Monday, May 09, 2005

Guerrillas In Their Midst

My father pastors an evangelical Mennonite congregation in California, and he has quietly expressed frustration with the "Christian" media's one-note political message. Given these people's inescapable media presence, one might reasonably hope they'd acquire enough confidence to introduce some diversity, or even a little moderation, to their programming. No such luck.

I mostly ignore the so-called "culture war" being waged in US christendom. With precious exception, the rhetoric employed is shrill all-or-nothing posturing which doesn't bode well for "dialogue" - or progress. Garret Keizer's Guerrillas in Jesus Land doesn't escape this pitfall, but Keizer is aware enough to recognize and articulate the danger he courts. It's a short piece, but Keizer does an excellent job of fleshing out the ironies, disappointments and perils of being a dissident Christian in the United States. And I'm gratified to see it published, somewhat circuitously, by Christianity Today - the USA's most significant evangelical monthly.

No comments: