Ep 57: When Evangelicals Sneeze

Are you struggling with American evangelicalism? It’s gotten to the point where it is difficult to recognize a theological tradition that has been around for nearly 500 years. In his recent book, Dr. Cooper shares his concerns for loosing the American evangelical identity.

Michael shares:

You’ll read about how the majority of evangelicals live outside of the US yet evangelicalism is largely identified with the church in America. The uniquely American conflation of faith and politics is actually hurting the witness of Christians around the world. I wrestle with questions like has God given up on the American church? Is this the end of American evangelicalism? Or can it be saved? Ultimately, I look to three scholars from England, Ghana, and America to help us define evangelicalism.

Then I put forward this idea for you to consider. These three areas of ministry – defense of the faith, social justice, gospel proclamation – mark the identity of the evangelical church. Her defense of the faith marks her beliefs in the one true God and Savior of all humanity. Her engagement in social justice marks a behavior with the conviction that when she does these things she does them to Christ Himself. Finally, her declaration of God’s glory to the nations marks her unity with all evangelicals in a common mission so compelling that it brings others into the community of Christ followers.

We hope you’ll pick up this book and join us in restoring American evangelicalism.

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