Product Details
- Cover Type:
- 299 Pages
- Publisher: InterVarsity Press
- Publication Date: October 2012
- ISBN: SCOLLIKEJPOWERPOLITICSANDTHEF9780830839797
Power, Politics and the Fragmentation of Evangelicalism: From the Scopes Trial to the Obama Administration
Publisher's Description
Power. Evangelicals have often sought it for national influence, and have often lamented its loss. But has this pursuit of cultural clout been the key to social transformation or the road to tan ideological cul-de-sac?
Kenneth Collins narrates the turbulent history of American evangelical engagement in national life since the 1920s. In the process, he argues, evangelicals on both sides of the liberal-conservative debates have unintentionally reduced the richness of their public testimony to an almost entirely political rhetoric.
Yet Collins tells us that in light of the past - and often in spite of it - there is hope for the future. With political power in its proper place, evangelicals of all persuasions can be free to pursue together a calling to be fully engaged in culture and politics, even while testifying to a kingdom that is beyond all earthly powers.
About the Author
Kenneth J. Collins (PhD, Drew University) is professor of Historical Theology and Wesley Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary. He has published several books including The Theology of John Wesley, The Evangelical Moment, and John Wesley: A Theological Journey.
Endorsements (${ productEndorsements.length })
“A major Wesleyan scholar, Kenneth Collins, has provided a significant assessment of the promise and problems of modern evangelicalism. From intelligent design to power politics, he has set forth a valuable critique of fundamentalism, neo-evangelicalism, the religious right and the evangelical left. Protestants of different traditions will find Collins a perceptive analyst of the changing dynamics within evangelicalism.”
Thomas C. Oden
Emeritus Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology, Drew University
“Collins writes with both the wide-ranging knowledge of a historian and the personal engagement of a Wesleyan statesman who has been actively involved in the evangelical movement throughout his career. It would be an understatement to say his provocative narrative of the movement as interpreted through the lens of its various bids for power is as refreshingly honest as it is illuminating. But more importantly, he provides sage guidance and direction for the movement as it seeks to navigate these perilous waters while remaining faithful to the gospel in the twenty-first century.”
Dr. Jerry Walls
professor of philosophy, Houston Baptist University
“Power, Politics and the Fragmentation of Evangelicalism is a much-needed critical analysis of evangelical engagements with public policy by a Wesleyan scholar. I strongly recommend it to readers interested in learning about the pitfalls of both the religious right and left. While the book is bound to be controversial, especially among those who advocate evangelical social action, it contains much wisdom and a prophetic warning about how the search for power corrupts religion”
Roger E. Olson
professor of theology, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University
“As the evangelical voting block fractures and as Billy Graham's capacious shadow fades, a rather significant question looms: Whither American evangelicalism? Perhaps for too long we've relied on political power. Collins, drawing on an insightful exploration of the twentieth century and a deft analysis of the current horizon, points us to the power of common grace and ultimately to the power of the Spirit.”
Stephen J. Nichols
Ph.D., author, Jesus Made in America
Product Description
Publisher's Description
Power. Evangelicals have often sought it for national influence, and have often lamented its loss. But has this pursuit of cultural clout been the key to social transformation or the road to tan ideological cul-de-sac?
Kenneth Collins narrates the turbulent history of American evangelical engagement in national life since the 1920s. In the process, he argues, evangelicals on both sides of the liberal-conservative debates have unintentionally reduced the richness of their public testimony to an almost entirely political rhetoric.
Yet Collins tells us that in light of the past - and often in spite of it - there is hope for the future. With political power in its proper place, evangelicals of all persuasions can be free to pursue together a calling to be fully engaged in culture and politics, even while testifying to a kingdom that is beyond all earthly powers.
About The Author
Product Details
- Cover Type:
- 299 Pages
- Publisher: InterVarsity Press
- Publication Date: October 2012
- ISBN: SCOLLIKEJPOWERPOLITICSANDTHEF9780830839797