Walking the Talk: Discipleship in Modern Evangelicalism
“You know it when you see it.”
This phrase is often used as a definition for “pornography” but it can have many other applications as well.
In his classic book, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain, D.W. Bebbington uses a similar quote for evangelicalism: “Who was an Evangelical? Sometimes adherents of the movement were in doubt themselves. ‘I know what constituted an Evangelical in former times,’ wrote Lord Shaftesbury in his later life; ‘I have no clear notion what constitutes one now.’” [1]
Bebbington goes on to explain that evangelicalism has changed dramatically over time, so “it is therefore preferable to identify adherents of the movement by certain hallmarks. Evangelicals were those who displayed all the common features that have persisted over time.” [2]
Bebbington identifies four hallmarks that have stood the test of time and culture:
- “Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be changed
- Activism: the expression of the gospel in effort
- Biblicism: a particular regard for the Bible
- Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross” [3]
In his dissertation, Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account of Pathogeneses in the Relationship” Jason Clark runs into the same issue:
When I explain my project to both ends of this Evangelical constituency, I do [so] by saying I am exploring problems in the relationship between Evangelicalism and capitalism and how we might respond as Evangelicals. I have never been asked in response what I mean by Evangelical, nor asked what I mean by capitalism. It is only academics who reply that such examination cannot possibly be made, with Evangelicalism being too diffuse, and capitalism too broad for any meaningful review.[4]
From this comment, it seems that while academics prefer not to define the term, Evangelicals themselves readily “know it when they see it.”
What do people who identify as “evangelical” mean by the term?
Religious statistician Ryan Burge shares that, “In 2008, 16% [of self-identified evangelicals] were attending less than once a year. In 2023, it was 27%. In 2008, 59% were attending at least once a week. In 2023, it was 50%.” [5]
Burge concludes his piece with this: ”One of the most frequent comments I get when I post this kind of data is something like, ‘You can’t be an evangelical who doesn’t go to church, that’s an oxymoron.’ My response to that is simply this – you don’t own words. They are in the eye of the beholder. There are a whole lot of people (nearly one in ten Americans) who believe that they are evangelicals but they never or seldom attend a church service. It’s my job to try and understand this group, not just ridicule it.” [6]
Are there other definitions for “evangelical”? What difference does it make?
On the “Free Methodist Conversations” website, Howard A. Snyder shares his confusion about the term in “Evangelicalism’s Fatal Flaw”. He wonders, “What in the world is ‘evangelicalism’? The term is contested and variously defined.” [7]
Snyder agrees that it has come to mean “doctrinally conservative Protestants, especially white Protestants, who are also very conservative politically.” When you pay attention to the news, it’s not hard to see that the media support this perception, taking it at face value, without contesting it historically.
The problem is that the title of “Evangelical” carries certain expectations–about lifestyle, the use of one’s leisure time, sharing the gospel, and missionary work, among other expectations–that too often don’t play out in people’s lives.
In other words, too often they (we/I?) don’t “walk the talk.”
Walk the talk
While I know I have my share of flaws, when someone’s interpersonal behavior consistently fails to include basic respect, kindness, courtesy, and compassion, it becomes challenging (for me) to think of them as “evangelical.”
Snyder discusses this further. He says,
I used to think Bebbington’s definition wasn’t quite right. Given recent trends, however, I’ve changed my mind. I think the problem with Bebbington’s definition is precisely that it is on target. Look at the four elements Bebbington lists. Notice anything odd?
At first glance it seems OK. But–where is discipleship? Where is holiness? Where is obedience to Jesus Christ? Unmentioned.
…What is missing is discipleship: actually living out the gospel as Jesus said we must. That is the very thing, of course, that John Wesley focused on. [8]
Bebbington quotes Wesley, “‘We are justified by faith alone’, he wrote, ‘and yet by such a faith as is not alone…’ Faith is the only means by which we are made right with God; but faith, as soon as it exists, creates an impulse towards living a better life.” [9]
Calvin University history professor Kristen du Mez wrote the book, Jesus and John Wayne; How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Speaking with David Brooks for a NY Times article, she says,
“I’ve had so many moms I don’t know come up to me in the playground and whisper, ‘Are you the author of that book?’ They pour out their hearts: ‘This is not my faith. This is not what I was raised to believe in.’ These are 30-something white Christian women. They are in deep crisis, questioning everything.” [10]
That same article by David Brooks quotes Russell Moore who resigned from his leadership position in the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021. He told Brooks, “We now see young evangelicals walking away from evangelicalism not because they do not believe what the church teaches, but because they believe that the church itself does not believe what the church teaches.” [11]
Brooks then writes, “The proximate cause of all this disruption is Trump. But that is not the deepest cause. Trump is merely the embodiment of many of the raw wounds that already existed in parts of the white evangelical world: misogyny, racism, racial obliviousness, celebrity worship, resentment and the willingness to sacrifice principle for power.” [12]
My perspective on being an “evangelical”
I grew up in a reasonably large (for the northeast) Presbyterian Church, before the PC-USA/PCA split. Although I didn’t live in an especially racially diverse community, I always saw women in leadership roles. As a young adult, I attended a women’s college where we were told we could do anything we wanted, as long as we “accepted the challenge to excel.”
