Still Christian: one man's journey with Christ and the changing American church

Still Christian: Following Jesus out of American Evangelicalism by David P. Gushee is his journey from a young Christian just as the Christian Right movement began to gain momentum. He chronicles his path through college, seminary, ministry, academia and then activism. He became a leading Christian ethicist who was caught in the crosshairs of those who lead the movement. He details the history and course of American Protestantism as it split into two primary camps: fundamentalists/conservatives and modernists/liberals. He is particularly critical of the Southern Baptist Convention as it was the leading charge in the changing course of American Protestantism. He also discusses the changing in the church as the political climate changed with the election of President Obama and the most recent election of President Trump. He discusses the changing role of women in the church as women were taken out of leadership roles and teaching position because it was suddenly unwise for women to be in such powerful position. He also discusses how the relationships in his life changed either strengthened or fell apart as the climate of the American church changed.

Still Christian is an honest and blunt recount of one man’s journey with Christ and the church through the changing times in America. At one point, he states that the “resurgence of a doctrinaire Calvinism in contemporary evangelisms is among the most odious developments of the last generation.” He was further critical saying that Calvinism could have only “emerged among relatively privileged, hypocognitive, compassion challenged white men.” This statement stuck out to me as I remembered when I was a young Christian in college and I was on my way to a weekend retreat with my uncle’s church. On the drive there, a young man was discussing Calvinism and when I asked what exactly Calvinism was, he replied that I wouldn’t understand it. He didn’t even try to explain it. It wasn’t until much later as I matured in my faith, I realized that he couldn’t explain it because he barely understood it himself and didn’t want to expose his deficiency. While I did not agree with all of Dr. Gushee’s statements or assertions, I found myself refreshed by his honesty and focus on Jesus instead of doctrine. I highly recommend Still Christian as a powerful, honest and helped put into words what I’ve seen in recent years.

Still Christian

is available in paperback and eBook