79. The Loss of Evangelical Identity, with Michael Cooper, author of When Evangelicals Sneeze

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Evangelical identity has changed. The word “evangelical” carries a lot of baggage these days.  There was a time when it primarily denoted a theological conviction that included a recognition of the Scriptures as God’s word, an understanding of our need for salvation through Jesus, and a commitment to caring for the “least of these.”

Unfortunately, that’s no longer what most non-Christians think of when they hear the word “evangelical.”  Today, evangelical identity has become--for a lot of people--synonymous with American, right wing, conservative politics.

In his book, delightfully titled, When Evangelicals Sneeze, Michael Cooper explores the historic meaning of evangelicalism and how evangelical identity has changed in recent years.  And in this interview, we dive into those same topics.

THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Michael Cooper shares the story of a young Evangelical Palestinian woman who has experienced persecution because people in her community associate Evangelicalism with Donald Trump.
• Feeling as though he had lost his evangelical identity, Michael “resigned” from Evangelicalism in a conversation with Doug Birdsall, former Executive Director for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization.
• There are three marks of historic Evangelicalism:
  • The Great Commandment:  The defense of the faith.
  • The Great Compassion:  Our engagement in social justice.
  • The Great Commission:  The declaration of God’s glory to the nations.
• Michael Cooper discusses the connection between Evangelicalism and conservative politics.
• Michael explains what he means by the term, “Trumpgelical.” It seems this has in some ways become the new evangelical identity.
• There are various kinds of evangelicals, including Trumpgelicals, Deconstructionists, Post-modernists, and Fundamentalists.
• There is a difference between a Trumpgelical and an Evangelical person who voted for Trump.
• The title of Michael Cooper’s book, When Evangelicals Sneeze, is a reference to the impact that American Evangelicalism has on global Evangelicalism.
• When Evangelicals Sneeze is available on Amazon.  You can find out more about Michael Cooper and his work at www.ephesiology.com.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Michael Cooper
  • Ephesiology Website
• Books mentioned:
  • When Evangelicals Sneeze, by Michael Cooper
  • Ephesiology: A Study of the Ephesian Movement, by Michael Cooper

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