Making Conservative Christianity More Palatable in Modern Day Manhattan William M
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CONTEXTUALIZATION, BIG APPLE STYLE: MAKING CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY MORE PALATABLE IN MODERN DAY MANHATTAN WILLIAM M. MCMILLAN SOCIOLOGY YALE UNIVERSITY [email protected] ow is it that a conservative Protestant, in their 20s and 30s, and not the anticipated HBible -believing church consistently elderly parishioners of a bygone era. attracts close to 6,000 people to its services in Furthermore, as for the worship services, the heart of Manhattan every Sunday? What there is not the least hint of mega-church explains the phenomenon of a church that tactics, charismatic melodrama, or cutting- proclaims “born-again religion” growing and edge “emergent church” practices. In fact, the thriving in one of the most liberal, secular, church at the heart of this puzzle, Redeemer pluralistic, and cosmopolitan cities in the Presbyterian, has a traditional feel with a world? The general consensus in social simple ordered liturgy comprised of hymn science, after all, is that exclusivist religious singing, corporate prayer, scripture reading, beliefs and conservative theology are not and preaching. To top it all off, it seems that it amenable to affirmations of cultural pluralism is the 30 minute sermons of Redeemer’s 60 and diversity.1 Yet, this multiracial year old senior minister, Tim Keller, that are congregation has figured out how to go with the church’s biggest draw.3 the grain of the city’s immense ethnic and While further research is needed to explain cultural pluralism.2 The matter is even more how Redeemer initially grew and how it intriguing when one considers that most of the continues to thrive in Manhattan, this essay attendees are young professionals and artists seeks to explain a small part of the church’s attraction by reflecting on Keller’s preaching strategy—a central part of which is to make 1 See Robert Wuthnow, America and the Challenges of the monologic text of the Bible more Religious Diversity (Princeton: Princeton University 4 Press, 2005); Robert D. Putnam and David E. palatable to his cosmopolitan hearers. Keller Campbell, American Grace (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010); Stephen M. Merino, “Religious Diversity in a ‘Christian Nation’: The Effects of 3 Redeemer now has eight services at three sites every Theological Exclusivity and Interreligious Contact on Sunday with Tim Keller preaching at four of the eight the Acceptance of Religious Diversity,” Journal for the services. Referring to a service held at the Hunter Scientific Study of Religion 49, no. 2 (2010): 231-246; College Auditorium, one journalist described it this and Mark Chaves, American Religion: Contemporary way: “There’s nothing sexy here. There’s no rock band, Trends (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012). no drop-down theater-size video screen, no 100- An exclusivist theology teaches that some people will member gospel choir—just a few chamber musicians be ‘saved’, whereas others will not. and a couple of prayer leaders to help the congregation 2 The church considers itself multiethnic and along in its hymns.” Lisa Miller, “The Smart multiracial with about 45 percent of its attendees being Shepherd,” Newsweek, February 9, 2008. Asian, 45 percent being white, and 10 percent being of 4 By “monologic” I aim to capture the overly simple other races and ethnicities. Despite its racial diversity, view of the Bible that evangelicals often convey to the the church is largely homogeneous in terms of class public with slogans such as, “God said it, I believe it, and age. Redeemer Congregational Survey Results, that settles it.” This view talks about a complicated 2009. historical compilation of books with multiple authors, Symposia 5 (2013): 1-16. © The Author 2013. Published by University of Toronto. All rights reserved. 2 S YMPOSIA aims to do this through a disarming degree, the art of conveying an exclusive demonstration of familiarity and competence message held by “insiders” in an inclusive, with respected non-Christian writers and civil manner that respects and affirms the thinkers, a reconfiguration of where the dignity, value, and worth of “outsiders.” skeptical insights of these interlocutors align in an overarching theological narrative, and a The Story of Redeemer resolution of each sermon’s proposed tension After pastoring a small blue-collar church in with the core claims of Protestant Christianity Hopewell, Virginia for nine years, Keller accompanied by a modulated reintroduction became a professor of practical theology at of biblically-shaped language. To accomplish Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia in this feat, he taps into the situated existence of 1984. While there, he became interested in sophisticated Manhattanites by downtown urban ministries, and began simultaneously affirming insightful and thinking through such issues more deeply intelligent cultural voices, while