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
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