Sunday, June 21, 2009

Cosmopolitan Evangelicals


In an article in the latest Out of Ur newsletter, Skye Jethani mentions, Michael Lindsay, author of Faith in the Halls of Power, who refers to many current Christians as "Cosmopolitan Evangelicals."
They...
  • reject signifiers of "populist" Christianity, such as the Left Behind books and Thomas Kinkade paintings.
  • are less involved in local churches, but highly involved with parachurch organizations.
  • may not theologically agree with same-sex civil unions, but they don't see them as an assault on the culture.
  • remain definitively pro-life.
  • are more engaged with matters of local and global justice. AIDS, poverty, and human rights have been added to "traditional family values" in their set of concerns.
  • recognize the legitimacy of environmental matters and view them through the theological lense of "creation stewardship."
Does this sound like the sort of people you have - or would like to have - in your church? Or are these the sorts of Christians you know don't come to church in your area?

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