Driven to Action
The author of Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, David Beddington, provides an excellent historical account of the evangelical movement from the 1730s to the 1980s. The four marks of evangelicalism provide the framework for his summary, which are: “conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and what may be called crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross” (bold print mine).[1] In my reading of Beddington, I was particularly drawn to the orientation this framework of evangelicalism provided the Church. Speaking to this orientation, Dr. Clark writes, “Evangelicalism was about being in the world, even whilst it tried not to be; this is its double dynamic. Personal faith as a way of fleeing the world led, in fact, to a way of living in the world.”[2] I will highlight a few key concepts of Beddington’s work and the implications of evangelicalism in the life of the Church and society as a whole.
As the first point of observation, conviction driven by Biblical theological principles ought to drive followers of Jesus and the Church to action. In observing the social implications of evangelicalism, Beddington states that conversion was intertwined with major theological convictions.[3] Such convictions led to practical demonstrations of this newfound faith in Jesus through loving one’s neighbor well. One example of this social engagement was the philanthropic heart of evangelicals as an outward demonstration of their faith in Christ. Commenting on Wesley, Beddington writes that his
generosity was legendary. He would scatter coins to beggars, he waded through snow in old age to raise money for the relief of the poor and he died worth virtually nothing because his considerable income from publications was given away. Evangelicalism as a whole taught that good works are a fundamental element of Christian duty. There was continuity between traditional teaching on concern for the poor, as expressed for instance in the religious societies of the Church of England, and the charitable work of Evangelicals.[4]
Further extending this orientation toward action, the practice of evangelicalism led to a missional engagement in society. As a significant shift, evangelicals no longer waited for people to flock to the church; rather, they went out to the people![5] This shift marks a powerful demonstration of the advancement and outward engagement of the Church. I note the similarities to Walter Rauschenbusch’s work in Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21st Century. In his book, Rauschenbusch claims salvation is not only individual salvation but also has implications for all of society. Additionally, the Church is to be at the forefront of addressing social needs in expectation of transformation on a national, social, and religious level.[6] Much like Rauschenbusch, while Beddington advocates for what I would refer to as a holistic gospel, he also acknowledges that this service of the poor is not exempt of responsibility – “Not all the needy deserved help; if at all possible, the poor should help themselves; and public assistance was to be rejected out of hand.”[7] In the 20th century, this holistic engagement caused a division between conservatives and liberals and what would become coined the social gospel.[8] Sadly, this is still a division the Church seeks to untangle to this day. “In reality, however, the social gospel was grounded in Evangelicalism.”[9]
With advancement, there is a tendency to forget about God. While the evangelical movement exploded in such a way that it prompted the Church outside the walls to alleviate not only the spiritual need for a Savior, it also led the Church to concern itself with the social ills of society, such as poor education, illiteracy, inadequate healthcare, and sub-par housing. Interestingly, with the advancement and betterment of society, evangelicalism began to decline after the middle of the 19th century. Beddington notes, “More widespread in their effects were changes in social circumstances. The second half of the nineteenth century was marked by an acceleration in improving the standard of living.”[10] I see two parallels in this historical observation. One, much like the people of Israel, when all goes well, we tend to forget about God. And two, much like Lieberman’s observations in The Molecule of More, advancement is not always better. Thus, while the impact of evangelicalism led to exceptional social impact and Church growth, it would also be the very thing that would lead the Church to the neglect of God and spiritual apathy.
As a final observation, identity is essential to our kingdom engagement in society. With the assurance of salvation that comes as a bi-product of evangelicalism, it is my opinion that identity is a core driving principle that motivates followers of Jesus to engage the world in Christ-like, kingdom-oriented ways. Beddington notes that this activism flows from one’s conversion.[11] In consideration of my NPO, to promote shalom among vulnerable communities, it is my conviction that ensuring a solid, Biblical understanding of “self” is essential to promote the flourishing of all. I am pretty sure Friedman would have something to say about this as well!
[1] D. W Beddington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain a History from the 1730s to the 1980s (London: Routledge, 1988), 16.
[2] Jason Clark, “Evangelism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship,” Faculty Publications – Portland Seminary (June 1, 2018): 73, https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gfes/132.
[3] Beddington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain a History from the 1730s to the 1980s, 22.
[4] Ibid., 135.
[5] Ibid., 221.
[6] Walter Rauschenbusch, Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21st Century: The Classic That Woke up the Church, 2009.
[7] Beddington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain a History from the 1730s to the 1980s, 225.
[8] Ibid., 254.
[9] Ibid., 385.
[10] Ibid., 264.
[11] Ibid., 29.
11 responses to “Driven to Action”
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Eric, thanks for this insightful and personal post. Increasingly in our context, we see effectiveness increase when the church “leaves the building” and goes into the community to serve. It seems that a post-Christian culture needs churches to be off-campus because less and less will people just show up on-campus. Have you found in your ministry context that the line between conservative and liberal churches still exists? By that, I’m asking if a certain part of the church spectrum gets more involved in what you’re doing than others?
Great question. Roy, I do work with both sides of the church. While I am certainly a conservative at heart, I am a liberal in action. To be it is a sad thing that those two are often separated. As a result, I find myself deeply desiring to motivate and equip the conservative church to engage in the work that we are doing, which they would often think is work the liberals too. It is quite sad, actually.
Eric: I agree with the need for people to have a powerful sense of ‘self’ to promote flourishing of all. In my experience the poor don’t have a strong sense of self. The gospel provides that more powerfully than anything else–let God tell you who you are instead of just trying to figure it out on your own, right? You also make a good point about how thriving has a tendency of helping people forget about God or spiritual matters. I see that in modern America nd the flourishing this country has had the past 50 years. Is the U.S. better off because of it?
Great question. JC Ryle. Have you ever read him? If not, check out his book (reads more like sermons) “Practical Religion.” You can google it and find it for free.
I think there are a lot of similarities between the US today and Britain in the 1800’s. It is quite fascinating and enlightening to our current situation.
Eric: “Thus, while the impact of evangelicalism led to exceptional social impact and Church growth, it would also be the very thing that would lead the Church to the neglect of God and spiritual apathy.” So good.
Interested to know how you engage and motivate folks that may be in a “spiritual apathy” to move more towards action in the work you do.
Hey there Kayli. See my response to Henry and Denise. It has been a commitment of time, devotion, engagement, and modeling.
Eric,
I totally agree with you that Christian ought to be driven to act. However, I often wonder if their drive comes from a genuine love response to Jesus. While the act itself is motivated by a selfless heart of compassion who are the recipients of those actions.
I am also curious how you might draw conservatives into participation in more social outreaches?
Great question. I would say I am committed to building and partnering with the local churches. Given that I myself am “conservative,” but also committed to action, over time it has convinced and brought others along. But it has taken a LONG TIME of faithful engagement and demonstration.
Eric, much thanks for your thoughts on activism/social action rooted in compassion and for citing Wesley’s remarkable example. Today, I see three scenarios in this regard among followers of Jesus: significant compassion (as seen among several NGOs); little evidence of compassion; and compassion fatigue among those who have exhaust themselves in the process of engaging with the needy. So my question is do you see compassion/activism as a non-negotiable indicator of conversion; if so, why do we not see a more widespread level of compassion among followers of Jesus globally? A second question is how can we best reduce the incidence of compassion fatigue among believers/those serving among the poor?
Great questions brother. So, my personal opinion is that the gospel of Jesus MUST be proclaimed in both word and deed. We can’t separate the two as we have done historically. Thus, in part, it is a teaching/discipleship point, and two, it is a litmus test of our genuine conversion/faith in Christ (in my opinion).
Second, how to protect against burnout. Great question. I will have to give that more thought, however, for me it has demanded a dependence on the Lord, knowing myself well and what fills my cup (to fill my cup I head to the mountains, get outside, hike, camp, etc.).
How do you protect against burnout?
Eric, thank you for sharing these insightful observations, integrating not only this week’s readings, but also other authors who have influenced you. I found myself especially drawn to your opening observation: “conviction driven by Biblical theological principles ought to drive followers of Jesus and the Church to action.” I’m curious what role you see gratitude playing as a driver toward action (if any)–gratitude for the gift of God’s love given through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? I ask because I found this to be a turning point in my missional practice…the Spirit’s discipleship of me when my conviction-driven behavior (part of my wiring as well) was becoming too strident and obfuscating the gift of grace being extended by Jesus through me to others. Which leads to my follow-up question: what spiritual practices have you found useful for maturing conviction and principal into winsome missional practice?