Fracture Lines Within Evangelicalism

When evangelicalism, as we know it today, emerged from fundamentalism in the twentieth century, there was some semi-unity. Yes there were various denominations within evangelicalism that had different views on charismatic gifts, women in leadership, eschatology, and a few other issues, but there was still one tent under which they co-existed.

I see a change within evangelicalism and an increased tendency to separate from one another. The kind of distinguishing that evangelicals did from from fundamentalists and mainline denominations is starting to happen within evangelicalism.

Here are some of the fracture lines that I have noticed.

LGBTQ+

I know that there will be some people will deny one can be evangelical and be affirming of LGBTQ+ people but things are changing. There are those who are evangelical on all of the traditional defining doctrines who also argue for full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people.

There are also LGBTQ+ folk who are not willing to give up their evangelical beliefs and are fighting to keep their place in the church. At the same time, there are those who not only will not affirm but also want to reverse some of the legal rights, such as same-sex marriage.

There is an increasing fracturing, not simply as a binary of affirming vs non-affirming but with evangelicals taking positions all along the spectrum.

Role of Women

Women in leadership and pastoral ministry has always been a contentious issue among evangelicals. But things are getting more combative.

One one hand, there are more opportunities for women in the church, including evangelical churches, than ever before. There are not only more female pastors, we also have more denominational leaders and seminary professors.

At the same time, we have people doubling down on their view of the role of women. Some are not content with just banning women from the pulpit. There are some evangelicals who argue that women should lose the right to vote. The gap between the two sides is widening.

Intersection With Politics

Evangelicals have been intertwined with politics for a long time. Evangelicals actively lobby the government, seeking to promote certain positions, ranging from pro-life to social justice.

The situation is becoming more complicated. Some have argued that Christians CANNOT vote for certain parties and MUST vote for another one. Now they are suggesting that the Conservative party is not conservative enough.

Some evangelicals are pushing back against the close relationship between evangelicals and politics, while others are seeking to impose Christian Nationalism.

Walls vs Bridges

I am seeing an increasing division among evangelicals about how they interact with those who are somewhat different, both inside and outside the church. The two reactions are to build walls to keep others out or to build bridges to find common ground.

Each group within evangelicalism looks at the others with suspicion. These are echos of previous generations in terms of their view of Billy Graham and his willingness to work with outside groups. Each group sees the other as compromising on the truth.

The Culture War

This fracture line has much overlap with other issues already mentioned. There are those who see everything as a battle between conservatives and liberals. Positions are determined, not based on study of Scripture but what is useful for the culture war.

There are times I see the gap between conservative and liberal as being perceived as wider than that between Christian and non-Christian. How does this fit within evangelicalism? There are people within evangelicalism who represent either the right or the left. But there are also those who are committed to the culture war and those who reject it.

Where is Evangelicalism Going?

I do not claim to know the future. Plus, I want to remind everyone that evangelicalism is not limited to what we see in the United States.

But I will suggest that evangelicalism is going to divide significantly over the next decade. These fracture lines and others are separating the church. People are becoming less and less willing to agree to disagree.

What is happening is not so much sitting in opposite sides of the tent as moving into entirely new tents. Evangelicals who disagree with one another may end up seeing each other as outsiders. What will happen from here is difficult to say. But these signs cannot be ignored.