The End of Evangelicalism? Discerning a New Faithfulness for Mission: Towards an Evangelical Political Theology, David E. Fitch (Cascade Books) $28
Evangelicalism is a political ideology in crisis, says David E. Fitch in his new book, End of Evangelicalism? Posed as a question, however, the title gives us a clue that the author hasn’t quite scheduled the funeral. After all, how useful could 200 pages chronicling the demise of Evangelicalism be? Though some might find morbid pleasure in that pursuit and it has been tried, though in a shorter format, by the late Michael Spencer (aka Internet Monk), what this author is after is a deep questioning and reframing of the evangelical foundations.
To accomplish this, Fitch has brought together an impressive panel of scholars and church leaders, beginning with the Slovenian philosopher and cultural theorist, Slavoj Žižek. By employing the social critical framework found primarily in Žižek’s earlier work, Sublime Object of Ideology, and others, Fitch systematically dismantles the three central Evangelical theological commitments: “the inerrant Bible,” “the decision for Christ,” and “the Christian Nation.”
