1st August, 2011
In these polarised times, few words conjure as much distaste in liberal circles as “evangelical Christian.†Thatâ€
Earlier, Mr. Falwell opined that AIDS was “Godâ€
Partly because of such self-righteousness, the entire evangelical movement often has been pilloried among progressives as reactionary, myopic, anti-intellectual and, if anything, immoral.
Yet that casual dismissal is profoundly unfair of the movement as a whole. It reflects a kind of reverse intolerance, sometimes a reverse bigotry, directed at tens of millions of people who have actually become increasingly engaged in issues of global poverty and justice.
This compassionate strain of evangelicalism was powerfully shaped by the Rev. John Stott, a gentle British scholar who had far more impact on Christianity than media stars like Mr. Robertson or Mr. Falwell. Mr. Stott, who died a few days ago at the age of 90, was named one of the globeâ€
Mr. Stott didnâ€
“Good Samaritans will always be needed to succor those who are assaulted and robbed; yet it would be even better to rid the Jerusalem-Jericho road of brigands,†Mr. Stott wrote in his book “The Cross of Christ.†“Just so Christian philanthropy in terms of relief and aid is necessary, but long-term development is better, and we cannot evade our political responsibility to share in changing the structures that inhibit development. Christians cannot regard with equanimity the injustices that spoil Godâ€
Mr. Stott then gave examples of the injustices that Christians should confront: “the traumas of poverty and unemployment,†“the oppression of women,†and in education “the denial of equal opportunity for all.â€
For many evangelicals who winced whenever a televangelist made the headlines, Mr. Stott was an intellectual guru and an inspiration. Richard Cizik, president of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, who has worked heroically to combat everything from genocide to climate change, told me: “Against the quackery and anti-intellectualism of our movement, Stott made it possible to say you are ‘evangelicalâ€
The Rev. Jim Wallis, head of a Christian organization called Sojourners that focuses on social justice, added: “John Stott was the very first important evangelical leader to support our work at Sojourners.â€
Mr. Stott, who was a brilliant student at Cambridge, also underscored that faith and intellect neednâ€
Centuries ago, serious religious study was extraordinarily demanding and rigorous; in contrast, anyone could declare himself a scientist and go in the business of, say, alchemy. These days, itâ€
Those self-appointed evangelical leaders come across as hypocrites, monetizing Jesus rather than emulating him. Some seem homophobic, and many who claim to be “pro-life†seem little concerned with human life post-uterus. Those are the preachers who won headlines and disdain.
But in reporting on poverty, disease and oppression, Iâ€
Iâ€
Why does all this matter?
Because religious people and secular people alike do fantastic work on humanitarian issues — but they often donâ€
And that would be, well, a godsend.
•NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF wrote this article the New York Times.