There has to be an Evangelical theology after Donald Trump for Evangelical theologians have a lot to reflect upon in the wake of their constituency's endorsement of Donald J. Trump, the Republican nominee for President of the United States. Evangelical theologians need to evaluate what it is in Evangelical theology that makes the people they theologize for to be enthusiastic supporters of a man who does not demonstrate any clear Christian character and policy. Polls show that at least 90% of Evangelicals are throwing their support behind this man, whose arrogance is unmarched, who insults the weak, and shows profound lack of compassion.
The wholesale endorsement of Donald Trump by most Evangelicals and their leaders may mean several things, none of which is good for Evangelical theology. First, it may mean that the work of Evangelical theologians cannot adequately form discerning Christians who are capable of discerning salutary human character. Second, it may mean that the work of Evangelical theologians are ignored by the churches for which they write, in which case there is no point to what they are doing. Third, it may be that the work of Evangelical theologians is actually aimed at forming people who would actively want people like Donald Trump to be President of the United States of America. Whatever the case may be, Evangelical theology has significant soul searching to do for most of those who have been rooting for Donald Trump in this election cycle have been Evangelical leaders and their followers.
A significant turning point in the life of the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, was his realization that those he had followed, his teachers, were in fact enablers and supporters of what has come to be known as the First World War. This realization was so traumatic for him that he broke with the theological training they had given him, setting off a paradigm shift for twentieth century theology. The dictatorial tendencies Donald Trump has demonstrated in this election cycle, may leave one in little doubt that he may throw the world into disorder if he becomes President of the United States. If this were to happen, we would have Evangelical Christians to thank. Evangelicalism should be harboring an uneasy conscience now and that conscience needs some reflection. There needs to be an Evangelical theology after Donald Trump.
The wholesale endorsement of Donald Trump by most Evangelicals and their leaders may mean several things, none of which is good for Evangelical theology. First, it may mean that the work of Evangelical theologians cannot adequately form discerning Christians who are capable of discerning salutary human character. Second, it may mean that the work of Evangelical theologians are ignored by the churches for which they write, in which case there is no point to what they are doing. Third, it may be that the work of Evangelical theologians is actually aimed at forming people who would actively want people like Donald Trump to be President of the United States of America. Whatever the case may be, Evangelical theology has significant soul searching to do for most of those who have been rooting for Donald Trump in this election cycle have been Evangelical leaders and their followers.
A significant turning point in the life of the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, was his realization that those he had followed, his teachers, were in fact enablers and supporters of what has come to be known as the First World War. This realization was so traumatic for him that he broke with the theological training they had given him, setting off a paradigm shift for twentieth century theology. The dictatorial tendencies Donald Trump has demonstrated in this election cycle, may leave one in little doubt that he may throw the world into disorder if he becomes President of the United States. If this were to happen, we would have Evangelical Christians to thank. Evangelicalism should be harboring an uneasy conscience now and that conscience needs some reflection. There needs to be an Evangelical theology after Donald Trump.
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