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The Rise of Contemporary Progressive Evangelicalism View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Carolina Digital Repository AN ALTERNATIVE SOUL OF POLITICS: THE RISE OF CONTEMPORARY PROGRESSIVE EVANGELICALISM Brantley W. Gasaway A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Religious Studies. Chapel Hill 2008 Approved by: Yaakov Ariel Laurie Maffly-Kipp Randall Styers Grant Wacker Jason Bivins © 2008 Brantley W. Gasaway ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Brantley W. Gasaway: An Alternative Soul of Politics: The Rise of Contemporary Progressive Evangelicalism (Under the direction of Yaakov Ariel) This dissertation traces the development of the contemporary progressive evangelical movement and analyzes how leaders responded to issues of race, gender, and sexuality. Beginning in the late 1960s progressive evangelicals became vigorous advocates for social justice. Perceived inequality and injustice represented the primary moral issues that compelled their social and political activism. Yet the emergence of the Christian Right and its conservative agenda in the late 1970s soon overshadowed progressive evangelicalism. Alarm over assaults on both America’s ostensible Christian heritage and traditional standards of family and sexuality inspired the politicization of Christian conservatives. As the Christian Right became the most conspicuous form of evangelical political engagement, progressive evangelical leaders found themselves on the defensive. They protested that their alternative “soul of politics” represented the most faithful and comprehensive expression of Christian public engagement. Focusing on three primary representatives—Sojourners and its editor Jim Wallis; The Other Side ; and Evangelicals for Social Action under the leadership of Ron Sider—I argue that contemporary progressive evangelical leaders embraced a public theology of community that prioritized social justice. Community membership not only safeguards individual rights, they believed, but also entails responsibilities for the common good. In iii abstract terms, the common good results from basic social and economic conditions that allow all of a community’s members to prosper. Justice provides the vital framework for achieving the common good, they argued, and thus represents the highest ideal of public life. Both racism and sexism denied the equality of minorities and women, and each injustice became a natural target of progressive evangelical activism. Leaders campaigned both for anti-discriminatory laws such as the Equal Rights Amendment and for distributive justice programs such as affirmative action. With respect to abortion, most progressive evangelical leaders concluded that unborn children deserved the same protection as other community members. Yet these pro-life advocates refused to separate their opposition to abortion from their campaigns against other injustices and threats to life. Finally, progressive evangelical leaders disagreed on the legitimacy of homosexual behavior for Christians but united in defending the full civil rights of gays and lesbians. iv To Katie v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS While the process of completing a dissertation at times seems a lonely endeavor, I am grateful to the all those who offered an invaluable network of support and encouragement. I benefited from the direction of the outstanding scholars and people who comprised my dissertation committee. I could not have asked for a better advisor than Yaakov Ariel. Throughout my graduate work, Yaakov consistently provided wise counsel and vital encouragement. His enthusiasm for my project and his confidence in my abilities to complete it well sustained my efforts. Yaakov represents all that is best in mentoring relationships. The other members of my inter-institutional committee—Laurie Maffly-Kipp and Randall Styers of UNC; Jason Bivins of North Carolina State University; and Grant Wacker of Duke University—also provided excellent advice and direction. Each read this manuscript carefully, offered valuable feedback, and pushed me to improve my work. I am especially thankful for the opportunity to study with Grant. Both his advice and example of clear, concise writing have shaped my own efforts to craft engaging historical narratives. Numerous other teachers inspired my study of American religion and passion for teaching. During my undergraduate studies at the College of William & Mary, David Holmes awed me with his charismatic teaching and encouraged me with his friendship. Peter Williams at Miami University sagely directed my first graduate work and vi broadened my understanding of an academic career. At the University of North Carolina, my work in several contexts with Christian Smith and Peter