I often attended a UCC church on the edge of campus, and realized I missed such liturgical components as the creeds and the prayer of confession. I knew they seemed important, even though I didn’t understand why.
My husband and I met and were married in a PC-USA church while I was in graduate school in Boston. After moving, we raised our children in a UCC church for nearly 25 years (where they did recite creeds and say prayers of confession).
During all this time, I had a low opinion of the word “evangelical” partly because I didn’t know a single person–not one–who considered themselves an evangelical, and partly because it was associated with “the Christian right”. I didn’t think politics had a place in the church and vice versa.
(Bebbington writes that the early Evangelicals agreed. Other than the issue of slavery, “in general its leaders discouraged involvement in the political sphere Here was an area of sharp contrast with their Puritan forebears, who for the most part saw the achievement of a holy commonwealth as one of their grand aims.”) [13]
But after becoming empty nesters, my husband and I moved again and attended another PC-USA church. This church was led by a woman pastor who slowly introduced me to the original meaning of “evangelical.” I understood the four hallmarks. They made sense to me. I became upset that such a powerful and useful word had been usurped for political ends.
It became clear to me that there is a confluence of power in a few who tend to manipulate the fears of the many. It always seems to come down to “My land… my job… my town… my people… my religion… my country…” and not yours. Or theirs.
Clark describes this as anxiety about assurance. He writes, “despite doctrinal claims, inner assurance for Protestants often required evidence of assurance to be visible, in good works, despite beliefs about salvation by faith alone, that then also manifest in the providence of God as a sign and validation of assurance.” [14]
It appears that this need for the stuff of assurance can lead one to cling to earthly treasures. And then to fight tooth and nail to keep those treasures from “others”, whoever those in power identify and point to as “other.”
I’m not the only one who has developed a negative view of the term “evangelical”. See this graph by Barna [15]:
Where do we go from here?
Although I resonate with Bebbington’s quadrilateral, I also agree with Snyder, that discipleship–a life lived following Jesus and as Jesus would live it if he were I–is missing from our political and social discourse.
Instead, we see too many evangelicals who say these sorts of things are “fine”:
Immigrant children torn from their parents, many still separated, years later…
Acceptance of the possibility of a many-times-convicted felon, narcissist, and pathological liar as a leader for the world…
Easy access to automatic weapons created for wartime because they kill large numbers of people…
Judicial appointments that put the president above the law and remove the right of women to make hard and difficult decisions about their own bodies…
The refusal to care for others’ health and safety by the simple act of wearing a mask while in public during a massive global pandemic…
An inability to plan for the health and well-being of every person in the country…
Leadership that leans into power and controlwhich allows them to say one thing and do the opposite when it comes to sex and marriage…
Attacking people of other faiths and from other countries, both verbally and physically…
No. No matter how you look at it and regardless of whether or not you go to church, this is not the “evangelical” way of life.
I don’t have space to continue. So I’ll end here by saying that I hope a new wave of Evangelicals will not only live by adopting the four quadrilaterals, but will add discipleship to the definition, and then intentionally live it out.
Publicly and privately, followers of Jesus of all colors, countries, and denominations must rally together to care for those on the margins, hold leaders accountable for their words and actions, and encourage each other to live the gospel as Jesus lived it. It’s not easy when you live in a broken world. None of us are perfect, least of all me. But by the Spirit and grace and power of God, we can do better. We must.
- D.W. Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain (New York: Routledge, 1989), 2.
- Bebbington, 2.
- Bebbington, 3.
- Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship” (2018). Faculty Publications – Portland Seminary. 5. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gfes/132
- Ryan Burge, “I’m An Evangelical, But I Rarely Go to Church,” Graphs About Religion, Sept. 30, 2024, https://substack.com/@ryanburge/p-149210943.
- Burge.
- Howard A. Snyder, “Evangelicalism’s Fatal Flaw,” Free Methodist Conversations, Feb. 2, 2024. https://freemethodistconversations.com/evangelicalisms-fatal-flaw/.
- Snyder.
- Bebbington, 22.
