Many of the ideals Evangelicals claim are ancient are at best inventions of the 19th century. Not that appeal to age is a good argument but their philosophy doesn't stem further back than the reformation at the earliest....
My prediction for American Christianity: Super-denominations. More or less divided into "Mainline and "Evangelical" camps with maybe a third group that call themselves "Conservative". These are basically lumps of generally agreeing denominations forming larger pan-Protestant organizations in order to shore up identity and organization. Identity expectedly will be a big conflict but with so many Mainline protestants at least informally "in communion" with each other, I foresee more cooperation but a wider gap between the two (or three) mega groups.
I expect the Western world will see the mellowing out of Evangelicalism all while continuing to retain membership. Plus I see explosions of Protestantism in Asia and Africa coming to a head. I think South Korea is the microcosm example of this, for better or worse.
If I may say...
Many have noted how the Evangelical CHurch is dying off in our times and less people are going to those churches....yet, as it turns out, what has often been happening is that only one form of it has been dying of while those churches that are multicultural have been thriving. O
thers were of the mindset that it was actually thriving in communities that are minority based (i.e. Hispanic, Black, Asian, etc) and in urban centers because they had battles that many in other parts of the Evangelical world were NEVER concerned with ...and
other have often noted how theological battles are often tied to cultural views and
evangelicism has often been accussed of intentionally limiting the views of other theologians with a multicultural perspective (seen here in
The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah - Internetmonk). One can look up Soong-Chan Rah noting how what others deemed "Evangelical" was often Euro-Centric/Caucasian /Upper Class views in dominance...and those views are not longer at the top as they were in previous eras. As he said:
I stand by my prediction of a Great Evangelical Collapse, but that collapse will be among that segment of evangelicalism that continues to assume its cultural dominance is God-given and the new environment of diversity and new immigrant/third world church influence is not significant.
The time has come for us to sit at the table as brothers and sisters, but some of us who have been doing all the talking, giving all the answers and explaining the movement as if it were our own may need to move to a different seat and adopt the posture of a listener, learner and penitent.
For more on the man who was interviewed by Michael Spencer:
For so long, they were not in view due to not being the dominant voice....and yet, because of the shift in mindset and others going toward more of a "social justice" mindset when it comes to getting involved in Urban/Street Ministry and things common in minority cultures, the increase is happening there. A really excellent book I've been blessed to read on the matter is ..and its entitled "Many Colors"
The other one that's solid is entitled "The Next Evangelism"
Interview with Dr. Soong-Chan Rah
ThinkFwd: EP015 Soong-Chan Rah - White Captivity of the ...
For more info, one can go online/investigate the following under their respective titles:
- Soong-Chan Rah White Captivity of the Church Pt 1″ ( //theooze.tv/thinkfwd/soong-chan-rah-white-captivity-of-the-church-pt-1 )
Growing up going to a multicultural church, Soong-Chan Rah is one whom I admire for his work and the vision he brings. He is one of the main leaders within CCDA, an organization aimed at aiding others in ecomonically deprived communities/lower-income areas....
He understands what it means to come from a multi-ethnic background and has given unique perspectives when it comes to views on church growth. Soong Rah once noted why Asian communities find commonality with African-American ones..discussing how Theologian James Cone makes this assertion in the commonality of suffering that is found in the black church experience and the experience of the Korean community. As a Korean American, Soong-Chan Rah thinks there is a powerful common thread in both the Korean and black communities in the stories of tremendous victory amidst great suffering and persecution. For both communities have experienced oppression (slavery, Jim Crow laws, racism, conquest, persecution, etc.), but both communities have experienced God in very deep ways in the context of great suffering.
Soong-Chan Rah also relates to the black community in light of how his own father was absent as is the case for numerous black men. For most of his life, his father was absent, having abandoned his family when Soong was in elementary school. As the majority of his work has been in urban settings and working alongside other black leaders, I think he has much to say as it concerns credible ways of how to improve black families. What has happened in many black communuities at an alarming rate is that others are growing up in multi-cultural settings and the integration dynamic has literally changed the face of what black church/family looks like..............and many often miss that when focusing on one form of that.
Some of it hits home for me personally, For in many ways, differing cultures have intersected with the the black community and have created entirely new dynamics that many blacks are unaware of
.be it with Black Hispanics, White/Black mixes ("Mulattos" ) or various other variations. One of my co-workers at the youth rehabilitation facility I work at is mixed with Black and Korean
.and it was interesting to hear from him what his views were whenever it came to black culture or why its not doing well. His views were very much different from others, due to him growing up and feeling as if he was a child of 2 differing worlds, with the larger culture ignoring his views when it came to critiques of blacks.
This is something that has been arising for awhile when it comes to those in Afro-Asian communitiesand Of course, historically, theres an entirely different side of black culture thats often left out in discussions whenever it comes to issues in regards to Afro-Asian interactions
.as it concerns historical interactions between black and Asian communities during the period of abolition, free labor, imperialism, and decolonization.
This is one of the main factors of change/newness I see at play
One of the biggest shifts I see with Evangelicalism is the fact that there are stereotypes that are now being broken extensively...
Some of this can be seen in what MANY believers called out when it came to Lifeway Christian Bookstore having an "Asia Day!!" advertisment with every kind of stereotype on Asians that could be developed - and many Evangelicals were bothered by the ignorance of the actions as well as thinking it was all good because the goal was the Gospel...
Rick Warren also got into trouble recently when it came to an image he placed up of Asians that was highly irreverent (As noted
here and here and here). The controversy was surrounding Rick Warrens (Pastor of Saddleback Church) posting on Facebook relating his staff team to a picture of the Chinese Red Guard. And on where I stand, I believe the picture he posted represents a gross lack of cultural and racial literacy..
But of course, this isn't the first time Warren was approached by Asian-Americans - and others at Lifeway were approached with their promotion of Lifeway's racist Rickshaw Rally curriculum....something
Lifeway FINALLY apologized for. . Soong-Chan Rah was the one who spearheaded the protest movement against Lifeway's racist Rickshaw Rally curriculum a few years back, and more recently, racially insensitive content in
Zondervan's Skits That Teach: Speaking Up for Asian Americans. The materials featured egregious Asian stereotypes intended to be seen and heard by Christian youth. ...and that's a pretty horrible thought, considering that for a lot kids, these stereotypes and caricatures might actually be their first interaction with Asian peope and culture. While the controversy over Rickshaw Rally caused a ruckus, it never seemed to pick up support. ....and unfortunately, the publisher
Lifeway refused to acknowledge any harm or wrongdoing on their part. Thankfully, Rev. Rah's dealings with Zondervan proved to be quite productive, with the publisher apologizing and taking drastic measures to rectify the situation. Although it was a small victory, it was a very big deal.
And a BIG reflection on what I've pointed out before when it comes to insights from other minority groups not being considered in the everyday context of Christianity in the Dominant culture.
For more: