The word "Evangelical" has taken on an almost entirely politically-hideous meaning. Used popularly it denotes an idiotic, "Make America Great Again," Trumpster. Understandably so reading the tweets of someone like Franklin Graham and how a lot of Evangelicals make knee-jerk defenses of guys like Judge Moore (while having lambasted Weinstein). The following Babylon Bee piece is sadly spot-on with this part of "Evangelicalism."
Yet, as with most labels popularly used, it really doesn't adequately match the range of folk who are actually Evangelical. Sure there are those who match the caricature, but there are also others who fit the term, if you use an older, non-political, more theological definition. "Evangelical" (particularly in American and British context) is distinguished from Mainline-Liberal Christianity (or "Christianity" as I would prefer to note it), by an emphasis on personal conversion, a high view of the authority of the Bible, and an emphasis on the atoning work of Christ on the cross; and that distinguished it from Fundamentalism by an emphasis on a lived-out faith within the public market-place (old Fundies had been isolationists before Jerry Falwell came along and pulled many Fundies into the "Evangelical" fold). Those 4 points (personal conversion, high view of Bible, atonement, and activism) are known as the Bebbington Quadrilateral (Link). If you use that definition then Evangelicalism in the US now includes the Trumpster-Falwell types, a large group now uncomfortable with the term "Evangelical" that tend to be more active in regular church life within more confessionally minded churches (like conservative Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed Baptists, Anglicans, etc.) - think Ben Sasse - NeverTrumpsters (basically my tribe), large swathes of immigrants from Latin America and Africa and Asia, and a new and I think very promising bloc within Evangelicalism that is certainly underreported. This last group is typically young (Millennials) and urban. And there are about 5 commonalities they hold - being multiethnic, being concerned about economic justice, promoting civility in discourse, being pro-life (across the board), and adhering to historic-orthodox sexuality (but without being arseholes about it).
To me it will be very intriguing to see if and how this last group develops because it really challenges both the Republican co-opters and the Democrat co-opters. It also has the potential to not only bridge to the confessionalists, and immigrant Evangelicals, but it also has the potential to be a bridge to African-American Christians who, though often holding to the Bebbington Quadrilateral (whether they know it or not), aren't considered Evangelicals because their activism has typically taken a different direction and they haven't been considered Evangelicals (regrettably). My personal hope, fwiw, is that the tribe of the Trumpsters weakens within Evangelicalism and that the movement's name can be salvaged.
The following is courtesy of the Babylon Bee:
Poll: Majority Of Evangelicals Would Support Satan If He Ran As Republican Candidate
U.S.—A new LifeWay Research poll confirmed Wednesday that a majority of conservative evangelicals would vote for Satan, the Prince of Darkness, should he run for public office as a Republican candidate.
The poll found that 72% of self-identified evangelicals would vote and even campaign for the prince of fallen angels should he promise to promote Republican policies while in office.
“Most of those we surveyed agreed that they would in fact vote for Satan, as long as he verbally supported pro-life and pro-Second Amendment platform positions,” the head of the research study said. “A majority of respondents ‘strongly agreed’ that it was important for a candidate to pay lip service to the hot-button issues of the religious right, while strongly disagreeing that a candidate’s personal penchant for tempting countless millions of souls into the fires of hell would affect his public policies.”
“Lucifer? Yeah, I’d vote for him, as long as he claims to be a Republican,” one member of a study focus group said. “He’s got some character flaws, sure—who doesn’t—but we’ve got to remember that ensuring we Christians get some fleeting political power is far more important than whether our chosen candidate does a little soul-devouring on the side.”
The poll also looked at related issues, such as the willingness of evangelicals to overlook or minimize major moral failings in human candidates.
“Personal indiscretions, shady business dealings, making blood sacrifices to Azathoth the Daemon Sultan in secret—Christians are now willing to forgive literally everything if it means they’ll have some kind of political clout,” the study head told reporters. “Our findings confirm that conservative Christians are actually more likely to vote for mobsters, cultists, and hellish demon kings than any other demographic.”
At publishing time, study officials had confirmed evangelicals would also be willing to support Sith lords, elder gods, and the evil Dr. Robotnik if they were to run for office as members of the GOP.
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