Great article about progressive evangelical Christians (hat tip to Mainstream Baptist).
Like Jimmy Carter, Tony Campolo is a tireless campaigner for social justice, especially for the poor, for the environment and for oppressed populations in the Third World. Like Carter, he is also an evangelical Christian — a Baptist minister, in fact.
Although many Americans see evangelicalism as a monolithic construct, “in reality, there are a whole lot of us evangelicals who think differently,” said Campolo, who founded the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education.
...
Whoever is correct, one thing is clear: There are millions of progressive evangelicals. And yet, the conventional wisdom resolves to a very simple equation: “Evangelical” = “religious right.”
That may gall progressive evangelicals, who are proud of their heritage at the forefront of campaigns for civil rights, racial justice and religious diversity...
“In a nutshell, we hold to the same kinds of theology. We just read the Bible differently than our right-wing friends. When we read the Bible, we see a Jesus who is much more radical,” Campolo said.
Where he and other progressives see Jesus most differently is in the importance placed on compassionate treatment for the underdogs in society.
No comments:
Post a Comment