Reclaiming evangelicalism
It may be too late to reclaim the word “evangelical” after the last 4 years of politics. Faithful Bible-believing Christ followers may have to call themselves by another name. I already have been avoiding it.
But if this is true, it is unfortunate, since the word “evangelical”, when stripped of its cultural connotations, captures the heart of what it means to be Christian. The word comes from "euangelion" meaning "good news" in Greek. This is the same word that was translated into our Bibles as "Gospel".
Therefore, evangelicals are simply people who believe and proclaim the Gospel. And what is the Gospel?
It's not a political party, it's not a moral code, and it's certainly not a message of reclaiming white privilege (as our former President and many in his party proclaim).
Jesus in the Gospels is quite clear about explaining what the Gospel is. It's a message of "abundant life" (John 10:10) for all who accept Christ, both now and forever. It's a profoundly inclusive message, because it looks forward to a day when "every tribe, tongue, and nation" will worship around the throne of God (Rev. 7:9)
The Gospel message is both spiritual and social. Spiritually it is a message of reconciliation with God (2 Cor. 5:18-21) and of new birth (John 3:16). But the Gospel's transforming spiritual power cannot be separated from its social impact, as Tim Keller notes.
Take Jesus' words when He first announced His ministry in Nazareth: (Luke 4:18-19)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
This is Jesus' social mission statement and it is the way of discipleship that He calls us into when He says, "Follow Me." It is given in more detail in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7).
It is true that no politician and no government can fully enact this social program because Christ's mission is founded on the supernatural virtue of agape love. However, no politician that claims Christ or that asks for the votes of evangelicals can stand for political positions that would work directly against this program - that would make it more difficult for Christians to serve the most vulnerable among us.
The government can't make the poor self-sufficient - but it can ensure that there is a basic social safety net. The government can't transform the lives of prisoners like Christ can - but it can end unjust sentencing. The government can't provide supernatural healing - but it can help make access to healthcare equitable. The government can't liberate oppressed Muslims spiritually - but it can welcome them into the land of opportunity. The government can't proclaim the year of the Lord's favor - but supposedly Christian politicians shouldn't speak predominantly in a tone of anger or fear.
We as Christians need to expect more from politicians than a pro forma commitment to being pro-life. We need to have a political theology of our own that is robust enough to keep us from being drawn into secular conservativism or liberalism. Then we will not be held captive by a Republican Party that shares so few of our values. But, more than that, we need to focus on personal renewal and church renewal, so evangelicalism means something more than a political movement.