Christianity Through the Eyes of Modernity:

Evangelicalism in American Society

Susan E. White
David Shefferman
Religion 80-Term Project
8 November 2001

In Europe, before the period of the Enlightenment, societies were defined by specific social, political and religious characteristics that confined them to the limitations of rural settings. A mysterious force, known only as "modernity" in the wake of its impact, brought change, convenience and advancements to communities unfamiliar with such advancements. In the current era, however, America embraces what is modern, valuing whatever is fresh and contemporary. In the same way, the American religious population has reacted to modernity, which can be defined as "the process of institutional change proceeding from and related to a technologically engendered economic growth" (Hunter and Rutgers 6). In this paper I will argue that followers of Evangelical Christianity in the twenty-first century take on the characteristics of secular society to be "in the world," but strive to not be "of the world" morally, which allows the belief to thrive and spread in the tension created by separation.

Modern American society, which began developing in its earliest days of creation, gives free rein to religious movements and interpretations. It is in response to this freedom that a fetishistic phenomenon known as Evangelicalism gained its momentum in the fundamentalist, mainline and liberal Protestant denominations (Hunter 7). Most commonly, Evangelicalism is thought of as television evangelism and street-corner preachers. However, the basis for the practice of evangelizing-spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every land- comes from the ancient texts of the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verse 19, Jesus states:

Thus, Christians feel it is their duty to spread Christianity because of the command given to all believers in Jesus Christ.

Evangelicalism also bases its foundations on aspects of predestination, spiritual perfection of the church on earth, conversion of non-believers and personal salvation (Hunter 7). These beliefs are unique to societies since the Protestant Reformation in the 1520s, but with each passing generation, new means of praising God and practicing religion have developed, and it is only by examining what is "pre-modern" that the concept of "modernity" can truly be grasped. Evangelicalism ultimately stretches across denominational divisions, allowing believers to breach a common bond with members of other Christian denominations.

Sociologists use three observations to understand religion, namely cultural pluralism, social differentiation and religious diversity, and to examine the course of religion in America (Hunter 7). According to this theory, these three defining aspects of modern culture should undermine the plausibility and the strength of a religion (Smith 89). However, it is under these same factors that Evangelical Christianity is thriving and requiring a new identity theory to be addressed and examined. A possible theoretical explanation for the increasing practice of evangelism, despite the aforesaid factors, includes the identity theory of religious persistence, which states:

And the theory of religious strength, which adds:

These statements theoretically mean that a religion, namely Evangelical Christianity, can survive by its members taking on the characteristics of the culture surrounding it. Christians then separate themselves amidst this conformity by specific moral practices, thus creating an identity that gives meaning and belonging to its followers. It is from this theory that I begin my investigation, using three case studies into common practices of Protestant Christianity in the American Bible Belt.

CASE STUDIES:

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The Evangelical movement has influenced four major religious and theological traditions in contemporary American Evangelicalism (Hunter 7). The Baptist tradition focuses on an individual's salvation through faith and is prone to organized revival, while the Holiness-Pentecostal tradition, which is based on the church as an institution in structure, strongly emphasizes sanctification through the Holy Spirit. The Anabaptist tradition expresses faith in objective and rational terms, as opposed to experiential, which expresses the Reformational-Confessional tradition, although this sect is split into two sides based on the belief of divine predestination (Hunter 7-8). Undoubtedly, diversity exists between the many denominations of Christianity, and yet despite these differences, the Evangelical movement is a part of all these Christian belief systems. The intent of these investigations was to not only identify the defining characteristics of an Evangelical Christian, but also to examine how that individual achieves the higher calling, who expects that calling, and what it exactly means to be commissioned by God.

CASE #1

Roaring Lambs, a book by Bob Briner, calls Christians to talk less, live more, and escape from behind the label of "Christian" to reach people on their level and draw them into the faith through lifestyle by using an undercurrent evangelism, which attracts people through lifestyle rather than direct confrontation. At first glance, the book appears to be a contradiction to my theories of persistence and strength. However, after a closer investigation, it was found that its theme of reaching the lost specifically addresses the theory of persistence, by instructing readers to conform to the expectations of society, and strength, by encouraging them to go against the flow in subtle ways. Many Evangelical Christians live their lifestyle according to this precinct, and one way is by being selective about music and its lyrical content. As a result, Christian music and its radio stations now exist and compete with secular music across America. In the opinion of some music fans, the instructional book, Roaring Lambs, could be an influential force behind the lyrics and actions of the secular music band, Lifehouse.

Lifehouse's song, "Hanging by a Moment," first played on secular radio before it "cracked into Christian radio stations" (CCM, Sept. 2001, 16). While "[i]t's unusual for general market artists like Lifehouse to be heard on Christian radio… a handful of programmers felt the song's spiritual lyrics, penned by frontman Jason Wade, worked" (CCM 16). By looking at the aspects of Lifehouse's music, a list of distinctions that divide Christian music from secular, in accordance with the theories of strength and persistence, is attained.

Steve Strout, a Christian music station program director in Maine, said, "We broke down the lyrics, took a look at lifestyle, and looked at the 'Hanging by a Moment' video, making sure there were not sexual overtones. After spending a lot of time with the complete CD we were pretty convinced [that it fit the standards of Christian radio]" (CCM Sept. 16). The director and other programmers also researched the band, read several interviews and talked to people who knew the band members to find out they went to church.

This analysis came from the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine, which contains content directly for the young Evangelical audience-so its articles are accurate portrayals of the issues facing modern Christian youth. Another article about Lifehouse was published in Campus Life, a magazine for Christian teens. The article was a full-page response to a question from a Christian girl named Emilie. She wrote:

Chris Lutes, a writer for CCM, responded by outlining some facts about Lifehouse. By Lutes' report, two of the artists were missionary kids and some of the band members are Christians-but that they do not want the band to be labeled as such (Campus Life, Nov./Dec. 2001, 28). Herein lies the point of investigation-why would Christians not want to be labeled as wholesome and godly?

Lead singer Jason Wade told Rolling Stone magazine, "My music is spiritually based, but we don't want to be labeled as a 'Christian band'… [because then] people's walls come up and they won't listen to your music and what you have to say" (Campus Life, Nov./Dec. 2001, 28). Lifehouse adheres to the theory of persistence by producing under a secular music label. However, their desire not to be identified as a "Christian band" allows their Christian undertones inevitably to have the same Evangelical message.

In the case of Emilie, whose role as a contemporary Christian in society supports the theory of strength as she searches out how to define her separate moral standards, is an example of a youth who desires to be set apart by "trying not to listen to secular music" (28). These standards, which were set by Christian music programmers in accordance with the beliefs of Evangelical listeners, show specific aspects of the modern Christian's lifestyle in American society, and thus enabling them to thrive-in accordance with and support of the aforesaid theories.

CASE #2

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In order to define what is "modern," one must first understand what is "pre-modern." By tangible comparison, I compared an historic writing by Saint Paulinus of Nola of the Roman Catholic Church to writing by Martin Luther, who lived during the Middle Ages.

Paulinus was a strong advocate of traditional Catholicism alongside the belief of the miraculous power of material objects, or "relic piety." He responds to an inquiry from Bishop Serverus, who desires "some blessed object from the sacred relics of the saints, with which to adorn… [his] family church in a manner worthy of … [his] faith and service" (Letter 125). Paulinus gave "a fragment of a sliver of the wood of the holy Cross" (Letter 125) that Jesus was crucified, so that it might convey its "living power" (Letter 132) to the countless, daily prayers of men.

Relic piety became a highly contested practice in the Christian Catholic church, and the believers in such practices, like Paulinus or Latomus, defended the miraculous healing power of a certain martyr's bones, hair, blood or other personal object, although such belief wasn't scriptural. Until the writings of Martin Luther in the 1520s, who had the luxury of the printing press to spread his beliefs in "Scripture only," organized change was not effective in reviving the Church. Luther was the founder of the Protestant Reformation and, in a sense, an instigator of modern Christian beliefs, assisted by a technologically engendered growth-the very definition of modernity.

Christian practices have greatly changed over the centuries, and it is wise of any Christian to examine "What it means to act like a Christian" based not on what the status quo believes-as in the case of Paulinus-but rather what the Scriptures say, as Luther closely examined. Although Christian magazines of 2001 spread the popular trends in Christianity, and many Christians that adhere to an Evangelical faith are attracted to their popularity, discernment is still necessary.

