{"id":2490,"date":"2009-06-10T06:00:32","date_gmt":"2009-06-10T10:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.geneveith.com\/?p=2490"},"modified":"2009-06-10T06:00:32","modified_gmt":"2009-06-10T10:00:32","slug":"evangelical-critiques-evangelicalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2009\/06\/evangelical-critiques-evangelicalism\/","title":{"rendered":"Evangelical critiques evangelicalism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Warren Cole Smith is an evangelical journalist who has just published a book entitled A Lover\u2019s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church<\/a>. He summarized his quarreling points in an interview with
\nThe Charlotte Observer<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Among his more provocative charges: \u201cFor the sake of money and power and status and celebrity \u2026 we\u2019ve made \u2018church\u2019 easy. We\u2019ve made being a card-carrying member of the evangelical movement easy. But being a disciple of Jesus in the early 21st century is hard and, for the most part, the evangelical church doesn\u2019t teach us how to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith, who attends Presbyterian Church in America-affiliated StoneBridge Church, told me he\u2019s not in favor of destroying the evangelical movement, just reforming it. Call him an Orthodox evangelical.<\/p>\n

\nFor starters, he\u2019s put off by what he calls the sterile look of modern evangelical churches.\n

\u201cYou see PowerPoint presentations, projection systems. You\u2019ve got to spend an hour looking in the cubbies to find a cross or an altar,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have, in the space of 20 years, almost completely discarded the historic symbols of Christianity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith is also no fan of the latest practice in some churches: Twittering. Typing a mini-message into your BlackBerry may give the pastor feedback on his sermon, Smith said, but it also turns the congregation into an audience. He\u2019d prefer his fellow evangelicals join in the recitation of the Apostles Creed or extend a handshake of peace to a pew-mate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe liturgy understands that humans need to actively participate and not be spectators,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Contemporary Christian music?<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll take the time-tested hymns of yesteryear any day. When evangelical churches sing spiritually shallow \u201cJesus is my boyfriend\u201d songs, Smith said, they are following the lead of today\u2019s Christian radio listeners, rather than the theologically astute composers of old.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic in church is not meant to make us feel good. It\u2019s to bring glory to God and be part of the teaching ministry of the church,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThose (hymns) have been vetted by the best theological minds of the last 200 years.\u201d . . .<\/p>\n

So how would Smith save evangelicalism?<\/p>\n

Among his answers: Make pastors accountable to deacon or elder boards. Urge churchgoers to discover the vocation God is calling them to. Recover face-to-face community. Develop a stronger sense of history. Plant new churches. And avoid easy answers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying that I\u2019ve got all the answers,\u201d Smith concluded. \u201cBut I am saying we have a rich biblical Christian tradition that has given us many, many good answers. We\u2019ve forgotten them. Let\u2019s try to recover them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Warren Cole Smith is an evangelical journalist who has just published a book entitled A Lover\u2019s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church. He summarized his quarreling points in an interview with The Charlotte Observer: Among his more provocative charges: \u201cFor the sake of money and power and status and celebrity \u2026 we\u2019ve made \u2018church\u2019 easy. We\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church"],"yoast_head":"\nEvangelical critiques evangelicalism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Warren Cole Smith is an evangelical journalist who has just published a book entitled A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church. 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