When it comes to American Christianity, we often see the worst in ourselves. We’re cynical and pessimistic about our shortcomings, and social media perpetually reminds us of our own spiritual ineptitude. In a consumer-driven culture that thrives upon conflict and controversy, we’re continually reminded of our depravity, and it’s much easier—and more popular—to criticize instead of affirm our corporate spirituality as Christians who live in America. But American Christianity has some great characteristics, and here are a few of them:
1) Freedom
While some may argue that our religious freedoms and civil liberties are becoming increasingly restricted, or that a lack of persecution has created a “weak” and “untested” faith, the fact remains that American Christians have the privilege of living within a country that allows us worship and live out our faith in a relatively unhindered manner.
Additionally, there’s the freedom to hold churches and religious groups accountable, to call out spiritual abuse and injustice—to not let them get away with corruption, abuse, hate, discrimination, and oppression. This is an amazing blessing we take for granted—pray for those who don’t have this luxury.
2) Diversity
For decades people have been prophesying about American Christianity’s demise by using fear-mongering hyperbole. Church attendance is dropping! Our culture is becoming increasingly immoral! The president is probably the Antichrist! Various pundits, experts and research groups make a living predicting American Christianity’s downfall, and yet, while Christianity has become extinct in numerous parts of the world, it continues to survive—and thrive—within the United States.
Unlike [parts of Europe and other areas where a few institutionalized denominations represented entire populations, American Christians are characterized by their variety. In the face of adversity, the American church adapts, evolves, rebrands, and adjusts—always plodding on.
It’s often filled with strife, conflict, and pain, but one of American Christianity’s greatest strengths is its diversity, where the differences are as varied and extreme as the array of people that represent them. Theologies and beliefs are splintered into millions of different denominations, churches, institutions, organizations, sects and communities—even people that attend the exact same church can have radically different ideologies. There is a Christian niche for almost everyone.
There are faith communities for those who are conservative or liberal, egalitarian or complementarian, Calvinist or Arminian, traditional or modern, young or old, fundamental or progressive, Norwegian or Cuban—you get the point. No matter what type of legislation, culture war, or public opinion there is, there will inevitably be hundreds of churches, pastors, theologians, and parishioners both agreeing and disagreeing on either side of the spectrum. We often view these differences as a bad thing—as a sign of disunity and mistrust—but they serve as a sort of system of checks and balances, ensuring that anyone—no matter what they believe—will have a faith community available to them. American Christianity is a beautiful patchwork of unique characteristics, all united in Christ, challenging each other, holding each other accountable and complementing our various strengths and weaknesses.
Because of this strong variation, there has been no silver-bullet that has killed American Christianity. For every church that dies off, another is reborn. Even today as many denominations see decreasing attendance, others see growth, and lately there has even been a revival within the grassroots Christian movement.
3) Inclusive
Diversity lends itself to inclusiveness. There are no distinct set of rules and regulations about who is allowed to be an American Christian and who is not. There is no one institution or power that controls who is “in” or “out.” You don’t have to sign a document, pass a test, or forcibly pay taxes.
Yes, there are churches like Westboro Baptist that are hate-filled and exclusive, and the American Christian tradition has hurt countless victims because of its atrocities (and we cannot discount the ongoing issues that have yet to be corrected and continue to marginalize) but there are millions of loving and accepting faith communities within the United States. Whatever ethnic, cultural, political, social and demographic background you come from, the American church has a community tailored for you—with many becoming loving and inclusive in ways that would’ve seemed impossible even just a few years ago.
4) Adaptability and Innovation
Freedom, diversity, and inclusiveness allow for adaptability and innovation. As our culture constantly changes, American Christians revolutionize and innovate. It’s not pretty, and it often includes divisions, debates, infighting, and relational wreckage, but the American tendencies of independence, consumerism, and flexibility has allowed—and enabled—Christians the freedom to change.
Even within the last few years many churches and denominations—and individuals—have officially changed their theologies relating to the LGTBQ community, women in leadership and gender roles, violence and gun control, and other political and social justice issues. American Christians are willing to try new things, from the form of our worship music to the technology behind a pastor’s sermon presentations , and even the ideas of what is considered morally acceptable, American Christians are constantly evolving.
5) Accessibility
Adaptation has led to increased accessibility. Our best pastors, theologians and leaders are available to us via books, seminars, retreats, websites, podcasts, blogs, videos and a litany of other forms of media. Almost every church now has a web platform, and sermons can be heard from anywhere, worship songs can be streamed online, conversations can happen through cyberspace, Christian seminaries and parachurch organizations offer free online courses, and websites keep us updated with the latest news and trends.
American Christianity is now vastly interconnected and has created its own subculture, accessible through the web, television, radio, film, books, albums, laptops, tablets and smartphone apps. Through an endless variety of these venues we are able to learn, grow, worship, fellowship, ask questions, debate and ultimately mature in our faith.
6) Opportunity and Resources
Because of this vast accessibility, we have increased opportunities and resources that allow us to serve, minister, lead, sacrifice, worship, pray and follow Christ’s example in unique ways. American Christians can start their own blogs, travel overseas, volunteer locally, receive an education, donate money and food and clothing, write books, create art, start their own ministries, fill out a few papers and start their own non-profit organizations and do an endless array of other things that are considered luxuries in other parts of the world. We can often be apathetic to the wonderful opportunities that surround us.
As American Christians, we tend to view our cultural identity through the lenses of either self-deprecation or pious elitism. We are a paradox of both good and bad, but we need to remember our good side. In Matthew 25 Jesus tells the story of a master who entrusts his servants with possessions and tells them to be good stewards—we need to do the same with our faith. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away (Matt, 25: 29 NLT).
American Christianity is often an imperfect, broken, prideful, ethnocentric, and often close-minded religion of institutionalized power and control, but it also has many great traits, and let’s pray that we utilize them to the best of our ability, always striving to glorify Christ and follow His perfect example.
This is an edited piece that the author originally published on redlletterchristians here.
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