CASE #3

Newsweek, a secular magazine read by many Americans, covered the 50,000-strong Festival Con Dios Christian rock festival held the first week of July 2001 in Tulsa, Maryland. The author of the article, Lorraine Ali, focused on the "gigantic cathedral of Christian entertainment" (40). Several key points in the article stated:

In response to the Newsweek article, CCM magazine writer John Fischer responded by saying, "So what?" (CCM Sept. 2001, 94). He defended the Christian media industry because of the individuals that Christians help and care about. He said, "The validity of our Christian impact is not in the sales of our stuff, it's in the difference we make in the lives of those closest to us." Fischer also challenged readers to continue sharing Jesus with friends and neighbors-not to stop just because the sale of Christian products is on the rise. He used the words of Charles Dickens, who said, "If we want to talk about business, then we need to get a vision of mankind as our business" ( CCM 94). Ultimately, the business of the contemporary practices of Evangelical Christianity is caring for mankind and not taking in the almighty dollar.

The findings in Newsweek and CMM, when compared to the traditionally Catholic writings of Paulinius present a strong resemblance, as believers conformed to the standards of the day. Evangelicalism is a response to modernity, which is the standards of the contemporary era, in Christianity. If being religious is "not as easy as it used to be"-phenomena social scientists call secularization (Hunter and Rutgers 4)-then modern Christians have found ways to be separate from mainstream secular society. Thereby, the religion is surviving and thriving in a nation strewn with cultural pluralism, social differentiation and religious diversity.

CASE #4

Due to the invention of the train, automobile and plane-in addition to the telegraph, telephone and the Internet-the possibility of spreading Christianity to the uttermost regions of the earth is actually a tangible possibility. The emphasis on "mission" is revived in the hearts of the youth. It is Biblically based, in accordance with The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, and through this sacrifice of time and effort, a Christian can demonstrate faith according to the practices of Evangelical Christianity. In Case #4, I examined the tactics used by Protestant churches, Christian organizations and Christian conventions to impose the mission trip as an obligatory aspect of the true Christian lifestyle, belittling the individual who strives for relational ministry.

Recruitment for missions is found at large conventions like the Festival Con Dios Christian rock festival covered by Newsweek magazine. Traveling music groups spend a week exciting young teenagers with news of Jesus before offering them the opportunity to spread His love to the nations. Advocators of these opportunities advertise at booths outside the auditorium for a Christian concert or at a group's particular meeting. These notions fit with the theory of strength, as they set the participants apart from other Christians and give them the opportunity to serve at a higher level.

As a participant in many retreats, conventions, festivals and concerts, I am aware of the implied pressure to serve, and I have come home on countless occasions with news for my parents that I am "called into the mission field." Each time, my father would give me the full opportunity participate, but I always came down off my "spiritual high" to see through the organization's true intentions, only to be devastated by reality. My experiences range from an Acquire the Fire internship, where I was pressured to wait a year before beginning college to travel around the country to work without pay, or an organization's summer mission trip, where the expectation to serve was greater than my capacity to give. The practice of Christianity has changed over the past 2000 years, and it continues to evolve with the advancement of technology. Ultimately, the forces of modernity impact the practice of Christianity in accordance with the modern time period.

CONCLUSION:

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Augustine believed in the fourth century that the Church is a school for sinners-where evil people became better, alongside the good. Given the evidence provided in Cases #1, 2, 3 and 4, it become evident that Christians and the practice of Christianity not only changed its focus with the evolution of time, but it also survives through this adaptation. In 2001, Christianity thrives and spreads by distinction through conformity-the final point of this analysis. Followers of Evangelical Christianity in the twenty-first century take on the characteristics of secular society to be accepted as the rest of the population, but true Christians strive to live their lives with different moral principals. These beliefs allow the faith to thrive and to spread in the tension created by separation because of the impact of technology-the result of modernity.

Works Cited

Ali, Lorriane. "The Glorious Rise of Christian Pop." Newsweek. 16 July 2001: 38-48.

Briner, Bob. Roaring Lambs. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993.

This book, written by the late Bob Briner, provides life-changing methods with which to make every day of your life count for a greater purpose. He highly commends the professions less commonly identified as "religious." Written from his personal experience, he identifies ways to make a quiet "roar" while on the job.

Hunter, James David. American Evangelicalism. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1983.

Hunter's writing provides a four-part analysis of evangelism in American society. The thoroughly identifies key concepts, such as "modernity" and "structural pluralism."

Lutes, Chris. "Is Lifehouse a Christian Band?" Campus Life. Nov./Dec. 2001: 28.

McNeece, Sarah Aldridge. "Lifehouse Cracks Christian Radio." CCM. Sept. 2001: 16.

Smith, Christian. American Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1998.

Smith's book is based on surveys and countless interviews, identifying what it means to be a Christian in modern society. He views Christianity as a "subculture" and provides charts and graphs to demonstrate his points.