pulling their under the influence of his colleagues, key insights into the distinctive Christian particularly an urban missiologist named framework that he wishes to convey. In short, Harvey Conn who had spent a number of having demonstrated that he too inhabits his years doing cross-cultural work in Korea. hearers’ milieu, Keller gains a hearing for the Originally recruited in 1987 to research the Christian meta-narrative, which he, in turn, possibility of starting a church in New York elaborates and commends. This assessment City that someone else would pastor, Keller emerges from listening to and analyzing 25 was tasked with the job and accepted it after Tim Keller sermons that have been delivered two other candidates declined.7 His over the past 20 years, as well as personal preliminary field research helped him to learn attendance at 10 Redeemer services over the about the struggles New Yorkers faced and previous two years (mostly in the summer of 5 their dislike of judgmental religion; generally 2012). Keller’s style of preaching has speaking, it also helped him gain an idea of remained remarkably stable over the course of how evangelical Christianity could work in his ministry. While many aspects of his style the city and attract young professionals.8 In are unspectacular and commonplace, it seems brief, his approach entailed four parts: the that he has particularly distinguished himself worship services needed to be welcoming but by embracing the challenge of speaking to dignified; the preaching had to be intelligent both skeptical unbelievers and confessing 6 and show familiarity with urban life issues; Christians at the same time. Given both his outreach had to be through friendship context and his apparent success, Keller networking; and the church had to emphasize seems to have figured out, at least to some a positive view of the city.9 Redeemer was launched in the spring of as if it were a single-voiced text with an axiomatic 1989, with 75 people in attendance, the lion’s source. The point at hand being that such a view may share being a core group that had initially sound anti-intellectual and silly to skeptical non- Christians in New York City. 5 See the Appendix for a chronological list of the 7 Stafford, “How Time Keller Found Manhattan.” sermons analyzed for this essay. Regarding the value of 8 Hannibal Silver, “New York Neo-Puritans” in New studying religious discourse and didactic teaching see York Glory, ed. Tony Carnes and Anna Karpathakis Robert J. Wuthnow, “Taking Talk Seriously: Religious (New York and London: New York University Press, Discourse as Social Practice,” Journal for the Scientific 2010), 261. Study of Religion 50, no.1 (2011): 1-21. 9 Tim Keller, “An Evangelical Mission in a Secular 6 Tim Stafford, “How Tim Keller Found Manhattan,” City” in Center City Churches (Nashville: Abingdon Christianity Today, June 5, 2009. Press, 1993), 33-34. MCMILLAN / BIG APPLE CONTEXTUALIZATION 3 gelled together in a Campus Crusade for of their model has influenced the formation of Christ outreach effort to New York “city-centered” churches in other parts of the professionals.10 Eschewing advertising and U.S.—San Francisco, D.C., Boston—and relying solely on word of mouth, attendance around the world—Berlin, London, had risen to 250 people by the end of the first Amsterdam.15 Dubbed the most successful year, swelled to more than 1,000 by the end of Christian evangelist in New York City,16 it is ‘92, and was hovering near 4,000 by 2001.11 no surprise that Christians in global cities Then came the unimaginable tragedy of from all over the world are flocking to Keller Tuesday, September 11, 2001 that rocked to learn the art of starting churches in New York City and the nation to its very core. cosmopolitan urban centers. Keller insists that On the Sunday after the September 11th Redeemer’s model is transposable and ideal attacks, the morning service at Redeemer was for global cities—with appropriate so packed that Keller called for another modifications, that is—given that they are full service on the spot: “Everybody who can’t get of young professionals, artists, and the urban in the doors right now, if you come back in poor—a near mirror of Manhattan.17 two hours, I’ll do another service.”12 About Having served as Redeemer’s founding 700 people came back; and it seems they pastor for over 20 years Keller is in the midst stuck around, at least number-wise, as of passing the baton to his successors and Redeemer’s attendance continued to climb, expanding his ministry via the written word. reaching 5,000 by 2008.13 The church now He released his first book, The Reason for draws close to 6,000 people every Sunday. God, in 2008, which climbed to number seven Keller’s influence and impact extend far on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller beyond Redeemer’s weekly services. Since list. He has followed that up with ten other 2000, the church has helped found or “plant” books in quick succession, with more in the seventeen new congregations of its own works.