- Kristen du Mez, quoted by David Brooks in “The Dissenters Trying to Save Evangelicalism From Itself”, The New York Times, Feb. 4, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/04/opinion/evangelicalism-division-renewal.html.
- Brooks.
- Brooks.
- Bebbington, 72.
- Clark, 76.
- Barna, “U.S. Adults See Evangelicals Through a Political Lens”, Nov. 21, 2019. https://www.barna.com/research/evangelicals-political-lens/.
About the Author
Debbie Owen
Deborah C. Owen is an experienced spiritual director, Neuro-based Enneagram executive and life coach, disciple maker, professional writer, senior librarian, and long-time church Music Director and lay leader. She has earned the award of National Board Certification for teaching excellence, and a podcasting award, and is pursuing a Doctor of Leadership degree through Portland Seminary at George Fox University. She lives in the backwoods of Maine with her husband and flat-coated retriever. She spends as much time as she can with their 3 grown children, daughter-in-law, and 2 small grandchildren. Find her online at InsideOutMinistries.info.9 responses to “Walking the Talk: Discipleship in Modern Evangelicalism”
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Debbie,
Nice post, I feel our thoughts are similar, but you stated yours in a very coherent manner. I am wondering as you bring discipleship into this conversation, what you say about Martin Percy’s comment last year about not everyone being called to be a disciple. How does that apply to discipleship being part of the definition of an evangelical?
Oh, Jeff, you bring up a great point! And I did wrestle with Percy’s suggestion that not everyone is called to be a disciple. But we also have to realize that just because someone says, “I am [label]”, doesn’t necessarily make them so. Not everyone who claims, “I am a Christian” acts like a Christian. In fact, some might say such people are not Christians, following in the way of Jesus.
I realized the parable of the seed, the sower, and the soil also addresses your question. Not every seed takes root but they are all still seeds. However, in order to do seed-like things (grow), they need to be nourished, watered, and given sunshine.
As Jesus told us, you’ll know them by their fruit.
I didn’t really answer your question. It’s a good one. I guess I am idealistic.
Hi Debbie, Reading your blog I thought of Jim Wallis and the urgency he senses. I agree that discipleship is important. Is there any way as a church musician you can infuse some practices or lessons through music that would open doors to becoming a disciple with your choir and/or congregation?
Great question Diane! And it depends on how you define “discipleship.”
I meet MANY people who say discipleship is “doing all the things” (attend church, help out in the thrift shop, teach Sunday school, etc.).
But I contend that discipleship is about relationships. First, a relationship with God. Second, a relationship with one or two others (maybe a few more) in which you are “known”, loved, accepted, gently corrected if needed, and to whom you are mutually accountable.
So what can I do as a church musician? I send a weekly email in which I often share thoughts about faith or the Bible or noticing where I see God, etc. I also insist on music whose lyrics bring honor and glory to God (seems like a “duh” idea, right? It’s not. I have to push for this and stand my ground). I also spend time talking about why certain music has been chosen and the message we hope to share through leading worship (NEVER performing).
I know I could also be spending more one-on-one time, more consistently and regularly. That’s the relationship part. I do my best, but I have run out of hours in the day!
Debbie,
I like the chart. I noticed that it was published in 2019. I wonder how much it might change based on political leadership at the time? I also wonder why the conservative group has a vastly higher view of self in regards to the first few categories of, hopeful, friendly, caring, etc as compared to the liberal perspective. Duffy wrote in the book last semester, about our biases and heuristics. Do you think this is what is going on here?
Good question Adam. I can’t answer the question about 2019 vs today.
But I think you’re right, the “Dunning-Kruger effect” is the cognitive bias that causes people to think more highly of themselves than they ought to. In this case, they believe they are more skilled at being caring, friendly, and generous than observers would give them credit for!
Debbie,
In my context I use the title “follower of Jesus” to distinguish myself from the diverse title of “Christian.” Sadly, labels, especially religious ones, can come with lots of baggage. As you read and wrote this assignment, what is something you feel God is inviting you to do personally?
Hey Debbie! Great Post and I know you could have gone on more so I will press you a little further. You really began sharing your heart in where we go from here. My question centers on being forward focused. How can we fine tune our discipleship so that it does not leak into consumerism and capitalism?
Hi Debbie, Thank you for this excellent post. I resonated with the quotes you provided from Russell Moore, and I appreciate your emphasis on discipleship/relationship. For the past couple of years, I have been navigating disillusionment concerning much of the hypocrisy I have seen among so-called evangelicals. However, I realize none of this is new, and I am so grateful for those who walk the talk. What gives you the hope and courage to continue walking the talk when many disappointing things happen amongst Evangelicals?