A while back I referenced an article by Jimmy Spencer about the deepening split within evangelicalism. To many, this was a new concept as this split has just recently made its way out of the halls of academia and into the streets.

Unfortunately, Jimmy’s original comments were a tad vague as they were simply a Facebook note that went viral.

Thankfully Jimmy, who is the founder and CEO of Love Without Agenda, decided to expand his observation into a full article. It is to this article that I now wish to comment.

Traditional Evangelicals and Progressive Evangelicals.

Jimmy sees evangelicalism splitting into two basic groups that have yet to be clearly defined. The main differences, or fracture points, between these two groups can be seen in their methodology and theology.

A quick summary of these differences is as follows:

Methodology (Practice vs Scripture)

• Traditional Evangelicals: Christianity is primarily a set of beliefs which must be defended at any cost. Any deviation from these beliefs, which are “rooted in the inerrant Word of God, the Bible”, leads to heresy. In essence, this group claim that “good theology will lead to good practice.”
• Progressive Evangelicals: Christianity is primarily a way of life as modeled by Jesus. It is something to be “imitated and practiced” and not just believed. In essence, these folks say that “good practice will lead to good theology.”

Theology (Exclusive vs Inclusive).

• Traditional Evangelicals: These folks tend to have a hard and fast line between those who are ‘in’ and those who are ‘out’; between who is a ‘true’ Christian and who is not.
• Progressive Evangelicals: The line between Christians and non-Christians is not as definite for this crowd. Not, I might stress, because everyone gets ‘in’ – but because the blood of Jesus covers a lot more people then one might think. In nutshell, this crowd says it is God’s job to decide who are His children and not us; therefore, let us stop trying to judge everyone and start living life as Jesus did.

The Right To Control the Story

As I’m sure you all are beginning to see, there is truth and validity to both of these positions. Both views could be considered orthodox in their faith (i.e. adhering to the classic understanding of Christianity as determined by the early church councils and witnessed in the ancient creeds).

History has also shown that there are problems with both views as ‘good’ theology does not always lead to good practice while ‘good’ practice does not always lead to good theology.

While not claiming to have a silver bullet, I do feel that we need a Jesus centric worldview that maintains a strong adherence to the Scriptures while going beyond simply ‘believing’ and into the practical day-to-day life of a Believer (i.e. practice).

Furthermore, I feel that we need to be careful at drawing too hard of a line in the sand as only Jesus knows for sure the hearts of people. We must be a people of grace who, while recognizing and destroying evil, embrace all who are trying to follow Jesus to the best of their ability.

Yet I feel, as does Jimmy, that neither side will “relinquish their right” to control and shape the story of Jesus according to their viewpoint.

Alas, it is a sad day for the Bride of Christ.