The Voice Most Influencing Evangelicals in America

Be warned: an anabaptist perspective is about to become clear.

When I was a teenager, the most influential evangelical voice was probably Jerry Falwell, who had a national platform with a TV program, and then the voice shifted, so it seems to me, to James Dobson through the medium of radio. Now that influence has moved to another source, FoxNews, so I register here the voice I think is influencing evangelicalism even more than Dobson: Shawn Hannity.

I came to this conclusion as a result of reading James Davison Hunter’s book, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World, which showed how politicized American Christianity, both in the mainline and evangelical, has become. (Other influential voices include Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Jim Wallis — and I should add HuffPo.)

I will continue on this blog to oppose the politicization of the Church. Politics has its place; but kingdom theology is what needs to shape everything.

So my claim is that the single-most influential voice upon evangelicals in America today … when it comes to how to conduct ourselves in the public sector, how to think about politics for Christians, though a Roman Catholic, is…

Do you agree? Who has more influence on evangelicals today? Do you agree with my assumption: that American evangelicalism has become too politicized?

I’m not saying this to be edgy or to be controversial; I’m saying this because the evangelical movement has become too politicized and its politics is more or less shaped by FoxNews.

We need to be challenged to rethink our politics in light of the kingdom vision of Jesus. We need to see the church as the vanguard of Christian politics.

Nor do I post this to critique FoxNews or Hannity nor do I care to engage in a conversation about either; my concern here is with politicization of the church. Instead of asking DC to do the work, we need to mobilize local churches. Our eschatology is not a yearning for political power.

And the voice that evangelicals need to hear more of in America today … when it comes to how to conduct ourselves in the public sector, how to think about politics …

Here are the words that begin his Kingdom Manifesto, from the most revolutionary document in Church history:

5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

5:11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. 5:12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.