I listened with great interest and appreciation to your informative conversation with Phil regarding the Great Evangelical Divide over Mark Galli’s courageous editorial: Trump Must Go. Amen to that. The whole world picked up the story.

Looking at your BIO, I see that you and I are fellow M.Div.’s boasting the same Alma Mater (for me, TEDS ’74 – for you, 2001). I’m tempted to write at length about all this – but certainly you have a full inbox and limited read time.

You and Phil made a salient point: The “Mainstream Media” (as you guys put it) does not comprehend the wide social and political diversity within evangelicalism. On the one hand, we’ve got Jim Wallis (also a TEDS grad and classmate) and on the other, we’ve got Robert Jeffress. Now, that Great Divide is symbolized by Christianity Today vs. The Christian Post – shorthand: CT vs. CP; MSNBC vs. FOX. Us vs. Them.

You guys also used Wheaton vs. Bob Jones to make the point – especially around the issue of race. Understood. Bob Jones: Racist. Wheaton: Abolitionist.  

But Wheaton is hardly in the clear. Consider this: the (so-called) Harvard of Evangelicalism’s record on race has been badly damaged in the case of Larycia Hawkins, Ph.D. Because of her Advent determination to practice “embodied solidarity” by wearing a hijab and posting her action on her personal Facebook page, she lost her tenured position as Professor of Political Science (the first and only African American woman to achieve tenure at the college). The entire fiasco brought evangelicalism’s tone-deaf attitude toward race in America, it’s history of white privilege and shameless Christian Nationalism, all of it, into full view. Led by Franklin Graham, the pressure brought to bear on Wheaton College was enormous. They caved. The spurious claim of racial enlightenment (at the CCCU member school) because of their association with antebellum abolitionists rang hollow as Larycia Hawkins was shown the door.

While some will vociferously deny that race was a factor in this disturbing incident, imagine how different the outcome might have been had Larycia been anything but African American

And as you certainly know, the late Billy Graham was a Wheaton College alum.

DOCUMENTARY: SAME GOD

If you haven’t seen it, you and Phil must watch the powerful new documentary by acclaimed producer Linda Midgett: “Same God.” It’s currently gaining traction all over the nation after its current PBS release – and soon coming theatrical release.(SAMEGODFILM.com)

You would also do well to interview Linda Midgett and Larycia Hawkins on HOLY POST. Trust me, their story needs telling.

You won’t be disappointed.

Ken Kemp

Contact Ken

PS For the record, here is the letter I wrote to Galli after I read his CT editorial: https://thebeachedwhitemale.com/mark_galli/

Sky Jethani’s Reply

From: Measure The Clouds Ministries <measuretheclouds@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: Skye Jethani

Date: December 30, 2019 at 8:23:31 AM PST

To: kenk@thebeachedwhitemale.com

Ken—

 

Thank for the email and your feedback on the recent podcast episode. 

 

Although Phil used the historical examples of Wheaton and Bob Jones U. to represent the differences between evangelicalism and fundamentalism in the mid-20th century, I think a case could be made that both institutions have been on a trajectory toward one another in recent decades. For example, BJU lifted their ban on interracial dating in 2000 (a step away from southern fundamentalism), and Wheaton’s ongoing struggles with race issues.

 

I think both of these moves can be attributed to cultural pressure. BJU’s race policy came under pressure in 2000 after George W Bush spoke there during the presidential campaign. They quickly changed their position revealing it was never based on a biblical conviction (as they had claimed), but rather the residue of Jim Crow among white southern Christians. In Wheaton’s case, its early progressive values toward minorities and women have waned as the school’s donors and parents have been influenced by the fundamentalism found in Christian media.

 

Living in Wheaton, I have many friends at the college and was well informed about the mess with Dr. Hawkins. It was clear to me that much of the faculty and student body was very supportive of Dr. Hawkins. The pressure upon the administration, I was told, came from donors and parents who have definately moved in a more conservative/fundamentalist direction in recent years. In other words, the same fundamentalists cultural forces that have led 80% of white evangelicals to support Trump are also impacted historically evangelical institutions like Wheaton. Oddly, Wheaton looks more like BJU today than it did 150 years ago, and my own family has been deeply impacted by the racism still present within the Christian community here in Wheaton. It’s not a trait limited to southern fundamentalism. 

 

All this to say, reality is more complicated than our podcast had the time to explain. We were simply trying to offer a useful shorthand for recognizing the differences between historic evangelicalism and fundamentalism. The way these visions of culture and faith play out in the real world is never so clear-cut.

 

Thanks again for your email and for your support of the podcast.

 

Blessings,

Measure the Clouds Ministries

e: skye@skyejethani.com

www.skyejethani.com