life and worship. As the numbers of those confused or disenchanted with evangelicalism continue to grow, Svigel's book meets a timely need and will benefit many readers with his balanced argument for preserving the evangelical faith.

 Michael J. Svigel (PhD) is the department chair and professor of theological studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He is a popular teacher, speaker, and author.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Svigel, Michael J.

Leseproben

How Did It Come to This?

In order to find the way home, we must first admit we’re lost. This first chapter describes in broad terms how I believe evangelicalism has lost its way. Before I tell this story, please know that I’m addressing evangelicalism as a loving brother who is confronting a misguided sibling. I write as an insider who fully embraces the strengths of evangelicalism and happily functions as one of its teachers. In fact, I believe that for much of its history and in most of its subgroups even today, the strengths of evangelicalism far outweigh its weaknesses. I also firmly believe the alternative nonevangelical Christian traditions were (and still are) less equipped to handle the coming challenges of our post-Christian world.

However, my desire is to see our evangelical tradition come to terms with its roots, retrieve its distinctly Christian identity, and then grow into the wise, mature adult I believe it can become. I’m keenly aware of some significant areas of immaturity evangelicalism must outgrow—and significant character flaws it must mend in order to emerge from the forest of forgetfulness. When it does, it can have a Christ-honoring global impact for generations to come. If it doesn’t, ours may very well be the last generation of evangelicalism.1

So what’s the problem with evangelicalism today? Where did evangelicalism come from? Where is it going? Let me answer these important questions with an analogy, a parable, and a metaphor. Though some of this background may be new to many readers, bear with me. An understanding of the crisis is necessary to appreciate the solution.

Peanut Butter Christianity: An Analogy

One day my wife sent me to the store to buy peanut butter—specifically, natural peanut butter. In other words, no fake stuff. This seemed simple enough . . . until I arrived in what looked like the peanut butter department of the grocery store. I suppose managing that aisle alone must be a full-time job. The options overwhelmed me—creamy, chunky, extra chunky, honey-flavored, jelly-filled, low fat, organic—and countless sizes, shapes, brands, and prices! My head spun.

There I stood, paralyzed with indecision, wanting nothing more than to snatch the cheapest jar of peanut butter and dash for the checkout. Instead, showing due diligence, I searched for “natural peanut butter” amidst the flashy brand names that virtually called out from the shelves like brochure pushers on the Vegas Strip: “Pick me! Pick me!” Don’t you remember all those commercials you saw as a kid? All those smiling faces? Those cool special effects showing golden roasted peanuts magically spread into smooth, creamy peanut butter?

Lured by the flashy labels, my eyes landed on one popular brand paired with the keyword “Natural.” How convenient!

I grabbed it from the shelf.

I felt rather victorious until I got home and took a closer look at the back label. I then discovered that “natural” peanut butter isn’t necessarily a literal description. That particular brand of natural peanut butter did include roasted peanuts, of course. But it also contained sugar, palm oil, and salt. So that’s what we mean by natural? Really? All those things naturally grow on a peanut plant? I guess from one perspective these ingredients are natural as opposed to, say, “supernatural.” And at least I couldn’t find any unpronounceable ingredients like monosodiumtriglyceraticidipropylol. And to be fair to that brand, if we were to compare its ingredients to that peanut butter–like substance found in the candy aisle of a grocery store, that jar of peanut butter looked like pure gold.

But is junk-food peanut butter really the standard? When I contrast that version of natural with a different, lesser-known brand’s natural peanut butter, I’m a little less forgiving. The ingredients lists for several others simply say, “Peanuts.” No salt, no oil, no emulsifier, no sweetener, no chemicals added to preserve freshness or enhance flavor. Just plain peanuts. Call me naïve, but to me, that’s natural whether we like how it tastes or not. Shouldn’t peanut butter made of just puréed peanuts serve as the standard for what constitutes natural peanut butter?

Over the next couple of weeks, as my mind periodically returned to the out-of-control peanut butter situation, something struck me. The failure of most peanut butters to actually live up to the natural standard reminds me of the out-of-control state of much of what is happening in contemporary evangelicalism. If I were to liken authentic, classic Christianity to the truly natural form of undiluted, unmixed, real peanut butter, then the multiple forms of evangelicalism that diverge more and more from this standard become, well, less and less authentic.

What I’m suggesting is this: over the last several decades, many of us evangelicals have become increasingly accustomed to a less “natural” form of Christianity. While still essentially Christian, many aspects of evangelicalism have become victims of “enrichment” by non-Christian ingredients that are meant to enhance the faith. This “enrichment” has been done to make the gospel more convenient, palatable, or marketable. Yet as these added ingredients take up more and more space, the essentials of the faith are necessarily displaced.

Take a stroll with me through the virtual aisles of our evangelical subculture—gift shops, radio stations, television programs, websites, even many of the new, trendy churches. We find ourselves surrounded by positive thinking, self-help, and behavior modification. We’re lured in by self-esteem best sellers, do-it-yourself Christianity, and countless authors presenting the spiritual life as an ascending ladder: seven steps to this, three keys to that, the one prayer that will revolutionize your world, expand your influence, fulfill your desire for happiness. Let’s just be honest. Much of the garbage stinking up the shelves of Christian bookstores is passed off as Christian Living, but it’s mostly psychobabble or practical proverbs no better than what we find in the secular self-help or generic spirituality sections of our online booksellers.

Modern evangelical Christians who have become accustomed to this trendy , diluted form of Christianity have all but forgotten what the pure faith actually tastes like! In fact, many who are then exposed to a less adulterated faith—a form without all the unnecessary additives—find themselves actually disgusted by the original pure flavor of authentic Christianity, spitting it out and rejecting it as something foreign and inferior—or at least unpleasant to the palate.

The irony is that this purer form of Christianity is the authentic faith once for all delivered to the saints. The biblical gospel proclaimed, the sacraments rightly administered, discipline properly maintained, evangelism and discipleship emphasized, repentance and renewal preached—there is nothing really fancy about these things. In fact, they are so simple to identify and maintain that churches focusing on these fundamentals and freeing themselves from the frills appear to be washed-out has-beens or incompetent wannabes to most big-production glitz-and-glamour evangelicals.

Let’s return to the peanut butter aisle once again. We have to admit that all those peanut butter products do contain peanuts, and so they can genuinely be called “peanut butter.” Similarly, to varying degrees the marks of authentic Christianity are found in most of the products that fill the shelves of the evangelical church market. And to the degree that they retain those essential marks they are , in fact, Christian. Yet many forms of evangelical Christianity have been so colored with dyes, so mixed with artificial ingredients , or so drenched in candy coating that they are in danger of becoming cheap imitations that serve merely to distract from—not point to—the essential ingredients of the historical faith.2

“Christianity” Labels

Just like additive-rich peanut butters that appeal to flavor rather than to nutrition, far too many evangelicals shop for me-centered, feel-good church experiences rather than Christ-centered worship, discipleship, and authentic community. In fact, like sour-faced kids who reject all-natural peanut butter, many evangelicals turn their noses away from authentic expressions of church and spirituality. They would rather keep dabbling in the artificial than adjust their tastes to the real thing.

It seems we’ve reached a point in the evangelical church market where it’s no longer enough to read just the front label. Now we have to focus on the fine print and see what place is given to the true marks of classic Christianity. The problem is, too few evangelicals are familiar enough with the original and enduring faith to sort the real from the fake.

So, how did it come to this?

The Current Evangelical Midlife Crisis: A Parable

Evangelicalism in the twenty-first century appears to be going through a midlife crisis. As we look back on its growth as a distinct Christian tradition, we can make several observations leading to this present crisis. I will employ a parable of evangelicalism’s historical growth through five stages:

• infancy (1900–1915)
• toddler years (1915–1930)
• teenage phase (1930–1950)
• young adulthood(1950–1980)
• hasty marriage (1980–2000)
• midlife crisis...