After Evangelicalism: a call to refocus on Jesus

After Evangelicalism: A Path to a New Christianity by David P. Gushee is an examination into evangelicalism in the US as well as the forces behind the massive exodus from evangelical churches and Christianity in general. Mr. Gushee, a Christian ethicist and a self-described progressive evangelical, offers a way forward for the disillusioned post-evangelicals by providing a detailed analysis of what went wrong with US evangelicalism in terms of identity, biblical interpretations, church life, sexuality, politics, and race. His goal is to offer clues for getting out of the maze he calls Evangelicalism and refocus on a relationship with Jesus. Arguing against the white, male Christian leaders, Gushee sets to use biblical scripture and history to a new way of Christian belief, belonging and behaving which includes all who want to believe in Jesus and seek a relationship with him as he believes that following Jesus out of Evangelical Christianity is not only possible but necessary.

After Evangelicalism is the second book I’ve read by Mr. Gushee and he offers a no-holds-bar investigation into the history of evangelicalism in the US. Many Conservative Christians will not like this book as they will see it as a direct attack on Christianity itself. And many liberal Christians will see his proposals as a way true to Christianity as it should be. As someone who left the evangelical church in my mid-20s, I found many of his arguments against evangelicalism to be relatable. While I do not agree with all his points, he makes a great argument against the rise of the prosperity theology, which he condemns the main premise of the theology that God wants us to be “wealthy, lovely and thin.” In After Evangelicalism, Gushee offers an honest look into the history of the evangelical movement since the 1940s and its failures as it pushed people away from Jesus, rather than drawing them to him. If you find yourself disillusioned with the mega, mainstream church, I recommend checking out After Evangelicalism.

After Evangelicalism:

A Path to a New Christianity

 is available in paperback and audiobook

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