"Evangelical" is a term that—today at least—seems as open to interpretation as that "natural flavoring" in your soft drink. But you know the common stereotypes: evangelicals as fundamentalist nay-sayers, evangelicals as judgmental hypocrites, evangelicals as The Simpson's do-goody neighbor Ned Flanders.
While these stereotypes fall far short of the whole picture (the best numbers indicate that only about 20% of all Americans view evangelicals negatively), they too often reflect sad truths about our ability to love openly, and practice the teachings of Jesus.
In a new book (released from Tyndale Momentum on September 1st), pastor and missional thinker Lance Ford suggests that we need a change of heart and a change of terminology. The heart change? Prompted by a fresh hearing—by Christians—of Christ's Good News. The new term? "Revangelical."
I asked Lance to tell me more.
Paul: It's an intriguing title. What inspired the book?
Lance: Looking across the landscape of what evangelical Christianity has become (at least in America), I'm convinced that we have become far too influenced by perspectives and postures that come not from the gospel of Jesus but from other sources—such as political camps and instincts of self preservation. In many ways, the American Dream has trumped the Good News message of Jesus and his kingdom. Even much of the discourse that is taking place daily across social media and mainstream media by evangelicals on a range of issues falls way short of the posture and actions Jesus demonstrated and proclaimed. Many of the memes and pithy statements on social networks are snarky and downright disdainful toward others. It became apparent to me that political camps, on both sides, were hijacking the hearts of many evangelicals—right and left.
After a few years, I began to realize I was being re-evangelized by the ways, words, and means of Jesus. The gospel of my upbringing had been only a portion of the good news of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, it had not made me a Good News person.
The play on words of the title Revangelical came about as I considered the fact that I was not alone in this. Many evangelical Christians are not really Good News people when they show up. Since the word evangelical finds its roots in the term "Good News" it should be able to be defined as a Good-News-person. But I didn't want this to be a book that just focuses on the bad news about the Good News, if you will. I have discovered numerous evangelicals who are in fact Good News people. These range from soccer moms to senior citizens, who are reaching their neighbors, coworkers, friends, and families with a Jesus way of living out the gospel. The book is filled with many of these examples and stories.
Who did you write this for?
Primarily for the prototypical North American evangelical Christian—my own tribe. For perspective, 79% of evangelicals voted for Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election, according to Pew Research. I haven't written a political book, but politics and social issues in the news are primary trigger points to get people talking and draw stuff deep in their hearts to the surface.
Again, I say to "my own tribe." I am not a progressive evangelical. I have not become a "liberal." I argue with my progressive brothers and sisters on many issues. I am convinced however, that Jesus was much more conservative than liberals believe he was and was much more liberal than conservatives believe he was. What I am most concerned with is our approach on issues and our treatment of others—whether or not we agree with their lifestyle, politics, or morality. How was Jesus toward those types in his day? How does Jesus expect his followers to be in this broken world? I'm asking that of us.
You mentioned "the gospel of [your] upbringing." Tell me a little more about your own story of being re-gospeled.
At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, it really came about after several years of feeling inner pangs—seeing differences between my own Christian walk and attitudes towards others and the way Jesus walked and related to others. Something just seemed off.
I grew up in a Southern Baptist home in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. When I was 19, I had a prodigal-like return to the Lord after several years away from faith. It was a really radical (in the best sense of the term) return. I dove headlong into following the Lord, went to Bible College, became a youth pastor, and then a church planter. But after 12-15 years I realized that myself (as well as much of my evangelical family) had adopted an attitude that divided people into categories. Political parties galvanized me and other leaders into attitudes and postures that were more warrior-like than servant-like. We used labels for people that betrayed "Us vs. Them" thinking. It had also become apparent to me (following the events of 9/11) that fear had become a significant shaping force, not just across America, but throughout evangelicalism. This only served to fuel the divisions. A whole list of "enemies" began to stack up.
At the present time the headline-grabbing issues that many of my fellow Christian brothers and sisters seem most concerned with mostly revolve around immigration, welfare, sanctity of marriage, gun rights, and abortion. And the response and posture of us "Good News people" has really been found wanting in comparison to the teachings of Jesus.
As I pored over the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, it became clear to me that many of us need to be re-evangelized by the good news of the kingdom of heaven and its in-breaking social implications for today. My gospel was too small. Jesus' message was not primarily about how to not go to hell after you die—it was more focused on how to enter heaven right now. I began to self identify not as an American who was a Christian, but as a heavenly citizen, stationed as an ambassador in America. That was a game changer.
OK. Does "Revangelical" simply mean "Christian," then? What fresh element does the term carry for you?
It certainly applies to all Christians. For instance, I think Pope Francis is re-evangelizing the Catholic Church. His Evangelii Gaudium ("The Joy of the Gospel") is a revangelical message for Catholics. Protestants are getting re-evangelized by it as well. For me, "Revangelical" applies to Christians who are letting the gospel of Jesus once again evangelize their lives. It applies to people who are saying, "Wait. The gospel is so much bigger than I thought. It makes a claim to my actual life, right here and right now. This gospel doesn't just apply to my after-life. It is not primarily a personal relationship with Jesus thing. It includes my relationship with Jesus as he is in the body of Christ and as he is in the least of these. This gospel is coming after my relationships with my neighbors and strangers in my midst on a daily basis. It wants my life to be Good News to everyone I encounter."
It seems that you're largely reacting to the "evangelical as hated culture warrior" stereotype—an image that gets a lot of media play, but arguably isn't nearly as bad as Christians perceive it to be, or reflecting the diversity of the movement. Is this whole issue of bad evangelical perception overstated?
I am not most concerned with perception of evangelicals per se. I am concerned with the fact that in my experience, the average person does not expect a Christian to necessarily be good news in his life circumstances. My greater focus is on whether or not we are being true to the Good News of Jesus—the euangelion (evangel/good news). Are we actually, tangibly Good News people? Are we actual evangelicals? This is what we should be asking.
I appreciate your voice as a pastor, grounded as it is in local ministry. What message do you hope that other pastors and Christian community leaders take away from your book?
That the Good News of Jesus is the Good News of God's reign. The redemption he brings through Jesus applies to our entire lives—mortal and immortal. Our task, especially as leaders, is to raise up and develop disciples of Jesus, who lose their identity as citizens of a fallen earthly culture, instead, bringing the ethos, ethics, and economy of the kingdom of heaven to bear on their friendships and communities. The gospel of Jesus is an entirely new way to be human. It is an entirely new way of treating the "other." That is a huge part of the reason it is indeed called Good News. Speaking to leaders in my context: Let's be less concerned with "taking America back for God" and be more concerned with letting God take us back for America.
Paul Pastor is associate editor for Leadership Journal.
