Who is an evangelical? Dr. Thomas Kidd joins Matt and Derek to discuss this pertinent question which is also the title to his recent book, Who Is an Evangelical?: The History of a Movement in Crisis. Listen in on why Dr. Kidd does not include activism as an identifiable factor for evangelicals, why it seems that evangelicals are susceptible to politicization, and if being “born again” unmoors evangelicals from historical institutions?
Timestamps:
Intro + defining what an evangelical is [0:00 – 5:05]
Why are we still arguing about who *really* is an evangelical? [5:05 – 10:10]
Is there something about evangelicalism that enables its members to become susceptible to politicization? [10:10 – 15:30]
Why Dr. Kidd’s thesis of who is an evangelical does not include activism, politics, and prosperity gospel preachers [15:30 – 21:23]
Why evangelicals are ethnically diverse and how evangelicalism has handled racial tensions historically and contemporarily [21:23 – 27:30]
Are certain social issues part and parcel to the broad definition of evangelicalism? [27:30 – 34:02]
Does the criteria of being “born again” untether a movement from its original institutions? [36:06 – 41:35]
The future of evangelicalism and who Dr. Kidd is voting for in 2020 (not really) + Conclusion [41:35 – 49:27]
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Finally, as always, follow Derek, Andrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to Timothy Motte for his sound editing work. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.
Resources mentioned: