Joe Carter Pokes Evangelicals

Joe Carter, a leading voice at First Things, a (mostly?) Roman Catholic publication, takes some swipes at evangelicals and our quirky evangelism habits.

What do you think of his points? Would you add some?

I will quote a bit, and then list his Ten Fixtures, and then I want to give a brief response …

There are two types of evangelicals in America: those who naively embrace whatever trendy items happen to be hot sellers at “Christian” bookstores—WWJD? bracelets, Testamints, prayer of Jabez scented candles—and those who shun such kitsch. I am solidly of the second type. Like a good Pharisee, I thank God every day that I’m not like those people.

But I take comfort in knowing that most of this stuff is rather harmless and nothing more than a passing fad. It is not the dernier cri that will soon be gone that concerns me but the faddage that becomes a fixture. Fads still receive scrutiny; fixtures remain largely unquestioned.

The following are ten fixtures that I find particularly harmful not just to evangelicalism but to evangelism. None of them are inherently pernicious (well, except for #10) but evangelicals use them in ways that do not serve their intended purposes.

1. Making Converts (not disciples) [he needs to do more exegesis to see he’s swinging an air bat here].

2. The Sinner’s Prayer

3. Do you know Jesus as … your personal Savior.

4. Tribulationism

5. Testimonies

6. The Altar Call

7. Witnessing

8. Protestant Prayers

9. The Church Growth Movement

10. Chick Tracts

I considered a number of responses to his somewhat cheeky, somewhat insightful piece. I thought of giving my list against the Catholic lack of evangelism (evangelization), I thought of a satire on some Catholic customs, and I thought of a plea to talk to evangelicals in more civil terms.

But this is what I’ve come to: He’s mostly right here; we’ve done some silly things, and out of his grace God has blessed some of the silliness in amazing ways. Yes, our evangelistic strategies have emerged from sales and from slick persuasions and sometimes from superficial theology.

We are an evangelistic movement, and sometimes getting people to declare a decision is the most important thing we’ve focused on and, in the process, thoroughly neglected the gospel, the glory of Christ, and the majesty of God.

So thanks Joe.

A question, brother: Joe, would you like to hear an alternative list?