Labels matter. So do definitions. Evangelicals are best defined by their beliefs.
Having worked in church and culture research for over a decade, I can tell you that one of the most-asked questions is about the category of Evangelicals.
It has been this way for a long time, but this election has brought it to the top of everyone’s list.
With 4 of 5 white Evangelicals voting for Donald Trump, everyone both inside and outside of Christianity is trying to understand just who this group is. And among those self-identifying Evangelicals who did not support Donald Trump, many are wondering how they can share the same label. This is the moment when more people than ever are asking, what exactly is an “Evangelical” Christian?
And, Evangelical does not mean “White Republican Who Supports Trump.”
Evangelical?
Some have said they don’t want to use the label anymore, embaressed because of its identification with Donald Trump. But, that’s backwards. It’s not the label that supported Trump, it’s people—white Evangelicals, primarily.
But, it’s not politics that unite all Evangelicals, it’s the gospel.
You see, most Evangelicals did not support Donald Trump; it was white Evangelicals that did.
Yes, researches say “Evangelical,” and that’s a demographic catagorty, but usually they mean “White Evangelicals.” But, Evangelicals did differ, precisely around racial and ethnic catagories, during this election.
And, I’m not embarrassed by fellow Evangelicals who’ve voted for or against Donald Trump, but I do wish the categories were more clear.
Disagreeing on Politics While Agreeing on the Gospel
When we disagree strongly with people who claim the same category that we do, we start to wonder what the identifying term even means. ...
from
http://feeds.christianitytoday.com/~r/christianitytoday/ctmag/~3/pz5uEsm07Lc/what-does-evangelical-mean.html
No comments:
Post a Comment