Kaufman contributed to both my scholarship and pedagogy. My fellow graduate students at both the University of North Carolina and Duke University helped to create a congenial and stimulating academic environment. I thank a long list of these colleagues, including: Kate Bowler, Elesha Coffman, Jennifer Graber, Kathryn Lofton, Shanny Luft, Mary Ellen O’Donnell, Brendan Pietsch, Nora Rubel, Chad Seales, Angela Tarango, Tim Wardle, and Isaac Weiner. In particular, I am grateful to have started my studies and continued the program alongside Reid Neilson, Jeff Wilson, and Benjamin Zeller. Most important, I am indebted to the friends with whom I worked closely in a writing group for two years: Steve Berry, Seth Dowland, Matt Harper, and Sarah Johnson. I will always consider myself blessed by their critical insights and moral support. I completed this work while teaching in the Law, Politics & Society Program at Drake University, and I am grateful to my present colleagues for their welcome and encouragement. In particular, Jennifer McCrickerd, Nancy Berns, Renee Cramer, Jennifer Harvey, Tim Knepper, and Brad Crowell all encouraged me in the final stages of this project. Several groups provided financial support for this project. The Graduate School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Department of Religious Studies provided assistance throughout my doctoral work. In addition, the Louisville Institute for the Study of American Religion funded this work through a dissertation vii fellowship. I thank the Institute’s directors, Jim Lewis and Sheldon Sorge, for their commitment to my project. My family deserves recognition for their ongoing support as well. I thank my parents, Phil Gasaway and Joan Smith; my step-father David Smith; my brother Sonny Gasaway and his wife Whitley; and my in-laws Danny and Ellen Krease, Brodie and Julie Theis, and Kevin Krease. While technically beyond familial bounds, Scott Morrison has been closer than a brother for many, many years. Scott’s friendship and own intellectual engagement with my subject have shaped this work in immeasurable ways. My final words of acknowledgement are for the two most important people in my life. Eleanor Grace was born just as this dissertation project was taking her shape. Watching her grow and joyously embrace life and learning has provided a welcome counterbalance to the demands of the academic life. Above all, my wife Katie has been my faithful companion in this work. I cannot even begin to put into words how this project reflects her words of encouragement, willingness to read excerpts, enduring belief in our vocation, and constant love. I thank Katie for being my partner, and I dedicate this work to her. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………….….... 1 Contemporary Progressive Evangelicalism ……………………………………... 4 Overview and Outline ………………………………………………………….. 12 Significance …………………………………………………………………….. 19 CHAPTER 1: THE MOVEMENT BEGINS, 1965-1973 ……………………………… 22 Progressive Evangelical Journals ………………………………………………. 25 Freedom Now for The Other Side ……………………………………… 27 A Post-American Faith ………………………………………………. 39 Progressive Evangelical Books ………………………………………………… 49 Evangelism Conferences and Social Action …………………………………… 62 “The Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern” …………………… 70 CHAPTER 2: RACISM: “AMERICA’S ORIGINAL SIN” ………………………….. 79 Racism and the Rise of Progressive Evangelicalism …………………………... 80 “Ronald Reagan is Not Their Friend” ………………………………………….. 87 The Battle Against Apartheid ………………………………………………….. 93 The Persistent Problem ………………………………………………………… 97 Diverse Authors, White Audiences …………………………………………… 104 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………. 117 CHAPTER 3: THE TRIALS AND TRUMPHS OF BIBLICAL FEMINISM ……….. 119 ix The Emergence of Biblical Feminism ……………………………………….. 121 Theological and Political Battles ……………………………………………... 129 “Trials and Triumphs for Feminism” …………………………………………. 142 The Quests for Equality and Liberation ………………………………………. 160 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………. 164 CHAPTER 4: THE AGONY OF ABORTION ………………………………………. 166 Ambivalence and Opposition Among Progressive Evangelicals ……………... 168 The Development of “Completely Pro-Life” Agendas ……………………….. 185 Sojourners and Pro-life Pragmatism ………………………………….. 186 The Other Side : From Ambivalence to Silence ………………………. 198 The Pro-life Politics of Evangelicals for Social Action ……………… 204 Pro-life Feminism …………………………………………………………….. 214 Politically Homeless ………………………………………………………….. 217 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………. 223 CHAPTER 5: A CIVIL RIGHT BUT RELIGIOUS WRONG? …………………….. 226 Gay Liberation ………………………………………………………………... 227 From Ambivalence to Affirmation ……………………………………………
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